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Magnificent solar-powered 'supertrees' are the highlight of Singapore's new 250-acre eco-tourism project

via Gardens By the Bay

Singapore's National Parks Board has created a 250-acre oasis as apart of a redevelopment by the city-state to attract ecotourism to the area.

Gardens By The Bay is home to two biodomes — the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome — that combine to be the size of four football fields and showcase 220,000 plants form all over planet Earth.

But the main attraction has to be 18 supertrees that rise between 80 to 160 feet high and have a wide variety of ferns and tropical flowers that climb its mechanical outsides.

The trees feature photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy to power the eco-park and they also act as air exhausts for the Energy Centre and Cooled Conservatories.

via Gardens By the Bay

During the day, the trees' massive canopies provide share for park-goers and at night they light up to create beautiful media displays that light up the sky.

RELATED: Breaking down the conspiracy theory mindset at the heart of climate change denial

via Gardens by the Bay

Park-goers can walk among the treetops on catwalks that rise 70 feet above ground or take in panoramic views of the Gardens and the Marina Bay skyline from an observation bar.

Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of the Republic of Singapore, said the project showcases "what we can do to bring the world of plants to all Singaporeans."

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The new development isn't just a tribute to the world's biodiversity, it also focuses on Singapore's ethnic makeup. Visitors and pursue Colonial, Malay, Indian, and Chinese-themed gardens and learn about how the plants played a part in Singapore's history.

Gardens By the Bay is a great example of a country creating a commercial enterprise that brings in tourism that's also a celebration of the environment. The more we learn to appreciate the beauty and bounty of the Earth's natural environment, the more likely people will be to protect it.

America is #1! ... At least in one very cool way.

Social entrepreneurship.

"What the heck is that?" you might be asking.

Social entrepreneurs are those who use a business opportunity to solve a societal problem.

So if a company, say, prioritizes cleaning up a local river as part of its business model or a start-up gives away a winter coat to a child in need for every jacket it sells, those endeavors could be considered social entrepreneurship.

Photo by Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images.

Social entrepreneurs have played increasingly important roles in terms of economic growth and solving systemic problems throughout the world. And there's no better place to be one than in the U.S., according to a recent study released by the Thomas Reuters Foundation.

By conducting surveys in 45 countries with hundreds of experts — academics, policy-makers, investors, and entrepreneurs themselves — the foundation analyzed where it's easiest (and most difficult) to become a do-good business leader. Several factors can help or hurt a social entrepreneur, like if investors are easy to come by or if the public understands what a social entrepreneur even is (which can affect a business' fundraising efforts), and those variables can vary pretty significantly from country to country.

The foundation's survey asked participants a series of questions related to businesses with a bigger mission such as "Is it easy to get grant funding?" or "Is social entrepreneurship gaining momentum in your country?" Then they ranked the top countries based off of those responses.

Here are the top five countries on the list:

5. Israel

Photo by Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images.

Israel finished fifth overall but ranked highest in the world in terms of the general public's understanding of what social entrepreneurs actually do — one of the critical questions the survey took into consideration.

4. Singapore

The bustling Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore. Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

Singapore ranked particularly high on the list in terms of entrepreneurs getting the non-financial support they need in order to get the ball rolling on their goals, like mentoring from experts and access to legal advice.

3. United Kingdom

Photo by Chris Radburn-WPA Pool/Getty Images.

U.K. respondents reported overall favorable conditions for their social entrepreneurs, who ranked second in the world as far as their ability to make a living in their line of work.

2. Canada

Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

Social entrepreneurship is definitely on the up and up in Canada as the country ranked somewhere in the top 10 across all questions asked in the survey.

1. United States

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.

The U.S. ranked highest in terms of reported favorable conditions for social entrepreneurs. Respondents also said social entrepreneurship in America is "gaining momentum" and that it's relatively easy for businesses with a noble mission to find the talent they need to succeed.

Stacked up against the rest of the world, there's certainly room for improvement in America on many key issues.

When it comes to health, police brutality, education, inequality, and gun violence, America is, er ... not blazing the trails of social justice (to put it lightly). In part because of issues like these — and the fact we're in the middle of a nasty presidential election season — it can feel like cynicism about the state of our country is reaching all-time highs (there's a reason why the tagline, "Make America Great Again" has struck a chord with so many people, after all).

But surveys like this one can serve as a reminder that, all things considered, there are many reasons to feel proud to be an American. The fact we're empowering innovators who want to make a living making the world a better place is just the latest item on that ever-growing list.

A street vendor in Singapore is being recognized as one of the best chefs in the world.

