Archive for Social Impact

In Pursuit of the MVP – The Tim Tebow Foundation

If you thought MVP meant Most Valuable Player, you would be wrong.  When Tim Tebow uses MVP, he means Most Vulnerable Person.

Years ago I was able to hear Pam Tebow speaking at a fall fundraiser for AbbaCare Crisis Pregnancy Center in Winchester, Virginia.  This connection has prompted me enjoy a glimpse or two of what her son Tim Tebow is up to.  Pam was encouraged to abort him, and told her story at that fall fundraiser.  Knowing that Tim’s life was disposable, and seeing how he has such a heart for the Lord is inspirational!

During his college years, he played football and won the Heisman trophy as an undergrad.  Tim’s life has been full of changes and pivoting.  He had planned to play NFL football for years but God had other plans for his life.  After playing in the NFL for several years, he played professional baseball for a time, and was a college football analyst with ESPN.  He was well known for his Christian faith and his willingness to be unashamed to be a witness for it both on and off the field.

Please read Tim’s story ! Tim’s love for the Lord drives him.  He has been through a lot after college in terms of a hopeful career in football that never transpired as he thought it would.  (A Romans 8:28 example to be sure.) However, Tim not getting discouraged or down caused more good to so many. He took the focus away from his own disappointments in life and focused on others, the MVP’s, with an entrepreneurial idea!

He began an organization called the Tim Tebow Foundation in 2010.  His founding of the Tim Tebow Foundation has giving hope to so many people.  The TTF’s mission is:

“Our Mission is to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”

The TTF accomplishes this in many ways.  They have worked in over 86 countries.  They are involved in caring for orphans, saving children from trafficking and also helping children with disabilities.  One wonderful event is called Night to Shine. This entrepreneurial event is hosted by volunteer churches.  “Night to Shine” is for people over the age of 14 who have disabilities.  From the website “Night to Shine is an unforgettable celebration event, centered on God’s love, honoring and valuing people with special needs.”

When we go through rough times in life, so often we tend to feel sorry for ourselves and can easily give in to despair.  Tim Tebow is a good example for everyone, in that when things didn’t work out like he dreamed they would, he took the focus off of himself and served others!

Shubham Banerjee: Founder of Braigo

Shubham Banerjee - Ringside News

12-year-old Shubham Banerjee’s interest in Braille and Braille printers evolved out of his love for science. While doing research for an engineering project to enter for a science fair in January of 2014, he discovered that less than 10% of blind people can actually read Braille. This was, in part, due to the extremely high prices of Braille printers, costing around $2,000. Additionally, technological advancements such as the development of voice-to-text software significantly impacted the lives of the visually impaired. Banerjee realized that many visually impaired people were not able to afford the extremely expensive Braille printers, or the technology needed to efficiently communicate without one. Therefore, his new goal was to significantly reduce the cost of a Braille printer.

Banerjee worked for weeks to create a working prototype. After seven attempts, he finally successfully created a prototype using a Lego Mindstorms EV3 robotics kit and some small electrical components. Banerjee and his father, a software engineer, would often stay up until 2 a. m. working on the project together. At 13 years old, a high school freshman, Banerjee founded Braigo, the company name combining the words Braille and Lego. Braigo was a low-cost, portable printer and embosser that prints out raised bumps on paper. Banerjee also co-founded the company Braigo Labs to further develop the printer. Banerjee was faced with a lot of criticism and uncertainty because many Silicon Valley startups had tried to undertake the same project without success. He did not let this affect his work and research, however, and persevered through the difficult times. “Some [people] said that the market is not that big, or [that this is] a specialty product,” Banerjee says, unfazed. “I just went ahead with what I thought was right.”

