Let's Care 3 years of 180ยบ of Impact, a project to find the recipe for social change through chats with 180 changemakers.
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CEO
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30-YEAR NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL
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WRITER
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DOCTOR
INNOVATOR
SOCIAL CHANGE STORYTELLER
HEAD OF GLOBAL IMPACT AND GIVING
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WWE HALL OF FAMER
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Let's Care 3 years of 180ยบ of Impact, a project to find the recipe for social change through chats with 180 changemakers. Curated and written by Matt Scott, founder and host of Inspired by Annalisa van den Bergh, founder of Miles of Portraits
(Let's Care LLC)
Contents Welcome Tribute Tim Yoon Laura Doyle Dr. Heena Brahmbhatt Steve Reinemund Thato Letsomo G. Nagesh Rao Isabel Bagsik Precious Stroud Frank Sesno 3 Years of 180 Retrospective Sarah Rice
6-7 8-9 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31 34-35 36-37
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Amy Dumas (Lita) Lyndsey Scott Jessica Villa Venkayla Haynes Nathan Bowman Dr. Jose Silva Kris Perry and Sandy Stier Annalisa van den Bergh and Erik Douds Maimah Karmo Tristan Robitaille Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
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38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-47 48-49 52-53 54-55 56-57 58-59 50-61
Satwinder Sandhu
Cindy Chin
Anita Kirkovska
Jasmine Brown
Delaney Henderson
Robert Egger
“THE MOST IMPORTANT OFFICE IN A DEMOCRACY IS THE OFFICE OF CITIZEN.” The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, at South by Southwest (SXSW), a celebration of the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries
It takes courage to change the world, especially when time is limited, resources are limited, and social and environmental problems are complex. That's all to say that it takes someone unique to step up and take on the task, and I like to call those people real-world superheroes. Real-world superheroes are people like you; in fact, I have some news to share: YOU are one of them.
On January 1st, 2017, I launched 180º of Impact, because realworld superheroes fascinate and enliven me today, as much as comic book heroes and fictional characters did when I grew up as a kid of the 90s. There's only one big difference: the problems that real-world superheroes are addressing today are very real. These problems call on us to take action and do something.
Whether motivated by life-long values and practice, or an experience along your journey, you look limitations and complexity in the eye and realize that the benefit is far bigger than the risk, especially when working to build a more just, more equitable, more sustainable, more good world for the next generation, who have a wealth of problems and opportunities at their fingertips.
This book is a glimpse into the stories of these dynamic dreamers and doers, into what Let's Care is all about: providing 180º of inspiration, insight, and impact. 7
HOW THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS CHANGED ONE MAN’S LIFE Where we’ve been really can shape where we’re going. That was the reality for my dad, Moses Scott, and the reality for me when he died of leukemia on March 8th, 2017. Before 180° of Impact was even an inkling of an idea in my head, I sat down to interview my dad about his road. It was my first time interviewing someone, but my most important interview to-date. I knew my dad’s story, like I tend to know the stories of those I interview: born in Virginia in 1943, in the middle of the Civil Rights Era and inspired by cultural icons like Martin Luther King Jr., when his trajectory was knocked into a tailspin as, for the first time in U.S. history, the government in Prince Edward County closed the schools — for five whole years. This ripped education and the opportunities that come with it away from primarily black students, who were at the heart of the “separate but equal” legislation and debate, and left people like my dad up a creek without a paddle. My dad was one of the lucky ones, because he had the opportunity to eventually move away, finish high school, graduate from an HBCU, serve in the military, graduate from Harvard Business School, start a family, and start a business. Others were rocked by the closing of the schools and would never regain their footing. When I interviewed him, my dad Moses shared his own struggles, even before this act of massive resistance, as a young black man who many thought would make beds or clean homes at most. That wasn’t his vision for himself and, through interviewing him, I learned about my dad's fire and passion for a better life -- something I didn't see before, because his focus had always been his family. His story, his resilience remind me to-this-day to never give up. Today, my dad isn't around to see where I'm going, but having the recording of his story has been a powerful reminder. Each time I do listen to him, it reminds me to make lemonade out of lemons and to keep impacting.
