Quote of the Day: “Look within, for within is the wellspring of virtue, which will not cease flowing, if you cease not from digging.” – Marcus Aurelius
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Most college students are all too familiar with loans that quickly turn into debt. $35,000 is the average amount facing recent U.S. graduates.
While in college, Jessica Johnson realized that her story was very different than that of her peers. Many of them were saddled with college debt, while she had received $200,000 in scholarships.
Jessica’s father told her to find a need in the community and address it in a unique way. Those words became inspiration to create something bigger than herself.
RELATED: Man Gives $25Mil to Ease Debt for Students of Social Work: ‘They’re Heroes’
The Scholarship Academy (TSA), started in Jessica’s dorm room at Howard University with the belief that every student deserves an opportunity to pursue a debt-free degree, is a nonprofit organization that helps low income/first-generation families create 4-year college funding plans.
Through a first of its kind curriculum-based approach, TSA students learn how to negotiate financial aid packages, manage financial awards, create scholarship brag projects, and independently navigate the private scholarship market.
Jessica starts by asking students three simple questions: Who are you? What’s great about you? What have you done that’s worth someone’s investment?
From there, TSA helps students build their own brand and position themselves in their own superpowers. Students are shown how to do the work, instead of having the work done for them.
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In conjunction with this venture, Jessica has also trained black college males to serve as Scholarship Ambassadors, using their own stories of scholarship success to empower black high school males to take ownership of the financial aid process.
Since its inception in 2006, TSA has helped students secure more than $35 million in private funding sources, reducing their debt by $14,000.
Jessica has spent the last decade serving as a family scholarship consultant, and traveling throughout the country conducting workshops for organizations such as The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The U.S. Department of Labor, The New York Urban League and the National Center of Philanthropy.
The ultimate goal: use education as a means to close the equity gap and eliminate cycles of poverty in our nation’s poorest communities.
(Correction: An earlier headline identified her as a Harvard grad, rather than Howard Grad.)
Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Click To Share The Opportunity With Your Friends and Family…
After solidifying his stature as one of the world’s most talented magicians, Jason Latimer is now dedicating his time to using magic to motivate children to pursue science careers—and he’s conjured a contest to do it.
The “Impossible Science Student Challenge” is open to any middle or high school students in the U.S. and Canada who can use science-related resources or talents to design projects, displays, or tricks that look like magic.
As a grand prize, Latimer will bring his Impossible Science LIVE stage show to the school of the winning student or team.
Additionally, the student’s project will be displayed on Engineering.com, the organization behind the contest.
WATCH: Magician Born Without Hands Beat The Odds and Fool Penn and Teller
Latimer wrote: “The only thing separating the impossible from the possible is the individual wondering about the right question. Our goal with this contest is to inspire that individual and engage students to use their how’s, why’s, what if’s and why not’s to encourage them to think outside the box using Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.”
Most of Latimer’s illusions are rooted in different field of science. The illusion of bending lasers is physics, shaping water is chemistry, his puzzle illusion is mathematics, and the 360 levitation uses engineering.
“I don’t have any superpowers,” he told GNN. “I’ve just asked a lot of questions in multiple fields of science.
The best advice he has for kids who want to win the contest? “Build something that has never been built before, ‘Dream first, think later.’ You will trick yourself ‘thinking’ you know something might be possible.”
He says the thought process of believing your question might be better than everyone else’s is the same thought process behind finding a new cure or building a new technology.
“Remember all we have ever learned in history is that the right question changes everything—wonder changes the world.”
(WATCH the video below)
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These solidly designed hot beverage cups aren’t the disposable kind—yet you don’t have to bring them back after leaving the shop, and you won’t need to pay extra for the privilege.
As a means of preventing millions of single-use paper cups from being thrown into a landfill, architect Safia Qureshi created CupClub: a reusable takeaway coffee cup program.
While the eco-friendly concept may sound strange at first, it works sort of like a bike sharing scheme.
