What I Build

Small ideas can change the world.


Strategery...

My goal is to build projects that change the world.
In 2009 I started a tiny blog focusing on people who were accomplishing this same thing in ways meaningful to them, and what started as a series of short interviews has now turned into a global team of nearly 10,000 people who actively work to improve the lives of others. Literally millions of lives have been touched as a result of the philanthropy projects listed below, and I am honored to have had a hand in helping people realize that small ideas, executed well, really can change the world.

Most of my projects have centered around micro-giving in the personal philanthropy space, especially the construction of platforms and community building for people to help others and change lives – that’s where my heart is. Other projects include designing a new system of micro-licensing for information products, and redefining the way we construct and consume digital storytelling. Whenever I see a lack of efficiency in an area that interests me, I try to build a system to improve it.

For each example listed below, I built the project from the ground up: from concept, to strategy, to construction, to execution, to results. If you’d like to work with or hire me in any capacity, check out the Work With Me page. I’m currently producing web projects, bringing talented people from around the internet together to create a whole lot of awesome, for everyone’s benefit. More to come on that. On to the previous projects…

ItStartsWith.Us

ItStartsWith.Us (est. 2009)
Changing the world in 15 minutes a week

•  5,000 members in 100 countries, each spending 15 minutes a week to make a difference for others
•  Grew to a worldwide project by making it easy for people to participate in a way that’s meaningful to them
•  Members work individually in their own lives or as part of a team to make a huge impact
•  This team has collectively touched millions of lives since 2009

[www.ItStartsWith.Us]
Love Drop

Love Drop (2011)
Spend a dollar, change a life

•  1,000 members in 10 countries, each giving a small, consistent amount to change a family’s life each month
•  Drove adoption and participation by making the act of financial giving individually meaningful
•  We gave over $90,000 of support to 12 deserving families in 12 months
•  Love Drop was a successful one-year social enterprise, with no funding and no debt
[www.LoveDrop.us]
Love Bomb

Love Bomb (est. 2010)
Changing lives in 5 minutes a week

•  2,000 members in 50 countries, each spending 5 minutes a week to support someone in crisis
•  This project gives people the opportunity to literally change or save a life in just 5 minutes
•  The simple concept resonates so well with participants because they see immediate results from their actions
•  Multiple people have told me that they are alive today because this team lifted them up in their darkest hour

[www.dropalovebomb.com]
Best Minds

Best Minds (tested in 2011, currently on hold)
Information products from the best minds on the web

•  Brings together knowledgeable curators and proven content providers to create quality information products
•  Allows content experts to quickly and easily build a useful information product tailored to their audience
•  Allows content providers to monetize their existing articles with no effort or cost to them

[www.BestMinds.org]
Axis

Axis (looking for a development partner)
A new platform for digital storytelling

•  Creating a revolutionary shift in the way a reader interacts with a story through the digital medium
•  Allows the reader to choose any perspective as they read, giving them control over story flow
•  Allows authors unlimited new levels of depth to explore within the storyline
•  Gives producers/distributors much more powerful ways to cross-sell products through story integration

[Contact me if interested in developing]

  

If you’d like to receive occasional updates on these projects or any
new ones in the future, you can sign up for my newsletter below:

Speaking

I’ve had the privilege of speaking on the topic of building community and changing the world in a number of formats (keynotes, panels, workshops, running events, etc) for many organizations. Here are some of my favorites:


Press and writeups and such