The Braigo printed proved a success even while in its early stages. Banerjee entered his product into the 2014 Synopsis Science Fair and took home the top prize for a science or engineering breakthrough. It was also endorsed by Henry Wedler, a PhD candidate in organic chemistry who was honored by Barack Obama as a Champion of Change for his work leading a chemistry camp for visually impaired students. As Wedler puts it, “Inventors have been attempting to do what Shubham has done with Braille embossers for many years. Sometimes, it takes a young, fresh imagination and a will of iron to be truly innovative. This is the energy and quality that Shubham’s knowledge and passion as an inventor bring to Silicon Valley.” Banerjee and his company, Braigo Labs, managed to bring in venture capital to ensure the success of his company, becoming the youngest person ever to receive venture capitalist investment, according to CBS. Banerjee’s innovative spirit helped to better the lives of the visually impaired, while also encouraging and promoting others to follow in his footsteps.

To learn more about Shubham Banerjee and Braigo , click here.

Hart Main of ManCans Candles—A Spark of Inspiration in Innovation

Thirteen-year-old Hart Main’s inspiration for manly-scented candles struck when his sister Camryn sold candles to raise money for their school and he thought this selection was lacking in appeal to the male population. Straying from normalized scents like Egyptian cotton and toasted vanilla that Hart considered more feminine in nature, he dreamt up candles smelling of New York Style Pizza, Grandpa’s Pip, Sawdust, Campfire, New Mitt, Fresh Cut Grass, Coffee, and Bacon, the current breadth of the ManCans line. Hart turned a spiteful spin on his older sister’s production to a full-fledged business venture with the encouragement of his parents and a heart set on a $1,500 bike.

While this transformation required initial investments on the Harts’ part, a primary drive behind its growth has been how ManCans gives back to the community before the candles are even made. As indicated by the name, the candles are made in cans—soup cans, in fact, which Main buys, donating the soup to local soup kitchens and keeping the cans to package the candles. The business’ growth has led to several demands in production—the need for a larger space than the Mains’ kitchen and more hands on deck.

Main—who is now 26—eventually shifted production to the Beaver Creek Candle Company of Lisbon, Ohio, another effort to give back the community as a manufacturing company employing people with developmental challenges. ManCans are sold across the nation, and the vigor Main has demonstrated in driving his venture this far and into the hearts of people in his hometown and beyond show that it will be a long time—if ever—until this thriving business kicks the can.

Frasier Lipton: Crafting a Big Impact Through the Little Things

Frasier Sterling began as a small gem in Frasier Lipton’s apartment, a mere side hustle Lipton gradually scaled, using materials of increasing quality and quantity, as her customer base grew beyond her expectations. In remarkable timing, she found herself “working until 2 am for years to keep up” with the demand for her products; according to Forbes, Frasier Sterling has “grown over 100% YoY [year on year; annually] since inception.” She realized she needed to scale up her production methods—and her confidence in the business’ success—when the flow of business “hit an inflection point” around 2015 “and wasn’t manageable anymore.”

Two years later, when Frasier Sterling had long lined the shelves of major retail distributors, Lipton noticed that retailers took advantages of such dependent businesses and recognized a landslide that could occur to her own business when other brands such as Nasty Gal filed bankruptcy. She responded by shifting Sterling into a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand, distributing products directly to customers online.

Lipton has been driven by the vision of creating jewelry akin to the candy-bracelet and dainty charm-necklace wonderland central to most young women’s childhoods, expressing that she loves to “make pieces Bella and Gigi Hadid, Sofia Richie and Madison Beer wear but everyone else can also afford. I try to keep Frasier Sterling light, fun and feel good — I always say if it can be described with an emoji, I know it’ll be a hit!” Lipton has kept this centrality in the Web, investing in online advertising as opposed to in-person campaigns and functions, a strategy which aligns to Lipton’s target market of the current ‘net-engrossed generation.

Regarding her view of the success of Frasier Sterlig, Lipton harkens back to the brand’s prioritization of customer feedback in every step of the business’s trajectory, stating of her customers that “they’re so interactive, vocal and always telling us what they like and don’t like. We know our customers so well and really lean on them when it comes to product design, collaborations, the type of content we are putting out and even the deals we run — and I think this a big factor in why our retention rate is so high compared to industry standard.”

