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This campaign is recognizing incredible innovators fighting for social change.

Today, global impact starts with a click of the keyboard.

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Comcast NBCUniversal & NationSwell

A solution for food waste and hunger, getting undocumented immigrants citizenship, an anti-cyberbullying app — these are things the world desperately needs.

And thanks to a handful of social innovators, we now have them.

The minds behind the technology and programs above have been named in the class of 2017 Tech Impact AllStars by the social impact media company NationSwell and Comcast NBCUniversal.

"The main goal is to find and uplift the everyday heroes who are changing their communities and slowly but surely, changing the nation and the world," writes Greg Behrman, CEO and Founder of NationSwell. "These are the people in your neighborhood who feel a fire in their belly to solve challenging social issues."

[rebelmouse-image 19527961 dam="1" original_size="645x361" caption="(From left) Seth Flaxman, Zakiya Harris, and Riku Sen. Images via NationSwell." expand=1](From left) Seth Flaxman, Zakiya Harris, and Riku Sen. Images via NationSwell.

Two years ago, NationSwell partnered with Comcast NBCUniversal to start recognizing these technology trailblazers for their endeavors and give them a leg up on their path. Comcast NBCUniversal is playing a defining role in shaping the future of media and technology, and believes social innovation  like the Tech Impact AllStars Campaign is good for communities.

Together with NationSwell, they've endorsed some extraordinary talent that more than deserves the attention:

But they also need your endorsement to be honored. You can vote for your favorite 2017 Tech Impact AllStars from Oct. 2 through Nov. 2 by clicking here.

Today, technology is often the power behind grand-scale social impact projects. That's why Tech Impact AllStars are using it to solve major problems.

[rebelmouse-image 19527962 dam="1" original_size="580x338" caption="Raj Karmani speaks about his company, Zero Percent. Photo via NationSwell." expand=1]Raj Karmani speaks about his company, Zero Percent. Photo via NationSwell.

"[Technology] is more relevant than ever before, and it’s changing the way we approach age-old issues," Behrman explains. "Technology provides the ability to scale solutions in extraordinary and rapid ways."

"Technology innovation is the fuel that moves our business forward," writes Jessica Clancy, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at Comcast NBCUniversal, in an email. "We also believe it has unsurpassed power to solve complex social issues and improve communities."

The program specifically recognizes up-and-coming social innovators from incredibly diverse backgrounds, and the hope is that the recognition they receive as Tech Impact AllStars will propel their mission so that they can make an even greater impact.

"We’ve seen past AllStars graduate from the program and receive new funding or corporate partners, additional coverage on platforms like Nightline, NPR, + TED, and increased visibility and interest, helping them scale their work and do more good," writes Emily Chong, senior vice president at NationSwell.

If your social impact efforts utilize tech in some way and you're domestically-based, you can be nominated to be a Tech Impact AllStar.

[rebelmouse-image 19527963 dam="1" original_size="758x426" caption="Karen Washington of Black Urban Growers. Photo via NationSwell." expand=1]Karen Washington of Black Urban Growers. Photo via NationSwell.

For example, Karen Washington started Black Urban Growers to encourage primarily black communities to help turn vacant urban lots in the Bronx into thriving gardens.

In a somewhat different vein, Rose Broome created an online crowdsourcing platform called HandUp that solicits donations for homeless and at-risk people.

Neither endeavor would be possible if Washington and Broome weren't adept at utilizing technology to inspire people to do good.

And they're just two examples of a ever-expanding population of Tech Impact AllStars.

Every year, the program has grown exponentially, both in visibility and the number of nominations.

Raj Karmani, a recipient of the Tech Impact Award, with the NationSwell crew. Photo via NationSwell.

Obviously the tech impact world appreciates the boost. Since 2015, there's been a 70% increase in Tech Impact AllStars nominations. What's more, views of this particular group's content has increased by 500,000, so finalists are indeed getting a considerable amount of notice that no doubt draws greater attention to their missions.

"As the program grows, each Tech Impact AllStars class becomes more competitive, more incredible and generates greater visibility and impact for them and their solution," Chong writes.

It's understandable given all the things they will receive. All finalists get a three- to five-minute video about their work made by NationSwell producers, a feature article to accompany it, an all-expense-paid trip to New York City, where they'll be given a speaking slot at the NationSwell Summit of Solutions, and the chance to win the Tech Impact Award — a $10,000 grant to help further their work.

Social innovators like these are exactly who this country needs right now to help bring opportunities to those who are struggling.

[rebelmouse-image 19527965 dam="1" original_size="762x426" caption="AllStar Zakiya Harris, co-founder of Hack the Hood. Photo via NationSwell." expand=1]AllStar Zakiya Harris, co-founder of Hack the Hood. Photo via NationSwell.

"These are the innovations and the solutions that we’ll need to make our country a more equitable, inclusively prosperous place, and to have more people feel like the American dream is within their reach as well," Behrman writes.

Organizations like NationSwell and Comcast NBCUniversal are doing what they can to elevate the creators of these life-changing endeavors so that they'll reach as many people in need as possible.

