Forces for good: Kobe Bryant

In this first episode of Mission: Kobe Bryant, the renowned NBA star visits Skid Row to learn about the issues facing homeless people in LA, and speaks to four extraordinary men seeking to improve their lives. You can learn more about the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation’s fight to end homelessness in LA by visiting www.kvbff.org. You can also follow the link to the YouTube posting to find a Homeless Service Organization near you through the National Coalition for the Homeless.

More on Mission

In Mission, Kobe Bryant documents an honest account of challenges facing residents of Skid Row, the downtown Los Angeles area with the largest concentration of homeless people in the United States. Through his personal and candid conversations with residents of The Los Angeles Mission

Read moreForces for good: Kobe Bryant

Adventures in publishing: Maria Popova

The Marginalian is the brain child of Maria Popova, an interestingness hunter-gatherer and curious mind at large, who also writes for Wired UK and The Atlantic, among others, and is an MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow. The Marginalian is a record of Maria’s reading and reckoning with our search for meaning: sometimes through science and … Read moreAdventures in publishing: Maria Popova

Sharing secrets: Architizer

The principals of Architizer.com believe the internet can transform the way architects do business.

Since launching in 2009 with the mission of connecting architects to a vibrant network of peers, fans, and potential clients, the open community has become the largest and fastest-growing database of architecture online.

Read moreSharing secrets: Architizer

Adventures in Publishing: Charlotte Cheetham

Charlotte Cheetham is a French curator in graphic design: her publications and exhibitions projects, about graphic design and art relevant issues, are thought-like spaces for experimental proposals. The blog she has run since 2006 proposes one possible reflection of a landscape and promotes a contemporary adventurous and transversal practice of graphic design that comes closely … Read moreAdventures in Publishing: Charlotte Cheetham

Creative entrepreneurs: Tina Roth Eisenberg

Swissmiss is a design blog and studio run by Tina Roth Eisenberg. Besides swissmiss, she also founded and runs CreativeMornings and TeuxDeux. Above, I’m sharing Tina’s presentation from the 2011 Future of Web Design conference. “The talk is mostly about lessons I want to teach my kids, hoping that one day, they will be at … Read moreCreative entrepreneurs: Tina Roth Eisenberg

Inspiration from Gaian.me

With its digital album releases including designs, music and articles, The Gaian Project celebrates nature by inspiring people to preserve our planet. Over the past six years a group of more than 10,000 designers joined in – including members from Behance, deviantArt and other major design websites. Steffen Knoesgaard, Fredrik Ekholm and Simon Holmedal created … Read moreInspiration from Gaian.me

Scion’s moving story…

The evolving brand campaign from Scion and its creative agency of record ATTIK debuted in late September, and the newest facet entitled Motivate launched last week. Motivate presents young self-starters in the creative arts community with opportunities to achieve their dreams by winning personal business mentors, up to $10,000 and Scion vehicles. Full contest rules … Read moreScion’s moving story…

Be Outstanding

I am all-for smart people doing wise, practical things together, and when I learn about especially cool developments, it really makes me want to shout. For example, Business Insider editor Ariel Schwartz once wrote a great story entitled “SkillCloud: A Platform For Companies To Appreciate Workers Beyond Resumes.” The imaginative and important website Ariel described … Read moreBe Outstanding

2012 creative leaders to watch

Advertising Age Magazine recently published its impressive annual Women to Watch Special Report honoring the following leaders who are changing the world — along with its prestigious 2012 “Creativity 50” coverage. It’s a pleasure to share news of those accolades, as well as this video for TEDxTeen – Tavi Gevinson: Still Figuring it Out spotlighting … Read more2012 creative leaders to watch

America’s national parks, part 4

As you have seen over the past several weeks, inspired by the epic 2009 PBS documentary from Ken Burns entitled “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” my family and I have taken up the challenge of visiting — and extolling the virtues of — the national treasures which form the heart of the film… and of America itself. This is the final week of our travels, and while our 2012 time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton has ended, like Mark Twain, the experiences are now integral aspects of us all, which we shall each continue to fathom forever. We will actually be making our way through the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, and spending time exploring caves and waterways that form the backdrop of some of Mr. Twain’s most wonderful tales. Entering these adventures, as privileged as I felt, I did not dare hope to experience revelations, but in truth, the knowledge we are gaining of people and places is already priceless to me. To say the least, I encourage you to follow these trails, or those you come across which inspire you the most.

Read moreAmerica’s national parks, part 4