Blog Updates and inspiration

This is a story about beauty – the beauty of strength, of empowerment, of hope. It’s a story of not allowing your circumstances define where you will end up in life. It’s not about dwelling in your past, but of being free to create a future of positivity no matter what your story holds. But […]

Naturally, when you stumble upon an abandoned ship from 1979, the given next step is to make it into the largest art piece around. DuDug, an international art collective, has taken such vessel under its wing and is transforming the once-revered cruise liner – but now rusting – Duke of Lancaster into an all-encompassing graffiti […]

On days like Valentine’s, when people are more inclined to do a bit more than usual for those around them, it’s easy to fall into the usual routine of treating someone to dinner or baking them cookies. Not that it’s wrong to do so (I love me some frosted sugar cookies) – we just like […]

We recently teamed up with Warby Parker to shake up the idea behind a street fair. The idea of hosting an event where organizations and companies that value innovation, social progress, and creativity could come together resulted in the first ever Common Good Urban Market. We invited a few of our friends from San Diego to welcome Warby’s […]

so·cial en·ter·prise – noun: an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being, rather than maximizing profits for external shareholders. We believe in cultivating a culturally rich world so we invest in social programs that help sustain communities. While you may think we’re talking about our favorite social enterprises MEND and VSLA (and we are) but we recently stumbled upon a similar […]

Last October, Warby Parker uprooted from it’s NYC headquarters and has since been touring across the nation bringing its eyewear products directly to the people in what may be the longest Class Trip ever. When we found out Warby’s yellow school bus would be rolling into San Diego in February, we knew we had to get involved. So, we combined […]

Something uniquely special happens when you’re traveling. Lives intersect, cultures collide, adversity happens, and soon you lose count of all the unforgettable moments. But no matter what happens, you’re left with something that will be with you beyond the exploration and adventure — experience. Being globally connected through technology easily causes us to forget how “unconnected” the world could […]

For many of us, having our photo taken isn’t a big deal. Our Facebook pages are full of photos of ourselves and friends, and our instagram feeds are brimming with loved ones. Yet, for so many people across the world, having a portrait made is a unique and special event. This realization is what spurred […]

Jam-packed with world-changers and innovative humanitarians, every year CNN hosts an event to recognize 10 individuals who are helping others by improving communities around the globe called CNN’s Heroes. After highlighting heroes for their inspirational contribution, CNN announces its Hero of the Year. This year the honor went to Pushpa Basnet, awarding her with an additional $250,000 (in addition […]

Coming this Christmas: The Teacher Reciprocal Exchange! Six teachers from northern Uganda will be coming to teach in classrooms across the U.S. this December and January. They are assigned a partner teacher and will be able to learn new skills and techniques in the classroom as well as share their own teaching styles and culture […]