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Dr. Lauren Esposito
Nathan Bowman
Greg Monterossa
Sheryl E. Davis
Arturo Elizondo
Regina Anderson
Jade Leamcharaskul
Dana Howe
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE Tim Yoon went from techie to real-world super hero, and he did it by showing up. When he showed up at the National Day of Civic Hacking, it was his prior work with food systems which led him to found Team Oreo Swamp, a Sacramento hackathon project that blossomed into a nationally-recognized bastion of civic engagement at the Obama Administration White House Open Data Innovation Summit. What led Tim to his changemaker pathway was knowing his talents -- his light - and following his values to use those talents for the benefit of others.
“The song is saying we have a short time on this earth, let’s make the most of it. Let’s use our lives for love and let’s use it to make the people around us better.” - Tim Yoon
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TO CHANGE THE WORLD, START EARLY Consider this: Laura Doyle isn’t even old enough to drive and she’s already changing life in space. At 7 years old, it was a chance encounter with Astronaut Cady Coleman which led Laura Doyle to found I.S.S.I.E. -- International Space Station Interesting Exercise -- to solve the problem astronauts have finding engaging ways to stay fit while on the I.S.S. When I met Laura, it was at NASA’s Space Apps Challenge, where it took me a while to realize that she wasn’t only the child of one of the participants (fellow 180º interviewee Mike Doyle), but she was a participant -- and, soon, a winner picking up her local People’s Choice and Best Use of Hardware awards. The striking thing about Laura, who is now 11, is that there’s no hesitation or fear in her eyes. She knows that her age is only a number and, if anyone underestimates her ability to use augmented reality to revolutionize life in space, they should prepare to be surprised.
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EMBRACE CHANGE If Dr. Heena Brahmbhatt has one tip for her nephews, her children, and for young people everywhere, it’s to stay curious. Considering her background as a researcher, traveling throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in pursuit of interventions against H.I.V. and child mortality, it’s no wonder that curiosity is Heena’s super power. In the 90s, it was curiosity -- and a bit of moxie -- that led Heena to get into Johns Hopkins University -7,500+ miles from her birthplace in East Africa -- after the submission deadline. That same trait also led her to travels in Botswana, Uganda, Namibia, and more in her work with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). While it may seem unbelievable, it’s true: curiosity has literally helped Heena save lives, and it can help others make an impact.
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SEEK AND FOLLOW Steve Reinemund isn’t just the former CEO of PepsiCo. He’s not just a board member with Marriott and American Express, among others. He’s not just the former Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Business. Steve is someone who firmly stands for what he believes in, which includes helping young people find their purpose in the world while making a difference. Often, he talks about the four C’s -- character, competency, commitment, and compassion -- as the four qualities leaders must embrace. Take his world for it! After all, he knows a thing or two about leadership.
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SHE RESPONDED TO THE CALL Thato Letsomo has connected more than 50,000 young people to life-saving health information. As a founding teammate at Young 1ove (pronounced Young Love), a non-profit based in Botswana focused on scaling evidence-based programs in health and education, Thato doesn’t only create materials and curricula; she goes out to deliver them, and deliver them in a way that can get through to young people. Thato takes on the role of older sister, being a friendly but trusted face as she navigates southeast Africa, being sure that some of the communities most affected by teen pregnancy and H.I.V. transmission can break that vicious cycle.
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Billy Ward
Thomas Fratkin
Eshete Yilma
Kelly Johnson
Deje Silas
Chris Librie
Sean Edgerton
Rocky Capizzi
Naomi Uwaka
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? G. Nagesh Rao, an Eisenhower Fellow, has a decades long career in the public and private sectors as a tech super hero. That's why it's so fitting that he was wearing a super hero shirt during our interview. Nagesh has had a storied career collaborating with others to build business, while bringing his innovation insights to bear to benefit the communities he works with. One of those communities over the last decade has been LAUNCH, an innovation challenge platform powered by SecondMuse with founding partners NASA, Nike, USAID, and the U.S. Department of State, with Walmart, eBay, IKEA, the Australian Government, and others joining in recent years.
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MANGO JUICE Isabel Bagsik, like many Filipina women, was expected to conform to a standard she came to learn and loathe: long black hair that’s straight, tall, Eurocentric-looking. Rather than force herself to confirm, Isabel, a graphic designer and creator, founded Brown Papaya, a magazine working to dismantle toxic beauty ideals for Filipina women through events, interviews, and photography. She co-founded the San Francisco chapter of The Cosmos (a national organization founded by Karen Mok and 180º interviewee Cassandra Lam), empowering herself and other Asian women and non-binary people to cultivate wellness and confidence through culturallyrelevant care, content, and community.