As a recent facet of this trajectory, Lipton has striven to tune in to the voices of young women beyond her customer base, partnering with nonprofit Girls Inc. to offer mentorship to young women in impoverished conditions, driving positive growth in people’s lives at a young age and ensuring that bright and innovative women like Frasier Lipton have the opportunities to act on their motivations and fulfill their dreams as well.

Rajia Abdelaziz: Co-founder of InvisaWear

Have you ever been in a scary situation like walking back to your car at night and then someone jumps out of their car and starts to approach you? Well, this happened to cofounder Rajia Abdelaziz after a night out during college. She was walking back to her car during the night after an event at college and a car full of guys stopped and started catcalling her and one even got out of the car and started walking towards her. After surviving this scary night, she realized that she didn’t have a lot of time to call for help using her phone and that all the panic buttons on the market weren’t fashionable or subtle. So, what did she do with this information? She created her own jewelry line selling fashionable and everyday accessories that have safety devices disguised underneath. Her product, InvisaWear, was soon founded with the help of her co-founder Ray Hamilton.

Star Burst Charm Necklace

InviaWear was made with the intent of keeping people safer, especially when we’re in tough situations and we can’t access our phones to call for help. Rajia wanted to make the world a safer place to be in, and didn’t want other people to suffer when they needed help during difficult situations. Statistics show that around 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 7 men get attacked at some point during their life. That’s a lot of people who get attacked, which caused such a spark that InvisaWear has been featured on ABC News, CBS, Good Morning America, and WBZ. InvisaWear has also made national headlines for helping to save a young woman’s life when she was in a car accident. There are so many other success stories about InvisaWear saving other people’s lives, and this was all thanks to Rajia Abdelaziz after she realized that there was a need for more safety panic buttons. Rajia’s company doesn’t just sell jewelry, she also sells pepper sprays, and other self-defense products to keep others safe. InvisaWear believes “that everyone deserves to feel safe and secure”, and Rajia did just that! You can check out her website and shop here! 

Sources:

Why We Created invisaWear – Our Founder Rajia’s Story – invisaWear®

WoW Woman in Wearable Tech I Rajia Abdelaziz, founder of invisaWear — WOMEN OF WEARABLES

Riya Karumanchi: Founder and CEO of Smart Cane

Riya Karumanchi was only 15 years old when she came up with an idea to revolutionize technology to improve the well-being of visually impaired individuals. One day while visiting a friend’s house, Riya was introduced to her friend’s visually impaired grandmother. She empathized with the woman as she struggled to navigate and move throughout her home. Riya didn’t understand how over the years, the traditional white cane that aids in guiding the visually impaired, hadn’t been replaced by newer technology. She recognized the massive effect that technological advancements have on a society and the people living in it but did not believe changes in tech were being distributed equally in all communities. She came up with an idea to apply that to the standard white canes. Her idea was to integrate technology to the white cane by adding ultrasonic sensors that work to identify objects on the ground that may not have been detected before. This new device, the Smart Cane, is able to detect obstacles that may be in one’s path and alert the user of their location with vibrations. Another feature of the Smart Cane includes a GPS navigation system which helps the user to travel safely and efficiently. This is also made possible by the use of vibrations: One buzz to turn left, and two buzzes to turn right.

Riya’s innovative idea had proved a success. Smart Cane had initial funding from many large companies such as Microsoft, Arrow Electronics, and Inertia Engineering. She raised over $85,000 in funding. Next her attention will turn to user testing. Riya recognized the importance of input from the prospective users themselves. She met with the visually impaired community and listened to the problems they encountered with the standard white cane. She then came up with innovation solutions and developed the Smart Cane. Smart Cane’s mission, she says, is to empower the visually impaired and create for them a better, safer way of living. “Instead of [building] a company that has a valuation of a billion dollars, it’s the person that can impact a billion people,” she explains. “It’s ambitious, but that’s my goal.”