The cups are made of sturdy recycled polypropylene. All the consumer has to do is finish their drink, and drop it off at a designated collection area. The cups are then collected, washed, and used again for the next customer. The program is working brilliantly in offices and university campuses, where masses of people work and buy their drinks in the same area.
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The cups can be used up to 132 times before they are recycled once more. Remarkably, the cups only cost about 21 cents each for the retailer, which is a fraction of what single-use cups, lids, and stirrers cost. The cups contain a chip so the container’s life-cycle can be tracked.
The designer told Dezeen: “You just drink and drop. You go to your favorite coffee shop… You order your coffee with the Cupclub product. The barista will remind you to put the cup in one of the collection points when you’re done, and that’s it. Our orders are directly with the retailer; consumers don’t pay any extra.”
“It makes you a bad designer if you make something that can’t be recycled; if you have no idea of what’s going to happen to your product after it’s been used. You’re not completing the picture or showing responsibility. Why are you doing what you’re doing?” says Qureshi.
Quote of the Day: “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” – John James Audubon
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
As we celebrate Earth Day, one of the most hopeful signs for our planet’s future is the knowledge that environmental activists are still showing up—and, these days, as young as 10 years old.
Lilly Platt, for instance, is traveling more than 600 miles (1,000km) from Holland to the Norwegian coast so she can play a key role in a massive beach clean‑up and plastic waste conference.
The 10‑year‑old, together with her mother and grandfather, will be joining volunteers at the ‘Plastic Whale Coastal Clean‑Up and Conference’ on April 25th on the Norwegian island of Sotra.
The event is taking place in memory of the ‘plastic whale’, a Cuvier’s beaked whale that died on the Norwegian coast last year, its stomach full of more than 30 plastic bags.
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“I started picking up rubbish after seeing the effect that it had on wildlife,” says Lilly. “I knew that every piece I picked up, was one less piece that could harm a living creature.”
As well as helping to clean up the island’s coastline, the youngster will be attending a high‑profile conference on plastic waste, along with key figures in the environmental movement from around the world discussing the growing problem, and how to protect coastlines from further pollution. (See more about the conference and how the ‘plastic whale’ spurred the founder below…)
Having been involved in many plastic pick‑ups in recent years, Lilly has been chosen as a Youth Ambassador for the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and a Child Ambassador for HOW Global.
RELATED: Adidas Sold 1 Million Shoes Made Out of Ocean Plastic Last Year
The beach clean-up and conference were initiated by environmentalist Kenneth Bruvik, whose passion for the Earth’s coastlines spurred this collaboration of 28 organizations.
Kenneth, who will be acting as a mentor for the group, recalls his reaction last year when he first heard about the ‘Plastic Whale’.
“It hit me hard. I was crying, I was angry, and I said, ‘This is going to stop.’
He is excited about the conference, and sees it as part of groundswell of support across the globe for tackling single‑use plastics and the pollution they cause.
“I hope the Plastic Whale conference will act as a catalyst. When people from across the globe come together and speak in the same voice, it sends a powerful message.
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“It says to politicians, to governments and to countries around the world that we have had enough, and we want plastic pollution to stop.”
The beach clean this week will restore what was once a pristine part of Norway’s coastline. The Norwegian government will be supporting the effort by providing cranes and other equipment to remove the heaviest waste items.
Lilly reminds us of the importance of everyone—businesses, governments, and citizens—coming together: “The natural world is the only one we have.”
Clean Up Negativity: Click To Share The News With Your Friends – Benjamin Steele was a contributing writer
When I first found this large red-shouldered hawk, it was sitting under a tree as I was leaving my office. It was clearly blind, with a milky film covering its eyes.
It was just sitting and not moving, even as I cautiously approached it with my camera phone. I was concerned over its condition, but I had also never had any experience dealing with something like this, so I called the folks at Animal Control.
They picked up the bird and transported it to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, in Maitland, Florida. I didn’t know this amazing facility even existed.