These brilliant ideas can change the world as long as people know about them. Thanks to technology and solution-driven companies, many more people will.

GoFundMe Heroes

This young woman turned heartbreak into a lifelong mission to spread love and kindness

Images courtesy of Letters of Love
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When Grace Berbig was 7 years old, her mom was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues. Being so young, Grace didn’t know what cancer was or why her mother was suddenly living in the hospital. But she did know this: that while her mom was in the hospital, she would always be assured that her family was thinking of her, supporting her and loving her every step of her journey.

Nearly every day, Grace and her two younger sisters would hand-make cards and fill them with drawings and messages of love, which their mother would hang all over the walls of her hospital room. These cherished letters brought immeasurable peace and joy to their mom during her sickness. Sadly, when Grace was just 10 years old, her mother lost her battle with cancer.“

Image courtesy of Letters of Love

Losing my mom put the world in a completely different perspective for me,” Grace says. “I realized that you never know when someone could leave you, so you have to love the people you love with your whole heart, every day.”

Grace’s father was instrumental in helping in the healing process of his daughters. “I distinctly remember my dad constantly reminding my two little sisters, Bella and Sophie, and I that happiness is a choice, and it was now our job to turn this heartbreaking event in our life into something positive.”

When she got to high school, Grace became involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and a handful of other organizations. But she never felt like she was doing enough.

“I wanted to create an opportunity for people to help beyond donating money, and one that anyone could be a part of, no matter their financial status.”

In October 2018, Grace started Letters of Love, a club at her high school in Long Lake, Minnesota, to emotionally support children battling cancer and other serious illnesses through letter-writing and craft-making.


Image courtesy of Letters of Love

Much to her surprise, more than 100 students showed up for the first club meeting. From then on, Letters of Love grew so fast that during her senior year in high school, Grace had to start a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of card-making materials.

Speaking about her nonprofit today, Grace says, “I can’t find enough words to explain how blessed I feel to have this organization. Beyond the amount of kids and families we are able to support, it allows me to feel so much closer and more connected to my mom.”

Since its inception, Letters of Love has grown to more than 25 clubs with more than 1,000 members providing emotional support to more than 60,000 patients in children’s hospitals around the world. And in the process it has become a full-time job for Grace.

“I do everything from training volunteers and club ambassadors, paying bills, designing merchandise, preparing financial predictions and overviews, applying for grants, to going through each and every card ensuring they are appropriate to send out to hospitals.”

Image courtesy of Letters of Love

In addition to running Letters of Love, Grace and her small team must also contend with the emotions inherent in their line of work.

“There have been many, many tears cried,” she says. “Working to support children who are battling cancer and other serious and sometimes chronic illnesses can absolutely be extremely difficult mentally. I feel so blessed to be an organization that focuses solely on bringing joy to these children, though. We do everything we can to simply put a smile on their face, and ensure they know that they are so loved, so strong, and so supported by people all around the world.”

Image courtesy of Letters of Love

Letters of Love has been particularly instrumental in offering emotional support to children who have been unable to see friends and family due to COVID-19. A video campaign in the summer of 2021 even saw members of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and the NHL’s Minnesota Wild offer short videos of hope and encouragement to affected children.

Grace is currently taking a gap year before she starts college so she can focus on growing Letters of Love as well as to work on various related projects, including the publication of a children’s book.

“The goal of the book is to teach children the immense impact that small acts of kindness can have, how to treat their peers who may be diagnosed with disabilities or illness, and how they are never too young to change the world,” she says.

Since she was 10, Grace has kept memories of her mother close to her, as a source of love and inspiration in her life and in the work she does with Letters of Love.

Image courtesy of Grace Berbig

“When I lost my mom, I felt like a section of my heart went with her, so ever since, I have been filling that piece with love and compassion towards others. Her smile and joy were infectious, and I try to mirror that in myself and touch people’s hearts as she did.”

For more information visit Letters of Love.

Please donate to Grace’s GoFundMe and help Letters of Love to expand, publish a children’s book and continue to reach more children in hospitals around the world.

Education & Information

This essential photography lesson shows how selfies distort what we really look like

Evey Winters/Facebook, Vox/YouTube

What you look like in a selfie camera isn't really what you look like in real life.

We've all done it: You snap a selfie, look at it, say, "OMG is my nose swollen?" then try again from a different angle. "Wait, now my forehead looks weird. And what's up with my chin?" You keep trying various angles and distances, trying to get a picture that looks like how you remember yourself looking. Whether you finally land on one or not, you walk away from the experience wondering which photo actually looks like the "real" you.

I do this, even as a 40-something-year-old who is quite comfortable with the face I see in the mirror. So, it makes me cringe imagining a tween or teen, who likely take a lot more selfies than I do, questioning their facial features based on those snapshots. When I'm wondering why my facial features look weird in selfies it's because I know my face well enough to know that's not what it looks like. However, when a young person whose face is changing rapidly sees their facial features distorted in a photo, they may come to all kinds of wrong conclusions about what they actually look like.