For over 100 years, the Michelin Guide series has represented the gold standard for fine dining all over the world.

If you've never been to a Michelin-starred restaurant, your imagination has probably conjured up something like this:

If you knock those napkins over you feel like you're about to be arrested. Photo via iStock.

You might be seeing tablecloths, candles, and menus with words like "reduction," "consommé," and "foam." Your dishes are tiny yet mysteriously filling "deconstructions" served "over" this with a "drizzle" of that. You walk away feeling less like you had a meal, and more like you just had your tastebuds wistfully guided through a symphony of flavor, texture, and harmony the likes of which you may never be able to experience again. Mostly because you can't afford it.

In recent years, however, the Michelin-star experience has been changing.

Many have criticized the Michelin company and its rating system, saying it's too biased or its methods too secretive, or that it's just generally not an accurate measure of the planet's "best" restaurants, as it claims to be.

British chef Gordon Ramsay isn't just a loudmouthed reality show host. He has 16 Michelin stars. Photo by Gerry Penny/AFP/Getty Images.

Yet the Michelin star remains a coveted symbol of excellence for chefs all over the world. They work toward it, fight over it, and clammer for it like nothing else. It's their Nobel Prize.

In response to some of that criticism, Michelin has been expanding its reach to include food from more and more corners of the globe.

One of the most recent inclusions is Singapore, the Southeast Asian nation most known (culinarily speaking) for its street food.

A street vendor in Singapore. Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

The streets and markets of Singapore are filled to the brim with so-called "hawker stalls" — tiny, intoxicating food stands serving up spicy, savory, sticky, fried, baked, and steamed flavorful bits of magic. The stalls are a national treasure in Singapore, and they're slinging out some of the best food that money can buy.

Singapore just became home to the first Michelin-starred street vendor in the world.

In a tiny park neighborhood called Outram, sits a hawker stall called "Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle."

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle. Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

It's run by Chan Hong Meng, a Malaysian born, Hong Kong trained chef whose chicken, pork belly, rice, and noodles have been known to create three-hour lines around the block in Singapore for years.

Meng recieved a phone call from Michelin in July 2016, inviting him to a gala. He was surprised, to say the least.

"Are you joking?" Meng recalls in a video for Michelin. "Why would Michelin want to come to my stall?"

Chan Hong Meng at work in his stall. Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

They weren't joking, and they awarded him one of the highest honors in all of food.

Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

The Michelin guide's expansion into Singapore represents a significant shift in what is widely considered the "best."

For decades, Michelin-starred food was synonymous with "expensive." Now you can get a Michelin-starred dish for under $2. That isn't just affordable ... it's symbolic.

Chef Meng winning his Michelin star. Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

The standard-bearers for what counts as "fine cuisine" have begun to recognize that the best food in the world is not limited to Western countries, or to posh restaurants with tablecloths and napkin towers.

You can find culinary and cultural magic in the hidden corners of the world. You can find it in the smoke-filled markets where chefs are serving simple cuisine on paper plates to massive hungry crowds.

You can find it wherever you look. You just have to be looking for it.

Plenty of obstacles get in the way of new businesses. She overcame them all.

True

30 years ago, Jane Goh did something bold and relatively rare: She started a new business while raising her young family. It was a risk she had to take.

It was 1987, and business in Singapore and Malaysia was booming. It didn't matter what they were selling; these new upstart businesses all needed promotional materials — and Goh knew it. Even though she'd just started raising her young family, this opportunity wouldn't wait. She founded the RJ Paper company.

For the past 30 years, the company has served Singapore and Malaysia’s creative class, providing them with tools to promote their own businesses and create their own projects. This includes everything from print materials to packaging to custom manufacturing.

50 Colours have arrived.. 🌈 #colorplan
A photo posted by RJ Paper SG (@rjpapersg) on Apr 28, 2016 at 6:10pm PDT

In the past few years, she’s pushed her company toward sustainable paper offerings, choosing to work exclusively with paper mills and suppliers approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international certification recognizing responsible management of the world's forests.

Goh's forward-thinking leadership, coupled with her eager mentorship of local Singaporean artists and creatives, are two of three ways she set herself apart from other entrepreneurs.

The third, and most important to her, is her family.

Goh says her children and seven grandchildren are the greatest achievement of her life. By placing work and family at the center of everything she does, Goh is able to balance both. Two generations of her family have grown up with the company, and one of her daughters works alongside her every day.

Being an entrepreneur is a tremendous risk — there are long hours, huge financial burdens, and heaps of uncertainty. But for female entrepreneurs, the risks are even greater.