To learn more about Riya Karumanchi and Smart Cane, click here.

From Prison to Penthouse, The Explosive Rise of Wes Watson

La comitiva de coches que Wes Watson lleva a la entrega de su Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport de 4 millones

Motor16.com. (2023). Wes Watson with his Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://motor16.com

The end seemed imminent for Wes Watson. Busted, arrested, and incarcerated, this California man’s life could have been defined by one word: doomed. The story of Wes Watson is one of incredible transformation, the epitome of reinventing oneself. He took his life of crime and ten years of incarceration, reshaped his direction, and nearly instantaneously forged a multi-million-dollar business empire. A few years ago, he was an inmate; now, he lives atop the world in a Miami penthouse. This is the story of Wes Watson, a man who overcame all odds, turned imminent defeat into victory, and is now thriving at a level comparable to Fortune 500 CEOs.

A millionaire within 18 months, but his story doesn’t start there. Wes Watson was born and raised in San Diego, California, where he embodied the coastal California lifestyle of surfing and skateboarding. At 12 years old, Watson began his journey down what would eventually become disaster, experimenting with marijuana. By the time he turned 14, Wes transitioned from merely using marijuana to dealing drugs, which eventually inclined him towards other illegal activities. Throughout the years, Watson’s involvement in crime escalated, with him frequently partaking in violence. In the end, his lifestyle caught up with him. After a dispute with a customer, Watson was arrested and imprisoned for assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious injury, among other charges, resulting in a 10-year sentence in California prison.

It could have all ended there. Instead, immediately upon entering jail, Watson resolved to reinvent himself. Confinement was the crucible for his self-transformation. Instead of sleeping in, Watson began waking up at 3 AM, a practice he continues to this day. He focused on generating a meticulous daily routine involving physical fitness, discipline, and mindset development. Programming was also huge for Wes Watson. A topic he talks about frequently in his content, programming the mind is one of his keys to producing meaningful results in life. Watson’s strict adherence to programming while in prison earned him the admiration of fellow inmates.

Ten years later, in 2018, Watson was released and was miles away from financial freedom; he had hardly $200 to his name. However, he had something much more valuable: a deeply ingrained sense of discipline and an entrepreneurial plan for domination. In an age when people are pursuing fitness more than ever before, the former Californian prisoner launched Watson Fit, an online coaching business geared beyond just fitness but also to the entirety of life. The market differentiation of Watson Fit was this: it revolved around mindset, rather than a by-the-book workout plan. His philosophy is simple yet powerful: “Do the things you hate like you love them.” This saying of his is basically a proverb when applied to entrepreneurship. Much of his advice resembles the teachings of David Goggins, the American ultramarathoner whose bestseller Can’t Hurt Me is a commonly recommended book for modern entrepreneurs. Watson Fit takes individuals to the next level when implemented. His mission is to make clients the best version of themselves by making self-development a lifestyle. When one reaches the highest levels of self-development, Watson believes that money will automatically flow to them. The company quickly became a hit, attracting clients who not only sought gains in the gym but a complete overhaul of their lives.

One successful entrepreneurial endeavor was insufficient for the high ambitions of Wes Watson. His next income stream was personal branding, in the launch of his YouTube channel, GP Penitentiary Life, where he diffuses raw, unfiltered stories from his time in the prison system, in addition to motivational and gym content. His channel, which caters to the fitness and self-development communities, is a massive hit, with over a half-million subscribers. This led to a surge on Instagram as well, with him boasting nearly one million followers at the time of this article. Having such a large presence on social media allows Watson to monetize not only his posts but also serves as free marketing for his coaching program. What sets Watson apart from influencers in the way he markets his personal brand is his street-level intensity and raw advice on how to better oneself. Sugarcoating life is not something Watson specializes in, and this rawness appeals to his target demographic.