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FLOW, NOT FIGHT Precious Stroud knows it’s not easy being a black woman, let alone a black woman in the workplace. This is a common reflection of black women at work, but a reflection that largely existed in silos before she founded Black Female Project. She’s faced the trauma often associated with being a black woman at work, and she’s using her story and the stories of many black women nationwide to prepare girls and young women for the realities of the work world. Precious has used her pain and perspective to deliver a more promising future for the next generation.
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ASK MORE Frank Sesno has been asking questions for nearly four decades, so it’s no wonder that he’s asked questions of some of history’s most influential figures. The former CNN correspondent and Emmy Award-winning journalist has interviewed everyone from Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan to iconic General Electric CEO Jack Welch, late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In interviewing world leaders, Frank has come to understand and model the power of questions; that may be why he has yet to hang up the mic, continuing to appear on national and global media as a correspondent and founding his own environmental sustainability storytelling project, Planet Forward, out of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.
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Jackie Biederman
Councilman Tom Baker
Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh
Mary McVeigh
Juliana Castro
Mark Jackson
Taylor Conroy
Vivien Luk
Brittni Chicuata
Renee Farris
Tonya G.J. Prince
The name 180ยบ of Impact stands for a radical shift from helplessness and hopelessness to inspired impact, and for flipping the narrative of who we see as changemakers from privileged white men in black turtlenecks to people from underrepresented groups. 99 of the 100 of "America's Most Innovative Leaders" according to Forbes in 2019 were men; few were people of color. 180ยบ of Impact was created to spotlight a more representative, resilient face of the social change space.
JANUARY 1, 2017
180ยบ started as a blog, where I wrote about (fingers crossed) future 180ยบ interviewees Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Megan Smith, and Kid President, among others.
THREE
OF
180ยบ OF IMPACT STATS
I completed the SEED SPOT 2-Day Launch Camp in Washington, DC.
68% WOMEN 56% PEOPLE OF COLOR 50+ HOURS OF CHATS 16 COUNTRIES INCLUDED 100+ ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDED
JANUARY 1, 2020 For video clips of my short professional interviews, follow @MattScottSocial on Instagram.
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Before the inception of 180ยบ of Impact, I began work with global innovation agency SecondMuse. While still seeding 180ยบ, I've had the honor of building innovation programs with clients including NASA, USAID, The White House, Nike, Walmart, The World Bank, The Australian Government, and more. JULY 1, 2017 I made the decision to start interviews on June 9th, 2019 after an emotional conversation with Martin Weiss, an incredible human being and a Holocaust survivor. My first interview premiered on July 1st.
YEARS 180ยบ
JANUARY 1, 2018
Since 2018, I've been the global community manager for the world's largest global problemsolving hackathon, NASA's International Space Apps Challenge.
AUGUST 11, 2018 24 hours of conversations later, I launched the Let's Care: The 180ยบ of Impact Podcast podcast so my friends and family could listen on the go. JANUARY 1, 2019
JUNE 22-30, 2019
I brought the 180ยบ spirit offline while speaking at events for the USAID Development Outreach Communications Trainings, International Conference on Business Incubation, and the United Nations Leaders Programme, as well as organizing sessions or events with the Harvard Social Enterprise Conference and the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia. I partnered with filmmaker and friend Erik Douds to produce 20s and Change.
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STEPPING STONES TO GREATNESS At 23, Sarah Rice was a self-proclaimed "social outcast" hoping to use her artistic skills to help fellow survivors of sexual abuse. And then she was cast on MTV's landmark reality show The Real World. 10 years later, Sarah is a nationally-recognized and globally-known sexual violence speaker and activist, the host of a successful podcast, a positive representation of women on TV, and a loving pet mom. It's no wonder that her series The Real World: Brooklyn was nominated for a GLAAD (formerly the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Award for "Outstanding Reality Program". Today, in addition to her role as a PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) Ambassador, she co-hosts The Brain Candy Podcast with best friend and former Road Rules and Real World/Road Rules Challenge star, podcast network owner, and religion studies scholar Dr. Susie Meister.