Over the next six weeks, I found myself observing and interacting with some extremely dedicated technicians and volunteers. The first night, the hawk was placed in an incubator in guarded condition. The staff took turns testing its blood, and giving it antibiotics. Its health progressed until it could stand – and see.
WATCH: Owl Flies Into Moving Car Window and Breaks Wings, But a Heartwarming Rescue Saved it for Good
According to the staff, the exact cause of the bird’s blindness was not identified, but they believe that it may have been a means for the hawk to protect itself from a bodily infection.
Finally, I received a phone call from the staff asking if I would like to witness the hawk’s release. I quickly agreed, saying: “Yes, I’ll be right up there to Maitland, tell me when.”
They replied, “No, no, the bird lived right near your Orlando office. That’s its home, and we want to return it to its own environment. These birds are territorial and have long relationships.”
LOOK: Watch ‘One in a Million’ Yellow Cardinal Visit Feeder in Alabama Backyard
A wonderful woman named Janice Buczkowski then arrived near my office with the hawk. Next is the footage of the healed bird-of-prey that was once blind — but now can see and fly.
(WATCH the montage of the rescue below – edited by Charmaine Gilbreath)
– Written by Jill Haire
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Many women would be discouraged from pursuing work in the labor industry, let alone starting their own construction company – but not this woman.
Tim Immaculate Bih grew up in Bamenda, Cameroon, a community where technical education is regarded as “for men only” — a seemingly impassable wall for a young girl who dreams of becoming a civil engineer.
But, during her secondary school days, Immaculate became inspired by a woman who was studying construction. They never spoke, but Immaculate watched in astonishment as she drew up her building plans.
WATCH: Octavia Spencer Says Jessica Chastain Helped Her Make Five Times Her Asking Salary
Following in the footsteps of her silent role model, Immaculate started designing architectural plans for people in her community in exchange for monetary payment so she could enroll in university.
After overcoming many challenges, she graduated with a degree in civil engineering, and in 2010, she founded ICON: a company that works to build sustainable infrastructures in Cameroon while bringing women into the engineering workforce. This made Immaculate the first ever construction-focused female entrepreneur in the region.
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Through ICON, she designs and constructs private residential buildings, school buildings and ventilated improved pit latrines in schools, and currently controls all construction of Bamenda University and the Bamenda Referral Hospital. The social enterprise also offers tutoring and mentoring services for women interested in civil engineering careers.
“With the passion I have for gender issues, during the realization of these projects in the different villages, I always find ways of empowering girls through advocacy and mentorship, and I am currently advocating for women’s economic empowerment”, Immaculate explains.
Immaculate has built over 40 classrooms and 50 Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines in Boyo and Ngohketunia, divisions of the northwest region of Cameroon where students are privileged to study in decent classrooms and use these improved gender-sensitive toilets. The toilets have helped minimize the rate of disease outbreaks related to cholera, dysentery and malaria.
Immaculate, who won a 2017 award for Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business in Building and Construction, is also working to address the GAP between demand and supply of affordable homes in Africa through her innovative Butterfly Housing concept.
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Over the course of executing these projects as a female engineer, Immaculate has inspired parents to send their young girls to study technical education – and she is delighted to watch the stereotypical links between masculinity and engineering slowly fade away.
Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends
Mohamed may seem like an average family man, but he is a hero in Los Angeles—where he is the only father willing to be a foster dad to terminally-ill children. Hear the heartwarming tale told by The Good News Guru. (From the April 20, 2018 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST 103-5 radio in L.A.)
READ more and see the video on GNN….
LISTEN to this Good News Guru story from the radio broadcast with Ellen K. and Geri on KOST-103.5 (Subscribe to our new podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean) — or Read the story below…
On the surface, Mohamed may seem like a normal family man, but in actuality, he is the only man in Los Angeles County who is willing to take on one difficult task—to be a foster dad to terminally-ill children.
