Unpopped Collar

Moon over the Capitol last night (Taken with Instagram at United...

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:22:16 -0400

Moon over the Capitol last night (Taken with Instagram at United States Capitol Building)

Robert Egger speaking on “relentless incrementalism”...

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:02:00 -0400

Robert Egger speaking on “relentless incrementalism” in doing good at The Do Good Summit.

Ominous clouds in Dupont | iPhone4

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:09:44 -0400

Ominous clouds in Dupont | iPhone4

C&O Canal, Georgetown

Sat, 05 May 2012 17:48:46 -0400

C&O Canal, Georgetown

Metro Reflections | Washington, DC, iPhone4

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:05:27 -0400

Metro Reflections | Washington, DC, iPhone4

Commute at Union Station

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:23:48 -0400

Commute at Union Station

StartSomeGood Celebrates World Give Day

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:23:53 -0400

StartSomeGood Celebrates World Give Day:

Reblogging startsomegood:

In preparation for World Give Day on May 4, 2012, we asked ten inspiring entrepreneurs who have run or are currently running campaigns on StartSomeGood to respond to the following statement:

Small gift, big impact: tell us about a time when you saw a small act of giving create lots of unexpected joy.

The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic and we’re so glad to be able to share these truly amazing stories with all of you. Below are the experiences that Ehon, Tom, Jack, Gina, and Christina were so eager to share. Check back next week for five more inspiring stories of giving.

Ehon Chan
The Spur Foundation
$3,175 raised for Soften the Fck Up

Back in August 2010, I gathered a group of my closest friends and we brought beanbags, camping chairs, biscuits, and some coffee and tea, set them up in the middle of a busy Square and offered “free chats” to random strangers - no judgments, no bias, no political or religious discussion, just conversations. Over the next 4 hours, almost 100 people sat down, chatted and shared their deepest worries, sorrows, joys, and happiness. From corporate executives to a homeless man, we saw humanity in action - a mutual respect for each other’s differences and a celebration of our common similarities. I often wondered what this would mean for the homeless man, or the corporate executive and how their life has changed, if they did. Often times, a conversation and an expression of genuine compassion, kindness, and empathy can change a life.

Tom Malone
The Backpack Company
$850 raised to date (ongoing campaign) for Bring 100 Backpacks to 100 Children in Mali

When I started The Backpack Co. I thought that this would be a cool way for everyone to help out, while getting something for themselves in return. What I did not know was the profound impact that it would have on the children receiving the backpacks, and ultimately myself. It’s funny, we always say things about how we have so much and take it for granted, but it finally dawned on me in March what that actually meant. When I showed up with the bags filled with school supplies to Quelcata, Bolivia, it was like Christmas for those children. They were so excited! This town had been stricken by poverty, and apart from the organization I went with, it had no real help from the outside world in building any infrastructure (schools, hospitals, etc). The children were so excited to receive the backpacks, and it was even a little humorous. They didn’t know how to wear the backpacks, so they wore them on their chests, as opposed to wearing them on their backs. I knew the big impact The Backpack Co. and its customers would be making in terms of giving a chance for a proper education for their future. What I did not know was the impact it made on their lives in terms of giving them hope and joy for the present.

Jack McDermott
Balbus Speech
$3,246 raised to Help Balbus Speech Launch SpeechForGood

This past February, I volunteered at a program called Level the Field, a non-profit that uses sports and teamwork to empower low-income children. I was immediately struck by how a simple game like dodgeball or basketball can transcend even the most difficult of situations. A few kids, a couple mentors and a ball is sometimes all that’s needed to bring a new level of joy to one’s life.

Gina LaMotte
EcoRise Youth Innovations
$2,871 raised to date (ongoing campaign) to Inspire a New Generation of Green Leaders

One year, at our annual end-of-year Youth Solutions Showcase where students present their green design innovations, we received a donated laptop to use as a prize. It wasn’t just any donation. When a goup of employees at a local company heard about our non-profit and the showcase, they decided to collect money amongst themselves to buy and donate a laptop on their behalf. Those small donations meant providing an important resource for the lucky winner. Alejandra is a first-generation Mexican-American who is pursuing her education in Austin. The 15-year old student won the competition with her prototype for a bicycle-powered generator to use after natural disasters. The look on Alejandra’s face when she won and was handed the laptop was priceless. She now has a resource to help support her education and path to college. Alejandra wants to pursue a career in sustainable designs and social entrepreneurship. It’s moments like these that truly reflect what our organization is about – inspiring a new generation of green leaders to design an environmentally sustainable future for all. Thank you to all of our supporters.

Christina Mirando
Women.Design.Build
$1,225 raised to date (ongoing campaign) for Handy Women

In the summer of 2009, I helped a local Austin nonprofit design and build garden beds for a community of single mothers and their children. What inspired me about this particular project was how the coordinators were so invested in engaging the community in their garden bed initiative. That piece of community empowerment was so important because it allowed the residents to become inspired and actually participate. We built four garden beds that day, planted a handful of vegetables, and ate many delicious tamales. That experience of collaboration brought everyone so much joy.

This post is part of a blog series inspired by World Give Day and hosted by GiveForward. To find other posts in this series please visit worldgiveday.com or follow us on twitter @worldgiveday.

At the Joe Biden rally

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:07:05 -0400

At the Joe Biden rally

Joe Biden speaking at the Gen44 rally last night.

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:13:36 -0400

Joe Biden speaking at the Gen44 rally last night.

Spaceshuttle Discovery flying over the Capital.

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:03:06 -0400

Spaceshuttle Discovery flying over the Capital.

Choose the Blue Door

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:27:32 -0400

Choose the Blue Door

"It’s hard not to feel inspired by all these idealists, but their service religion does have some..."

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:21:50 -0400

“It’s hard not to feel inspired by all these idealists, but their service religion does have some shortcomings. In the first place, many of these social entrepreneurs think they can evade politics. They have little faith in the political process and believe that real change happens on the ground beneath it.”

- David Brooks writes on how social entrepreneurs today need a healthy dose of cynicism in his article “Sam Spade at Starbucks.”

But, Mr. Brooks (sidenote: he was my commencement speaker at Georgetown) don’t we have enough reasons for cynicism today, between wars, global famine, an increasing disparity between rich and poor, an economic slump, a lack of jobs and political corruption? That we social entrepreneurs remain relatively unjaded is in fact pretty amazing, all things considered. Of course it’s important to recognize the larger ecosystem in which we work, but with a political system that’s failed us and our brothers and sisters around the world, shouldn’t we at least try to create change however we can?

After all, if my generation becomes as cynical as yours, do we really have any hope for change?

Eastern Market Rowhomes (Taken with Instagram at Barracks Row)

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:30:06 -0400

Eastern Market Rowhomes (Taken with Instagram at Barracks Row)

Photo

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:56:13 -0400

Pitching StartSomeGood at the William James Foundation...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:01:26 -0400

Pitching StartSomeGood at the William James Foundation Sustainable Business Plan Competition

The Washington Nationals have the Presidents Race. The Minor...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:15:38 -0400

The Washington Nationals have the Presidents Race. The Minor League Greensboro Grasshoppers have the Chicken Sausage race. Let Teddy Win!

Gotta love minor league baseball. Go Grasshoppers! (Taken with...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:16:19 -0400

Gotta love minor league baseball. Go Grasshoppers! (Taken with instagram)

Bog gardens in Greensboro, NC

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:15:10 -0400

Bog gardens in Greensboro, NC

Photo

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:57:25 -0400

Dusk in DC

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:07:01 -0400

Dusk in DC