The International Finance Corporation's 2011 report on female entrepreneurship in the developing world studied the social, economic, and financial factors that limit the success of women in business. It revealed that about one-third of all small and very small companies are owned by women.

A gift from the Temasek Poly Design Show 2016. Thank you for all the continued support. #designshow #design #temasekpoly #interstingpeoplecreateinterestingwork
A photo posted by RJ Paper SG (@rjpapersg) on Apr 13, 2016 at 7:02pm PDT

This isn’t a surprising figure. Women-owned business in developing countries often remain small, or are restricted to the home, as their owners attend to other priorities like managing their household or raising children.

The study also found that educational opportunities are still geared more toward male students, making it harder for women to learn the necessary skills to run a successful company. Even when women overcome those challenges, the study revealed that getting funding remains a huge barrier. Should they be able to get a loan at all, female entrepreneurs are much more likely to receive less money, face higher interest rates, and have to pay it back much sooner.

All of these are potential deal breakers for a new business. The confidence to push past them makes Goh’s story even more remarkable.

Every single one of the issues confronting female entrepreneurs today was even more prevalent 30 years ago. To face them with a clear mind and an open heart and to come out three decades later with a successful business and a thriving family is an incredible achievement.

For her part, Goh says she never wavered in her belief that everything would work out. She gives the following advice: "Work hard and have persistence. That is more than half the battle won."

When life hands you challenges, make granola.

True

When Genevieve Lee's father had a heart attack, it made her question everything — even the food they ate together.

All images by SheMeansBusiness/Facebook, used with permission.

Before his heart attack and triple bypass surgery, Genevieve's family never thought too much about what they ate. While her mother is a good cook, their meals were supplemented with highly processed food and loaded with extra sugar, salt, and preservatives. Delicious, but not the best idea for a diabetic recovering from major heart surgery.

With her dad on two months of bed rest, Genevieve took a leave of absence from her film editing job to care for him, immersing herself in learning to cook whole-food versions of his favorite meals. One of the biggest challenges was finding a nutrient-rich, low-sugar replacement for the cereal he liked to snack on throughout the day.

She decided on homemade granola. It was an instant hit.

Helping her father change his diet changed her life. And her career path.

Once Genevieve started making healthy food, she couldn't stop. Soon her friends were receiving gifts of homemade granola during the holidays. Her dad saw her enthusiasm and encouraged her to take the next logical step: If you like it so much, why not sell it?

"My initial challenge is that I wasn't a risk-taker. Leaving a comfortable job with decent pay was really daunting. After giving much thought and talking to my dad, he gave me this advice: He said, 'Don't worry so much. Just do it. Things will sort of work out.'"
— Genevieve Lee

With just $500 in seed money, Genevieve started small. She sold her granola at farmers markets, then online. Her family helped every step of the way, even spending afternoons portioning and labeling packages.

Now, four years in, The Edible Company has a mail-order program, a Singapore storefront, and a strong social media presence — even if teaching people what granola is can sometimes be a challenge.

"People have a very sweet and savory tooth here, and most healthier options of anything is neither of that. So the first buy in is always our popular Coconut Gula Melaka flavor. It's connectable, sweeter, and has the essence of a Southeast Asian flavor. All of our products are gently sweetened, but I still get people who asked me to make it sweeter. I'm standing my ground."
— Genevieve Lee

In a 2014 interview, Genevieve acknowledged that her company would have failed immediately had she started it 10 years ago. Products like granola and muesli are now becoming mainstream in Singapore — and social media has played a big part in that.

There are 3.5 million active Facebook users in Singapore, and mentions from famous, popular users can make a big difference for a small business like Genevieve's.

"Now, social media makes all the difference. If a friend who has 24,000 followers posts a photo of my granola, I'll get 20 to 30 new followers and lots of people asking where to buy it within a few hours," she told an interviewer last year.

Many entrepreneurs sacrifice their personal relationships when they start their businesses. Genevieve has worked hard to be the exception.

She makes a point of carving out time in her schedule to spend with family, and she never works on Sundays. It's a refreshingly healthy approach. More than a decade after the health scare that started it all, Genevieve's father — and the business he convinced her to start — are doing well. And her family has never been stronger — even as they prepare to get a little larger next month when Genevieve and her husband welcome their first child.

Being an entrepreneur and a new mom will be a huge challenge, but Genevieve is ready for whatever happens.

"Running a business alone is one tough journey. Every thing and every day is a challenge. What keeps me going is that I refuse to give up on this dream until I have exhausted all possible options. I don't want to live my life with regrets."