Sophie Ringel is the founder and executive director of Clean Miami Beach, a nonprofit that hosts weekly cleanups with the goal of removing trash and raising awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic on the area’s fragile ecosystem. She was inspired to establish the weekly cleanup after witnessing vast amounts of trash and pollution on her shoreline beach walks. Ringel has a degree in graphic design and a professional background in management, administration, customer relations, and real estate financing and sales. She has received the Collins Park Neighborhood Association’s Citizen Impact Award, the City of Miami Beach’s Unsung Hero Award, and the Better Beach Award from the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, which also nominated her as “Badass Woman of the Year.”