I am humbled & excited to be asked to speak/panel/judge at the Unite For Sight 2016 Conference @ Yale University , Unite For Sight is the world’s largest and leading global health conference.
http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/
Journey
Starting 2 weeks before Katrina, I took at job at the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI). It was an incredibly challenging & fulfilling “out-the-gate” experience.
They gave me tools & structure for the passion lent by my mother to “change the world” and “help” people in need. They cultivated a culture of individual health and wellbeing. They taught me to “think that I might be wrong”.
During my 3+ years at LPHI we built a ton tech and creative: a dozen web platforms, intranet, Gmaps Mashups, etc. It was a blast collaborating with Humid Haney & Ben Hirsch & team at Canary Collective who helped us build much of the work.
One of my favorite projects was developed in collaboration with my friend Nathan Heleine @ Crush & Lovely called “Dirty Habits”, a youth-focused Tobacco cessation campaign.
Amongst a cross-media campaign, we made a video series asking Tulane students “What’s your dirtiest habit?
It is cringe worthy, but to me it is a reminder of the raw, risk-taking innovation that was born out of the post-Katrina environment.
Going forward
The 10 year vision is to tangibly impact billions through immersive digital platforms & inspiring content within the global health & social justice space.
To build, dent, & move the universe is an incredible calling for all entrepreneurs, inventors, and creatives of the world.
But to the healers of our tiny planet, I salute you.
P.S.
I would be remiss not to mention a few of those who helped me grow: Mark Arnoldy at Possible – Robert X. Fogarty at Dear World– I count you guys as incredible inspiration and as friends. Also thanks to The Skoll FoundationLouisiana Cancer Prevention Pennington Biomedical Research CenterCARE (relief agency) Mercy Corps Save the Children & others I am so very proud to have collaborated with.