— whatever your holiday celebrations may look like (or not look like) this year. 2022 has a good ring to it. We're excited to embark on this big New Year, and dig deeper into some high-impact projects underway at Firestarter — and, of course, share them with you along the way!
We hope this email finds you safe and well, and able to take a step back from your day-to-day — time to slow down and be present — whatever your holiday celebrations may look like (or not look like) this year.
2022has a good ring to it. We're excited to embark on this big New Year, and dig deeper into some high-impact projects underway at Firestarter — and, of course, share them with you along the way!
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." — Albert Einstein
This year we've really grown the
digital presence of our film Starting at Zero. It's pretty cool: if you google STARTING AT ZERO, you're met with a number of mainstream watch options, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play, which was not the case this time last year. Rent or purchase the film for home viewing through one of these channels, or contact us to host a free screening in your community (as we've now done in 44 states and counting!)
We're continuing to create media under the Starting at Zerobrand, currently focused on local campaigns highlighting leaders who are committed to advancing early childhood education in their own states and regions. Below is a feature we produced from an interview with Governor and First Lady Carney of Delaware, which launched in early December at the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows Summit in Washington, D.C. TheHunt-Kean Fellowship program is an unparalleled initiative fromThe Hunt Institutethat provides political leaders from across the country with the
knowledge they need to cultivate smart and effective education agendas.Watch here, or by clicking the images below.
Last month we launched The Firestarter
Podcast and have been thrilled with the enthusiastic response — thank you! If you haven't tuned in yet, you can connect with the podcast on your favorite platforms, and explore the episodes here. On the show, Willainterviews mission-driven entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and investors; thought leaders, researchers, and experts on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues about designing and thriving in careers — and lives — of impact.
In this week's episode, Willa shares a great conversation with Dr. Dennis Rebelo about his Peak Storytelling Method and the importance of employing personalized stories in our professional lives. You can listen to the show
on your favorite platform or via our website, where you'll also find show notes, links, and a full video of the episode. We've got some great guests and episodes lined up for 2022, so tune in, follow, (please leave a review if you feel so inclined,) and we look forward to continuing to engage in and share these impactful conversations in the New Year and beyond!
Regenerative ocean farming—vertical underwater aquaculture with a mix of seaweeds (kelp) and shellfish—has been identified as a key solution to climate change, with its powerhouse abilities to sequester carbon, rebuild marine ecosystems, and supply a zero-input sustainable food source (not to mention: fertilizer, animal feed, base for bioplastics, biofuels, and many other compelling uses), while at the same time supporting growth of a new workforce and keeping fisherman who have run out of fish working the oceans as a new breed of blue economy farmers.
As a production company based in the Ocean State, we have become passionate about this ocean-based climate solution. This year we decided to contribute to growing the #KelpMovement through our 1% For The Planet commitment, donating 1% of our 2021 sales to support the work of GreenWave, an organization based in New Haven, CT with the bold vision to
train and launch 10,000 ocean farmers over the next 10 years and catalyze the planting of 1 million acres of kelp to yield meaningful economic and climate impacts. Are you inspired yet? We were, and have been doing a deep dive (pun intended) on all things kelp. Much more to come on this collaboration and our engagement in the space in 2022!
On that note, we're signing off until the New Year. Wishing you
a peaceful and joyous holiday season filled with plenty of self care, and the people, places, and things you love most in this life.
We always appreciate any feedback and suggestions for this newsletter. You can simply hit reply to this email, or send us a note on Twitter or Instagram @firestarterix.