Ultimately, his core philosophy is extreme discipline in the face of competition. He is a strong defender of the belief that in order to achieve a high level of success, one must do what they hate, stepping outside their comfort zone. Suffering is not an option; it is mandatory for people to arrive at the destinations they desire since it yields mental resilience and opens the mind to higher levels of wisdom. In an age when the majority of people take the path of least resistance, his message stands out as bold. His daily routine is a testament to his beliefs; waking up at 3 AM consistently is something most Americans do not want to do. He understands getting up early as gaining a foothold on the competition. But waking earlier than others alone will not get high-aspiration individuals across the finish line. Suffering ought to be encountered in every area of life, according to his philosophy. Rigorous physical fitness, such as performing hundreds of burpees before other prisoners woke up, earned him respect in the penitentiary then and as an entrepreneur now. Lastly, Watson believes that self-love is essential, and that self-investment—in all forms, physical, mental, and spiritual—will forge a foundation of self-respect necessary to accomplishing a flourishing life.

Today, the entrepreneur Wes Watson expands his empire further. He owns mansions in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and Miami, Florida, living an extravagant bi-coastal lifestyle fueled by his profits. The other day he moved into a penthouse in Miami, his third luxury residence. He wears a half-million-dollar watch to the gym, and his supercar collection is highlighted by a bright-orange Bugatti Chiron. His net worth is estimated to be around $30 million. Fortune 500 CEOs get paid as much as the value he has personally created through his mindset. Despite his outward success, he remains committed to his core principles. He still wakes up at 3 AM, constantly seeks self-improvement, and posts loads of daily social media content. To maximize self-development, Watson now brings together groups of like-minded individuals and entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making money and achieving freedom. His success story is not merely one of entrepreneurial triumph but one characterized by breaking free from limitations and creating a lifestyle that incorporates growth in all spheres.

Wes Watson got out of jail just six years ago. Instead of letting his ten-year incarceration define him, Watson is the epitome of an entrepreneur. He creates value and impact through an innovative mindset. His net worth was $200 upon release from California prison, but now he lives a wealthy lifestyle in the beautiful towns of Rancho Santa Fe and Miami, pulling up to the gym in a Bugatti Chiron. He went from prison to helping millions break out of their own prisons by teaching people to do the things they hate. The story of Wes Watson shows that no matter where you start, you can achieve greatness in entrepreneurship if you’re willing to embrace discipline and work relentlessly.

 

Written by Carson Batzel, 9/23/2024

Kenan Pala: Founder of Kids4Community

Kenan Pala was only 11 years old when he founded the nonprofit organization Kids4Community in 2017. Growing up in his hometown of San Diego, Kenan was born with a servant’s heart. He loved to volunteer at soup kitchens, beach cleanups, and more. He always looked for opportunities to serve others in his community but soon found out that many places he wanted to volunteer at had age restrictions. To his surprise, many of the local nonprofits he wished to support only allowed people over the age of 18 to volunteer. Kenan’s dream to create a solution to this problem was realized when he founded an organization that not only accepted but also encouraged children of all ages to volunteer and serve in their communities. In Kenan’s words, “All our events are open to anybody of any age. If you have the passion, you can come.” Kids4Community funds programs for a variety of social issues. Two years later, it has raised more than $1 million dollars for homeless initiatives, for example, gathering and cooking meals for homeless shelters. It also strives to promote awareness of other concerns such as educational programs for kids and adults about the dangers of substance abuse. In honor of Kenan Pala and the difference he has made in his city, the mayor of San Diego named January 23, Kenan Pala Day. But Kenan’s influence didn’t stop in San Diego. The organization changed the lives of countless people by preparing more than 8,000 packs of food, beverages, soaps, shampoos and wet wipes for homeless people. They were donated to institutions for the homeless across the U.S. In 2017, he was named one of the top ten youth volunteers in the country by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Kenan Pala has made a significant difference in his hometown of San Diego and communities everywhere. Kids4Community is fostering an eagerness to serve the less fortunate in the lives of children of all ages.

