# @uofnh on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYrU_FEh81
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/55612005-uofnh-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/30780f1dd5.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-05T18:03:02.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** University of New Hampshire (@UofNH) — https://gondola.cc/UofNH

## Caption

How do you go from UNH engineering student to co-founder of a social enterprise on the other side of the world in under 10 years? 

Paige Balcom '16 didn't initially plan to attend college in-state at UNH — but a full academic scholarship changed everything. Today, she's co-founder and co-CEO of Takataka Plastics in Uganda, where her social enterprise employs nearly 60 people transforming plastic water bottles into construction tiles.

This is the most prevalent type of plastic waste in Uganda, but its chemical properties make it particularly challenging to recycle. Takataka Plastics is the first company in Uganda to locally recycle this type of plastic into a new product at scale.

This endeavor recently earned her the Alnoba Foundation's Gutsy Young Leader Award, which recognizes leaders under 40 advancing environmental justice, social justice, and opportunities for young people. She's also a current Fulbright Scholar, teaching and researching at Gulu University.

Paige's path began in her first weeks at UNH when she joined Engineers Without Borders, eventually traveling to Uganda as a sophomore. That trip — and the friendships formed there — sparked a realization about opportunity, privilege, and purpose. "I was deeply unsettled by how difficult it was for my Ugandan friends to get jobs," she reflects. "My friendship with these young women inspired me to share the privileges and utilize the education I had been blessed with to help create dignified jobs."

Now, her days are a mix of engineering research, grant writing, mentoring junior staff, and teaching university students. But some of her favorite moments happen under the mango tree at lunch, where the entire Takataka team gathers to eat, chat, and joke together. 

Her advice for current Wildcats? "Stay curious, be humble, and ask lots of questions. Don't worry too much about picking the best next step. Life is full of twists and turns. Your next step will be a stepping stone to the one after that."

Thanks for letting us tag along for a day in your life, Paige! #DaretoDo

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## Tags

daretodo

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