TedxTalk

Sometimes you watch a TedxTalk and it’s earth-shatteringly inspirational, and other times, you watch a TedxTalk and it reiterates a lot of the truths you’ve already come to know. This TedxTalk falls into the latter category. This week, we’re continuing with the final installment of our four-part model by highlighting our Media programs. So,what better TedxTalk could there be than one titled Media with meaning?

Jeffrey Skoll is a Canadian engineer, Internet entrepreneur and film producer worth billions of dollars. That’s right, with a B. In 2007, Jeffrey Skoll delivered this TedxTalk emphasizing the power of media. After completing his education at Stanford, Jeff and one of his colleagues collaborated and created a little website called eBay. After finding immense success through eBay, Jeff asked John Gardner how he could influence the greatest change through his surplus of resources. He responded with, “Bet on good people doing good things.” Jeff went on to found the Skoll Foundation whose vision is to “live in a sustainable world of peace and prosperity. The Skoll Foundation drives large scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems.” Jeff, much like us here at Invisible Children, believes in the power of media, specifically videos. The incredible thing about media is that it allows for stories  to reach more eyes and have a much more profound effect. Just like An Inconvenient Truth made the environment a mainstream issue that everyone knows about (Jeff was behind the production of that, by the way), KONY 2012 made Joseph Kony a household name and created a ripple effect of positive change.

The only way to change this world is by informing as many people as possible. Media is arguably the most powerful tool we have to mobilize individuals to make positive social change. It’s a powerful vehicle for storytelling, and people like Jeff Skoll are truly changing the world by capitalizing on this belief. So Jeff, if you’re reading this, hit us up. We’d love to share our story with you.