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GoFundMe Heroes

Meet the first four winners of Upworthy's Kindness Fund

Images courtesy of AFutureSuperhero and Friends and Balance Dance Project
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The day was scorching hot, but the weather wasn’t going to stop a Star Wars Stormtrooper from handing out school supplies to a long line of eager children. “You guys don’t have anything illegal back there - any droids or anything?” the Stormtrooper asks, making sure he was safe from enemies before handing over a colorful backpack to a smiling boy.

The man inside the costume is Yuri Williams, founder of AFutureSuperhero And Friends, a Los Angeles nonprofit that uplifts and inspires marginalized people with small acts of kindness.

Yuri’s organization is one of four inaugural grant winners from the Upworthy Kindness Fund, a joint initiative between Upworthy and GoFundMe that celebrates kindness and everyday actions inspired by the best of humanity. This year, the Upworthy Kindness Fund is giving $100,000 to grassroots changemakers across the world.

To apply, campaign organizers simply tell Upworthy how their kindness project is making a difference. Between now and the end of 2021, each accepted individual or organization will receive $500 towards an existing GoFundMe and a shout-out on Upworthy.

Meet the first four winners:

1: Balance Dance Project: This studio aims to bring accessible dance to all in the Sacramento, CA area. Lead fundraiser Miranda Macias says many dancers spend hours a day at Balance practicing contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop, and ballet. Balance started a GoFundMe to raise money to cover tuition for dancers from low-income communities, buy dance team uniforms, and update its facility. The $500 contribution from the Kindness Fund nudged Balance closer to its $5,000 goal.

2: Citizens of the World Mar Vista Robotics Team: In Los Angeles, middle school teacher James Pike is introducing his students to the field of robotics via a Lego-building team dedicated to solving real-world problems.

James started a GoFundMe to crowdfund supplies for his students’ team ahead of the First Lego League, a school-against-school matchup that includes robotics competitions. The team, James explained, needed help to cover half the cost of the pricey $4,000 robotics kit. Thanks to help from the Upworthy Kindness Fund and the generosity of the Citizens of the World Middle School community, the team exceeded its initial fundraising goal.

Citizens of the World Mar Vista Robotics Team video update youtu.be

3: Black Fluidity Tattoo Club: Kiara Mills and Tann Parker want to fix a big problem in the tattoo industry: there are too few Black tattoo artists. To tackle the issue, the duo founded the Black Fluidity Tattoo Club to inspire and support Black tattooers. While the Brooklyn organization is open to any Black person, Kiara and Tann specifically want to encourage dark-skinned artists to train in an affirming space among people with similar identities.

To make room for newcomers, the club recently moved into a larger studio with a third station for apprentices or guest artists. Unlike a traditional fundraiser that supports the organization exclusively, Black Fluidity Tattoo Club will distribute proceeds from GoFundMe directly to emerging Black tattoo artists who are starting their own businesses. The small grants, supported in part with a $500 contribution from the Upworthy Kindness Fund, will go towards artists’ equipment, supplies, furnishings, and other start-up costs.

4: AFutureSuperhero And Friends’ “Hope For The Holidays”: Founder Yuri Williams is fundraising for a holiday trip to spread cheer to people in need across all fifty states.

Along with collaborator Rodney Smith Jr., Yuri will be handing out gifts to children, adults, and animals dressed as a Star Wars’ Stormtrooper, Spiderman, Deadpool, and other movie or comic book characters. Starting this month, the crew will be visiting children with disabilities or serious illnesses, bringing leashes and toys to animal shelters for people taking home a new pet, and spreading blessings to unhoused people—all while in superhero costume. This will be the third time Yuri and his nonprofit have taken this journey.

AFutureSuperhero started a GoFundMe in July to cover the cost of gifts as well as travel expenses like hotels and rental cars. To help the nonprofit reach its $15,000 goal, the Upworthy Kindness Fund contributed $500 towards this good cause.

Think you qualify for the fund? Tell us how you’re bringing kindness to your community. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis from now through the end of 2021. For questions and more information, please check out our FAQ's and the Kindness Toolkit for resources on how to start your own kindness fundraiser.

Well Being

Surfer writes names of people's lost loved ones on his surfboard so they can ride 'one last wave'

One Last Wave Project/TikTok

Dan Fischer takes people's lost loved ones out surfing for "one last wave."

Dan Fischer understands grief. He also has some idea of how to cope with it—and how to help others through it as well.

Fischer has experienced tremendous loss in the past few years, losing both his father and his best friend. As a surfer, he's a believer in what he calls "the transformative power of the ocean." Originally from Montreal, Canada, Fischer has found healing riding the waves off Newport, Rhode Island, where he's lived for the past seven years.

Now he wants to share that healing power of the waves with others.

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More

The airplane graveyard that 3 families call home is the subject of a stunning photo series.

From the skies to the ground, these airplanes continue to serve a purpose.

This article originally appeared on 09.18.15


What happens to airplanes after they're no longer fit to roam the skies?


An abandoned 747 rests in a Bangkok lot. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Decommissioned planes are often stripped and sold for parts, with the remains finding a new home in what is sometimes referred to as an "airplane boneyard" or "graveyard." Around the world, these graveyards exist; they're made up of large, empty lots and tons of scrap metal.

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