Read more about Kids4Community here.

The Sweetest Devotion: Ashley Hetherington’s Journey as a Christ-Centered Influencer

Struggling to find her footing on a path through a season of worldly pressures and broken relationships, Ashley Hetherington was a young woman on the hunt for meaning and purpose, an unconscious search for her Lord burning from a heart of confusion riddled with footholds. But now, standing on the other side of this mountain of turmoil, is an emboldened 24-year-old woman of God whose radiant passion for Christ shines through her efforts as an influencer, author, and content creator. This renewed relationship with God that grew from one of the darkest periods of Ashley’s life has lit in her a fervor for helping other young women come to terms with fighting their own battles, especially concerning faith.

Hetherington has achieved this through business initiatives that, initially, took a leap of faith to pursue wholeheartedly; graduating from Miami University with a degree in interactive media studies and journalism and thus armed to aid in the growth of other companies, she never thought her own writing and social media presence would grow into anything more than a hobby and college pastime. But keeping God central to the trajectory of her life and career has led to a fruition of and full-time devotion to this mission through many outlets.

Ashley’s simple aim has been to encourage her fellow sisters in Christ, citing Proverbs 16:24: “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”  She orchestrates a variety of media to reach her followers, including several bestselling books and eBooks, an online blog called “The Honey Scoop”, social media channel (accessible through Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook), a podcast, and a free email subscription for weekly devotionals called “The Hive.” Additionally, Hetherington has a premium Bible study deemed “The Tree”, which includes a daily Bible reading plan, weekly devotional video, monthly group calls with women from across the globe, and access to recommended worship playlists, podcasts, and book recommendations. Ashley’s content, especially “The Tree”, reaches thousands of women from all over every year, uniting them under the purpose of growing into stronger, faith-filled daughters of Christ.

Notably, amidst this success, Hetherington always offers this glory back to Christ. She stated in an interview with Peer Magazine, “I’ll never forget that in one of the lessons [at Miami University], we were taught we are in the business of effort and God is in the business of result so it’s on us to put in the effort. To put in the work, to do the time, to be consistent, to innovate, to network, to show up every day, but God is in the business of results.” In Zero to One, Peter Theil remarks on “the guiding concepts of business”, among these principles being that “it is better to risk boldness than triviality (p. 20).” Ashley Hetherington is living a life and guiding a mission that testifies to the truth in this notion—whatever the internal struggles and external obstacles someone faces, a heart and business built on the Rock will flourish in His perfect timing for the glory of His kingdom.

A New Angle on Gun Safety

Suicide is a genuine problem and only becomes more of one as America gets more and more depressed. Kai Kloepfer, an engineer-minded, high school student, noticed the increasing rate of suicide in America, suicide often by guns. So to increase gun safety, decrease accidental harm and harm done due to gun theft, Kloepfer envisioned a smart gun, a special weapon that recognizes its owner. 

While on the search for a science fair project, a major shooting happened less than an hour from Kloepfer’s home and it sparked an idea. And so, for a little less than a year, Kloepfer worked tirelessly to develop a smart gun, a gun that would recognize the fingerprint of its owner and would only fire if he or she was holding it. He took this project to multiple science fairs and walked away as the winner of all of them. And after applying for the Smart Tech Challenge, he was able to nail down a $50,000 grant to continue his smart-gun technology. Between graduating from high school and starting college, Kloepfer finally established Biofire Technologies, his very own startup that integrates fingerprint identification into guns. 

It is inspiring how Kloepfer worked to use the vast technological advances of the twenty-first century to help increase gun safety and slow the suicide epidemic. Though this idea cannot halt gun harm entirely, it can help and is a great way to tackle a problem without also tackling the politics surrounding it. He really found a way to solve an issue without fanning the flames of that issue. 

 

https://fredsoda.medium.com/from-start-to-startup-30-under-30-kai-kloepfers-biofire-technologies-bf59cd299a08