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ACT LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE When I was 11, when I heard her music, I jumped up from beside my dad at a WWE (formerly known as World Wrestling Entertainment) show, holding up a sign with her name, "Lita". At least that's the name most people know Amy Dumas by. Amy has stunned millions of people worldwide in her character of Lita, a dare-devil pro wrestler with a punk rock style and the ability to go toe-to-toe with Stone Cold Steve Austin, olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, and The Undertaker, as well as strong women like her bestie and long-term on-screen rival Trish Stratus, It was a neck injury outside of the ring in 2002 which led Lita to volunteer in animal hospitals. Her injury was dragging her into a dark place and she found that cleaning out cages and helping the animals, even while wearing her neck brace, made her feel there was a bigger purpose for her. While Amy hung up the boots from a full-time role with WWE in 2006, she has continued to make appearances, including one in which she wore a shirt representing the Time's Up movement. Amy continues to volunteer with animals and use her voice to take a stand for gender equality, all while joined by her loyal four-legged friend The Kenz.
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SELF-TITLED Lyndsey Scott rejects one-dimensionality. She’s an actress, an app developer, and a model. She's my sister. She’s traveled the world modeling for the world’s biggest brands including Calvin Klein and Prada and she’s walked the catwalk at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She’s spoken at Facebook HQ, Harvard, Yale, and beyond about her story and diversity in tech, and she’s rolled up her sleeves at hackathons to help the next generation create their own solutions with tech. Her resume is far too long to fit into a paragraph, which becomes especially relevant when you consider that, as a model and woman of color with a message of diversity and inclusion, Lyndsey has often had her abilities and accomplishments overlooked. Nevertheless, she hasn’t let the adversity kill her spirit! Lyndsey is actively combating erasure for people like her in tech by using her story and voice to make an impact.
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SUPER GIRL I went to school with Jessica Villa until the 4th grade and hadn't spoken with her in 18 years when we had our 180ยบ of Impact conversation about Superbands. Superbands is a non-profit movement dedicated to the power of education and music in raising global awareness of depression, anxiety, suicide, and self-harm, providing access to crucial resources for those who struggle, and encouraging acceptance of all. As Founder of Superbands, Jessica's explanation when asked about her motivation for Superbands was powerful: "I have experienced my fair share of difficult times, and have also seen the people around me struggle with their inner demons, but one thing that never fails is the positive impact of music."
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OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Venkayla Haynes, in her own words, has gone from victim, to survivor, to advocate. Venkayla's first encounter with sexual abuse was at the age of 12 and, unfortunately like 1 in 4 women on college campuses, she was raped in college. Her sophomore year, she told her story at an event, and the emotions completely overcame her. Soon after, Venkayla went into counseling and became a sexual assault awareness advocate. Since then, Venkayla has served on a sexual assult at advisory board at the Biden Foundation in addition to roles with It's On Us, NO MORE, and Know Your IX. In 2019, she published articles as a Forbes Civic Nation Contributor and was highlighted by NBC News as part of Pride 50 for her work fighting for LGBTQ+ sexual assault survivors.
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CHANNELING FRUSTRATION INTO ADVOCACY Nathan Bowman never imagined that he would leave the midwest. Or that he would be passionate about social justice. Or that he'd be a student movement leader on his campus. Today, Nathan Bowman is a masters student at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. In recent years, he has been one of the foremost social change student leaders as part of Net Impact, a global movement of leaders using their careers and skills to build a more just and sustainable world. With Net Impact, Nathan led campaigns called Wear It Wise and Up to Us. He says Net Impact was critical in him discovering himself.
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LIVING THE CHAPTERS OF OUR LIVES Dr. Jose Silva, Ed.D. is a foot soldier, writing and living life chapter by chapter. As someone who has experienced a lot of life, facing adversity along the way, Jose recognizes that he wouldn't be the person he is today without the struggle. Today, among many other duties and responsibilities in the community, Jose is a Mayoral Appointee to Denver Latino Commission, helping bridge the gap between Denver's citizens and the decisions that are being made. Jose's work is only just beginning. He's even planning to make an impact nationwide (hint: it includes, one day, running for President of the United States).