Over the course of almost three decades, the Libyan-born immigrant has cared for 80 children at his home in Azusa, and ten of them passed away from their illnesses while in his care.
Usually, when a foster child is diagnosed with a complex medical condition, they are either raised in hospitals or fostered by nurses. And when a child has a terminal illness? It’s even more difficult to find a home.
RELATED: Dying Grandma Was Too Sick to Attend, So College Baseball Team Took the Game to Her
Mohamed’s own child, was born with brittle bone disease and dwarfism—and is now studying computer sciences at college. The Muslim man decided to continue dedicating his life to children using his compassionate parenting, and made headlines last year while he was fostering a 6-year-old girl with a rare brain defect that required around-the-clock care.
He was first introduced to foster parenting after he met his wife Dawn in the 1980s. She had already been a foster mom before her marriage to Bzeek, and her unconditional love for the kids was contagious. In 1989, he signed up, as well, and when one of their charges died two years later, he decided to exclusively care for terminally ill children- treating them as if they’re his very own.
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“I know they are sick. I know they are going to die,” Bzeek told the Los Angeles Times. “I do my best as a human being and leave the rest to God.”
After his wife died in 2015, Bzeek dedicated all of his time to the children. Apart from visiting his Libyan family, he has not been on a vacation in 17 years.
Then last year, a woman named Margaret Cotts read the article about Bzeek. The Oakland woman was so moved by the story, she created a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising money to help with his mission.
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“It was healing to read about someone who is so genuinely good. I was touched by his faith, his gentleness, and his dedication and love for his children,” says Cotts.
“In these times when there is so much hate, it is reassuring to read about someone who is so good and full of love. ”
WATCH: Bus Driver Has Been Braiding Girl’s Hair Every Morning Since Mother Passed Away
Thousands upon thousands of dollars were donated when it was launched 8 months ago. And, with a total today of more than a half million dollars, people are still contributing money almost every day.
On a phone call, Mohamad told Margaret, “I’m not an angel. I’m just an ordinary person. We are all part of a team, social services, foster parents, you… We are all part of a team.”
Last month, he was honored by the Turkish department of religious affairs with the prestigious International Benevolence Award given to people for great acts of kindness. The country’s president, in attendance for the ceremony, became the latest in a long line of people to admire this man of action and unconditional love.
(WATCH the 2017 interview below)
Click To Share The Incredible Story With Your Friends – Photo by PBS
Who knew that cows would mooooove so quickly for music?
Last year, a young Irish girl named Grace began serenading her father’s herd of cows.
The youngster can be seen perched on a stool overlooking one of the fields on her father’s farm in Kilmichael Cork, Ireland.
Thanks to a little encouragement from her dad Denis Lehane, Grace begins playing a tune on her concertina.
RELATED: Watch Orphan Elephant Conquer His Fear of Water With Help From His Loving Human
The song, which is by Irish musician Sharon Shannon, is apparently popular with the bovine – because as Grace continues playing the song, a herd of cows can be seen eagerly charging up a hill towards the music.
Once the attentive cattle arrive at the fence, they line up in front of the young musician and quietly delight in the twinkly tune.
And the little girl’s reaction to her adoring audience says it all.
(WATCH the video below)
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Quote of the Day: “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. For going out… is really going in.” –John Muir
Photo: by Jeff Krause Photography on Flickr – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
GNN.org is the exclusive media partner for the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. Chosen annually, the 12 Fellows are each matched with an executive mentor, leadership coach, and $10,000. Hand-selected from 2,400 applicants in 100 countries, these visionaries are being celebrated—one each day on GNN—leading up to the 6th Annual Global Good Fund Gala, on April 26.
In Rwanda, nearly 80% of the population live in mud huts with dirt floors.
A 2013 business school design class at Stanford sent Gayatri Datar to Rwanda on a mission to improve health outcomes in the developing world.
