Thirteen years ago, shortly after David and I got married, we found ourselves asking some of life’s biggest questions: What kind of impact do we want to have on the world?
Through our travels and work, we had witnessed so much—extraordinary human ingenuity and resilience alongside the immense challenges communities face every day. While we had been fortunate to build businesses that created positive change, we knew there was still so much more to be done.
So we asked ourselves another question: What kind of world do we want to leave for our children and future generations?
The answers were not simple, but they led us to one undeniable truth: we needed to do something bigger than ourselves—something lasting, something capable of creating meaningful change at scale.
As we explored the tools already available—groundbreaking technologies, visionary leaders, innovative organizations, and a shared desire to create progress—we felt both inspired and frustrated.
Inspired, because the potential was undeniable. Frustrated, because the pieces weren’t connected.
Technology, capital, governments, and communities were often working in silos, limiting their ability to drive the collective action the world so urgently needed. What was missing was not more ideas, talent, or resources. What was missing was connection—a way to bring people together across borders, industries, and perspectives around a common purpose: building a more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive future for everyone.
In the early days, David and I started gathering people—leaders, thinkers, and changemakers—for honest conversations about what needed to change and how we could help. These weren’t formal meetings; they were moments of raw connection, brimming with ideas about what was possible.
Our first gathering happened in San Francisco, right in the midst of the pandemic—a time when the world felt like it was on pause. Navigating uncertainty, balancing the demands of raising a young family, and trying to keep teams afloat, we felt a spark of hope amid the chaos.
Those conversations made one thing very clear: the solutions we need already exist. The technology, the capital, the will to act—they’re all there. What was missing was a framework to bring it all together.
As we moved forward, the vision for MAD began to take shape. During a gathering in Los Angeles with artists, leaders, and advocates, a world-renowned musician listened to what we were building and looked at us with a smile: “You’re mad.”
Without missing a beat, David replied, “We are—because we all make a difference.”
That exchange became the spark for MAD: a movement grounded in the belief that every person, everywhere, has the power—and the responsibility—to help shape a better future.
From those early conversations, we set out on a journey of listening, learning, and building relationships across the world. We met with changemakers from every sector and every walk of life, gaining new perspectives on both the challenges we face and the opportunities before us.
What inspired us most was the willingness of people to come together in service of something greater than themselves. Time and again, we encountered individuals who generously shared their ideas, expertise, energy, and resources—not for personal gain, but because they believed in the possibility of creating meaningful, lasting change.
Those experiences reinforced our conviction that the solutions we need already exist. The challenge is bringing people together around a shared purpose and creating the connections that turn individual efforts into collective impact.
MAD is not just a foundation or a single initiative. It’s a movement. A call to action that brings together the best of humanity—our ingenuity, compassion, and determination to build a better future.
It’s about believing in what’s possible, even when it feels out of reach.
It’s about turning frustration into action and hope into solutions.
This work isn’t easy. But we know it’s possible.
When leaders, innovators, communities, and everyday people come together, we can create a world where sustainability and opportunity go hand in hand.
A world that doesn’t just survive but thrives—not just for now, but for generations to come.
This is MAD. This is our call to action. Together, we make a difference.
MAD Impact is a global climate foundation dedicated to reducing the planet’s carbon burden. We achieve this by scaling climate technologies, educating through transformative engagement and events, and inspiring bold, collective action for humanity.
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