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Christina Moreno
Maura Kolkmeyer
Saloua Lahlou
Ian Rosenberger
Darrtell Scott
Georgina Wilson
Molly Sanchez Michael Brennan
DON'T GIVE UP; JUST START MARCHING Kris Perry and Sandy Stier weren't expecting to be married by officiant Kamala Harris, to be at the center of the case against Proposition 8 (which banned marriage equality in California), to have their lives turned into a book and documentary. And yet, as Sandy reminded me during our interview, we can't imagine the things that will happen in our lifetime. To this day, Sandy and Kris are two thoughtful, relatable, hard-working women, and parents; they're also iconic for, literally, having their "love on trial" (the name of their 2017 joint memoir) and defending gay marriage (including their own) successfully in California courts in 2010 and the Supreme Court in 2013. Kris and Sandy fought for what they felt was right, for what they believe in, and their sons continue to do the same. If there's one takeaway lesson from Kris and Sandy, it's to maintain hope that, one day, change is going to come.
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SCREW "SOMEDAY" Annalisa van den Bergh and Erik Douds became friends in early 2017 at a meetup for Type 1 Diabetes in New York City. Three years later, they've biked across America and have made a film called Miles of Portraits: Alaska, with a bike trip through India kicking off their 2020 adventures. Annalisa and Erik could have pursued typical careers and led typical lives, but there was something pulling them. For Erik, diabetes motivated him to show that diabetics can go anywhere and do anything. For Annalisa, the loss of her mom to leukemia was a driving force for her to not take time for granted. Three years into their friendship and collaboration on Miles of Portraits, a magazine and film series about the people we meet as we ride our bicycles around the world, Erik and Annalisa have been sponsored by REI, PEARL iZUMi, Aspire Eyewear, Revo, REBBL, Arc'teryx, Ortlieb, and more.
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THE LOVING, FEARLESS UNICORN GYPSY WARRIOR Maimah Karmo is a bonafide survivor. She has survived civil war in Liberia. She has survived being sent to the U.S. alone as a teenager. She has survived being held at gunpoint and being struck by lightening. She has survived breast cancer. Today, Maimah is the Founder and C.E.O. of the Tigerlily Foundation, a national breast cancer foundation providing education, awareness, advocacy and hands-on support to young women (15-45) – before, during, and after breast cancer. She continues living life as a “fearless unicorn gypsy warrior who loves for a living”. Maimah’s story, which has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network and The Oprah Winfrey Show, manifests itself in her empowering outlook on leading your best life and manifesting bliss. e
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TRYING THINGS OUT Tristan Robitaille believes that what characterizes Generation Z is an understanding that you don't need to choose one path; the world is your oyster. This Montreal native epitomizes that diversity of interests as an electromechanical engineer, passionate photographer, and avid snowboarder. As with his generation, many of the skills he has learned came from YouTube videos and taking the initiative to learn. In summer 2019, Tristan worked at D-Rev as the Autodesk Student Expert, supporting the development of a next generation smart continuous positive airway pressure (C.P.A.P.) device targeted at resource-constrained markets. Having just kicked off his university studies, there's no telling what this real-world super hero will tackle next!
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HER HORSE ON HIGH, HER FLAG UNFURLED, SHE RODE AWAY TO RIGHT THE WORLD Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar is a scholar and a bold changemaker like none other. Laleh was the first American woman to translate the Quran, using her translation to stand against violence against women. Dr. Bakhtiar has been practicing Islam for more than 30 years. She is author of many books on Islamic unity, architecture, psychology, psychoethics, and moral healing. Laleh has translated over 30 books on Islam and Islamic beliefs into English, and has lectured extensively in both religious and academic institutions. This work has given her perspective on the world and, while she has primarily spoken up against negative treatment of women in Islam, she also is passionate about a number of issues including the health of our environment. Laleh is bold and fearless, a quality reflected in her family, including Davar Ardalan, a 22-year N.P.R. senior producer and global impact storyteller who I've had the opportunity to work with closely in my career.
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Nisha Kotecha
Alessandra Clara
Jivika Rajani
Khnuma Simmonds Essannason
Max Friedman
Marilyn Mosley Gordanier
Sonja Eliason
Tayo Rockson
Cassandra Lam
Riva Greenberg
Kim Bowman
Stephenie Foster
Blake Sorensen
Danya Sherman
3 WAYS TO STAND WITH IMPACT
Nominate a changemaker for an interview
Suggest a city for our next 20s and Change documentary film
Team up with us to help tell your own impact stories
Matt Scott Founder & Storyteller-in-Chief Let's Care community@lets.care | @LetsYouCare | 202.827.6072