author. speaker. motivator.
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery's penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]
mom. big dreamer. lady in red.
Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]
author. ceo. humanitarian.
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He's a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]
yogi. meditator. teacher.
Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]
creator. writer. idea geek.
Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He's a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
learning
Lee Overtree
creative teacher. storyteller. kid sparker.
Lee is an actor, director, and a founding member of Story Pirates. He enjoys playing music and being a teaching artist. [www.storypirates.org]
Arts education is about creating the desire to learn about the world around you. A phrase we use a lot in our work with kids in schools is “Desire drives learning.” Sometimes it feels like our school system forgets that you have to help kids find the desire within themselves to learn instead of forcing learning upon them and then administering standardized tests to measure achievement. The most important thing to learn in school is that learning itself is fun. What’s meaningful to me is what I do in my work with Story Pirates – we take excitement into classrooms to give kids a positive experience with learning and school.
One of our mentors here at Story Pirates is a man named Charlie Russo. He said something to me once that I think about a lot. He said that when he’s doing charitable work what he’s trying to do is give kids a positive experience with an adult – and sometimes that’s all he does. That’s a very influential thing to do for a child. When we take that idea into schools with our programs, kids come away with the sense that they interacted with an adult and it wasn’t terrible. It was even fun and positive. If we create more positive experiences in schools and between adults and kids, then hopefully some of that transfers to a feeling in kids about what education can be.
It’s pretty amazing to see the way people light up over education reform once they have kids. I see a lot of parents who’ve spent their lives being passionate about things, then they have kids and all of a sudden their eyes are opened to the disparities and the inefficiencies of our education system.
The sorts of things we’re doing in schools right now are a tiny fraction of what could be modeled for integrating the arts into curricular studies that have become so dry for so many kids. It’s important to bring passion back into learning. Then kids are interested in a way that comes from within. And that changes everything.
– Lee Overtree
Explore More Meaning
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fashion creator. grounded entrepreneur. balanced mama.
With more than fifteen years of fashion industry experience, Roberta Cysne co-founded JilRo, a brand for all sizes, 0-24. JilRo is available at select department stores in the United States and Harvey Nichols in Saudi Arabia. [www.jil-ro.com]
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actor. mixed media artist. traveling eye.
Actor and artist Cutter Cutshaw mixes the profane with the elegant. His mixed media approach combines original photography with digital and organic brushwork, transforming chaos into sensual portrayals. [www.cutterartandphoto.com]
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near-death survivor. critic silencer. natural spirit.
Anita Moorjani is the bestselling author of Dying to be Me, the moving, true story of her near-death experience at the end stage of cancer. [www.anitamoorjani.com]
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inventor. educator. artist.
Artist, musician, inventor, and educator Bob Bates is the Artistic Director of Inner-City Arts, an art space on Skid Row where at-risk children explore their creativity, learn, and grow. [www.inner-cityarts.org]
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award-winning journalist. mommy. limit-defying potentialist.
Catt Sadler is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. She founded and is president of the Hollywood chapter of Women Like Us, a foundation started by her mother to enhance the lives of women in need around the globe. [www.womenlikeusfoundation.org/hollywood]
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producer. human studier. tall tale teller.
Barrie Osborne is an Oscar winning producer whose body of work includes The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is currently producing the movie, Syrup, and executive producing The Great Gatsby.
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runner. country crosser. first stepper.
Katie Visco created Pave Your Lane, a campaign to enliven our world through connection to ourselves and each other. The second-youngest person and the 13th woman to run across America, Katie is now running her message across all 50 states. [www.paveyourlane.com]
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eco-chef. culinary cooperator. good-time server.
Tom Hunt is a self acclaimed eco-chef and co-founder of Forgotten Feast, working on projects throughout the UK to revive our cooking heritage and help reduce food waste. [www.tomsfeast.com]
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