While staying at local homes, cooking with residents and taking care of their children, Gayatri was struck by the challenges presented by dirt floors, as they were breading grounds for pathogens, parasites and bacteria. The floors caused many people to fall ill with infectious diseases and respiratory illness – not to mention, they were extremely uncomfortable.
Replacing dirt floors with concrete has been shown to drastically reduce the risk of sickness and infestations, but the high cost of materials and distribution challenges leave Rwandans at a loss.
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Determined to find a solution, Gayatri returned to Stanford and created EarthEnable.
The company sells and installs earthen floors across Rwanda. A niche design trend in the US, earthen floors are made from compacted earth-based materials that are locally sourced and sealed with a layer of proprietary oil. Unlike concrete, these floors are environmentally sustainable, impermeable, sleek, easy to clean, and 10% the price of concrete.
EarthEnable also hires and trains underemployed local masons in Rwanda, providing job opportunities for those who need consistent employment and income.
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“There are dirt floors all over the world causing people to get sick, so we see this as a way to address a major health concern while also providing economic stimulation to local communities”, Gayatri explains.
Gayatri has been passionate about making a difference long before this venture. While visiting relatives in India at 19-years-old, a tsunami struck countries bordering the Indian Ocean, killing thousands. She became interested in the work of relief agencies and sought ways to help. Surprised at how readily her skills made a profound impact on the ground, she was inspired to dedicate her life to helping others.
Prior to founding EarthEnable, Gayatri served as a Senior Consultant at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, where she focused on social entrepreneurship, energy access and agriculture. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard College, a Master’s in Public Administration in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arjay Scholar.
WATCH: Man Builds Tiny House for Homeless Woman Sleeping in the Dirt
She had the opportunity to take several leaves of absences during her college years, volunteering with NGOs and nonprofits in India, Namibia, Nicaragua, Albania, and right here in the United States.
As the saying goes, one must “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”. Gayatri Datar walked many dirt floors to understand first-hand the way in which Rwandans live – and now, she is creating a better world for the country’s local communities one floor at a time.
Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Don’t Walk Away! Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends
Former First Lady Barbara Bush passed away earlier this week at the age of 92.
Over the course of her career, Barbara was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and literary education; a formidable political advisor; and a dedicated wife and mother to 6 children and 17 grandchildren.
Barbara’s romance with George H. W. Bush is one for the history books. She first met the handsome young military man at a school dance when she was 16 years old. At the time, George was the youngster fighter pilot in the Navy. Despite WWII interrupting their relationship, the two got married in 1945.
The Bushes then gave birth to six children – one of whom died of leukemia, which Barbara later credited as the reason her red hair turned white.
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She remained a devoted wife to George throughout his 30-year career in politics. Before becoming Ronald Reagan’s vice president for two terms and going on to win the presidential election in 1988, George was a US representative for Texas, UN ambassador, Republican Party chairman, ambassador to China, and director of the CIA.
Then, despite her ongoing health problems, Barbara lobbied for her two sons, Jeb and George W. Bush, during their own presidential campaigns.
MORE: Obama Honors First President Bush as “Points of Light” Shine On
In addition to being diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 1988, she also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure – and still, she and George actively spent their time raising money for charity and staying busy with the public.
She eventually declined treatment for her illnesses which led to her passing at the Bush home in Austin, Texas. According to a statement from the family office, George was holding her hand the entire time – much like how they reportedly held hands every night of their 72-year marriage before going to bed.
(WATCH the video tribute below)
Pass On The Touching Tribute To Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by CBS News
Everyone knows about the quality behind Cuban cigars – but what about the loving care that is shown to the factory workers as well?
During the mid-19th century, the owners of a tobacco factory in Havana delegated one of their workers to spend their shift reading to the employees who were rolling the cigars.
Not only did it make work more enjoyable for the cigar rollers, but it also helped to build their education, which was generally not very strong.
The storytelling became such a popular practice, dozens of cigar factories across Cuba started hiring storytellers of their own.
RELATED: Instead of Firing Illiterate Employees, Company Teaches Them How to Read
One of the storyteller’s, Lucio C. Peña, told Great Big Story: “Generally when I finish a book, I run a sort of poll. Last time I ran a poll, they wanted an adventure novel. I suggested a few works and they chose “Last of the Mohicans”, which is what I’m reading now.
“I like my job – I think I serve a very important role, not only from a cultural point of view, but in problems with every day life. Through reading, we can find solutions…”
(WATCH the video below)
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While some grocery stores may have a strict “no shirt; no shoes” policy, this supermarket in Turkey is a bit more lax about their customer’s attire – and their species.
In a video that was published by RM Videos earlier this week, an inquiring cat can be seen standing on its hind legs so it can get a good look at the deli meats.
WATCH: Police Identify Missing Husky By Seeing if it Sings Along With its Favorite Tune
Unfazed by his customer’s furry disposition, the butcher spends a full minute pointing out the different meat cuts to the cat.
When he finally settles on a treat that he thinks the feline will like, he cuts off a small piece and drops it into the cats waiting paws on the other end of the counter.
It’s probably pretty safe to say that the cat will be a regular customer from now on.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends – Photo by RM Videos
The legalization of recreational marijuana has not just been a cause for celebration amongst Colorado stoners – it has also been a lifesaver for dozens of important state programs.
According to CNN, the state government has harvested over half a billion dollars in tax revenue and fees since retail marijuana stores started opening in January 2014. The majority of that income was used to finance programs that would benefit “Colorado’s most vulnerable citizens”.
In 2017, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a budget bill that legally instated the “Marijuana Tax Cash Fund”, which would finance school health programs; the creation of permanent housing for homeless and at-risk citizens; and treating individuals with substance abuse problems and mental health issues.
“We expect to reduce incarceration, hospitalization and homelessness for many of Colorado’s most vulnerable citizens,” says the bill.
MORE: Where Marijuana is Legal, Opioid Prescriptions Fall, Studies Find
Thanks to the massive amounts of surplus tax revenue from state marijuana sales in 2016, over $66 million was distributed to Colorado schools through a grant program for bully prevention before the fund was even created.
The bully prevention program provides a coach to teach and council alumni and students alike about the emotional dangers of bullying – this includes character building exercises, designation of disciplinary consequences for bullies, and how to reward those who report bullying behavior.
For four years, the program had languished without funding – until voters passed Proposition BB in 2015, which allowed the state of Colorado to keep additional marijuana tax revenues to distribute accordingly.
Don’t Leave Your Friends High And Dry: Click To Share – Photo by Dank Depot, CC
Quote of the Day: “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” – Seneca (Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist)
Photo: by Benjamin Lehman, CC
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
The Lesson: Why is it that the people who do the hardest jobs in America are oftentimes happier than those in more comfortable positions? After spending time with blue collar workers in over 300 different “dirty jobs”, Mike Rowe has learned a thing or two about happiness and fulfillment.
Notable Excerpt: “The idea and the big lesson that came from working with so many of those people [on Dirty Jobs] for so long was that by and large – as a group – they were happier than most of my friends; they were better balanced than most of my friends; and they had just the kind of peace that I think comes from knowing what I call the ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ test … where if you are somehow magically pulled out of existence, like right now, what happens to the world? What happens to the world of ‘poof, I’m gone’ and ‘Dirty Jobs’ never happened? Is the world gonna spin of its axis? No … [I tend to try and fundamentally measure the concept of] ‘what I can do that will ever change a thing?’ Dirty jobbers can. If all the plumbers call in sick for a week, the party’s over. All the electricians call out for two days? Riot. So you know, it’s odd that the jobs that we all depend on the most are the most under-appreciated in our society. So the people who do those jobs know this … and that makes them very fun to be around.”
The Guest: Mike Rowe is most well-known as the host of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs”: a series dedicated to exploring the grimiest and toughest jobs of blue-collar America. In addition to getting his hands dirty, Rowe is an author, philanthropist, and Renaissance man who is keen on educating the average joe on how to find happiness and fulfillment – no matter what job or lifestyle they may have.
The Host: After spending years of his young life and athletic career struggling with his own emotional wellbeing, a crippling injury left Lewis Howes without an identity and without any work. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, however, Howes recreated himself as a multi-million dollar media producer, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host. The ex-football player now spends his days chatting with the most inspirational icons of this generation on his School of Greatness podcast.
Podcast: The School of Greatness podcast is available for download on Soundcloud and iTunes. You can also watch footage of the interviews on Howes’s YouTube channel.
Books: Howes is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The School of Greatness”: an in-depth collection of lessons and wisdom that he has gathered from interviewing hundreds of the world’s greatest role models and thinkers. Howes’s latest book, “The Mask of Masculinity”, is based on his experience with the dangerous stereotypes and expectations that are placed on men in modern society.
(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below)
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Plan a wedding, save a farm
Sam McElhinney MBA ’17 found a way to help New England small farms, family estates, and orchards by creating a system that enables them to host events easily.
Written by Julie Barr
MIT News
Despite conservation efforts and a resurgence in local farming, New England is still losing about 100 agricultural acres to development every day. For many small farms, family estates, orchards, and other largely undeveloped properties, the cost of taxes and maintenance alone can make keeping their land too expensive.
Sam McElhinney, born and raised in Massachusetts and an avid lover of the outdoors, always wanted to find a way to conserve the open lands he so loved. It wasn’t until McElhinney, who was on the lumberjack team and president of the fishing club at Dartmouth College, reached his late 20s and he and many of his friends began planning their own weddings that the idea hit him.
“Traditional, professional event venues are built to more or less mass produce events,” says McElhinney. “I was away one weekend with friends at a farm and they were all talking about how generic weddings felt at these commercial event venues and I said why not just get married somewhere like this and create the entire thing to be the way you want?”
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Some couples do get married on a farm owned by a family member or friend — but unless you know someone willing to do this as a one-time favor, getting a stranger to transform an old estate into a wedding venue poses many problems. McElhinney saw the opportunity in solving those problems: If he figured out the logistics, he could give small farms a low-time impact but high-value solution to getting the money they need all while giving couples a unique, customizable space for their wedding. McElhinney started Mayflower Venues, which touts an automated, intelligent technology system that enables these non-traditional spaces to use modern systems and tools to host a small number of weddings a year.
“A number of the venues on our website had couples pulling up their driveway knocking on their barn door asking if they could have a wedding in their yard,” says McElhinney. “They always turned them away because they had no idea how to figure out insurance, what price to charge, how to tell them what caterers would need. With a full-time job as a farmer, they couldn’t handle it.”
So, Mayflower Venues is doing all that work for them. Since officially launching the company last fall, McElhinney and his team — and the platform — have hosted one event, gotten more than 40 venues on board, and booked dozens of events for 2018 and 2019.
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Mayflower’s role, says McElhinney, really becomes that of the venue coordinator. “We identify these spaces and digitize them. We built this entire proprietary on-boarding app by working with a variety of expert wedding planners, caterers, and vendors to figure out what are the inputs couples will need and we collect all that info and create a comprehensive set of wedding planning tools specific to each venue’s eccentricities. We know how many feet of hose a caterer would need to reach the potable water spout at a historic family estate, for example, and the platform presents that information to the couple and their vendor at the right time.”
McElhinney is focused on the unique, sustainable nature of the properties. “We only allow one wedding a weekend at each venue. We don’t want a wedding factory, we don’t want three weddings going into a small town in the Berkshires in 72 hours; but we do want one wedding going into a small town in the Berkshires because that’s great revenue, for catering and accommodations. We’re really excited about bringing this millennial revenue into rural America and that is a very sustainable action.”
Reprinted with permission from MIT News
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