Why Cause & Purpose?

Impact leaders around the world, are spending their lives and livelihoods solving the social and environmental challenges that affect all of us - often at great personal cost to themselves, and without the recognition they deserve.

This show is about, and very much for, them.

Hi, I'm Mike.

As far back as I can remember, I've always loved stories—whether listening to them or sharing them, at home with loved ones, with friends, or around a glowing campfire.

Great stories are far more than just entertainment. They have the power to teach, inspire, and move us. They can transport us to distant worlds, whether real or imagined, and foster our sense of wonder. Most importantly, stories build empathy.

We can learn the facts and figures - the who, what, when, where, and why - of anything, but to truly understand its impact on people - how it was felt, experienced, and deeper meaning and context - stories are essential.

On the loose in New York.

I was especially drawn to film, and spent the early part of my career working in film, television, and journalism. I've had the privilege of working on content about honor killings, about the rights and histories of Native American peoples living in Canada, and about what it's like living with HIV throughout Latin America.

Group of people in "video village" on a film set.

On the set of "In the Morning," a short film about honor killings.

In 2009, I had the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, and join the founding team at Classy.org. It was a move from production work, but it allowed me to collaborate with social good organizations around the world, while building a new technology platform and unlock new giving opportunities for our generation. It was exciting, rewarding work, and I learned a lot. Most importantly, I felt more directly engaged in impact work. I felt like I was helping to "make the news, rather than report on it."

Two men working on a structure made of rebar.

Building a water project in Ecuador.

Over the years, I've gained a deep respect and appreciation for the people engaged in social impact. It can be difficult, thankless, and exhausting work. The best among them are relentless, incredibly hard-working, and extremely qualifiedYet, they are often underpaid, heavily scrutinized, and unfairly criticized by a public that, for the most part, doesn't fully understand their work.

Cause & Purpose is a real labor of love for me. It's my way of keeping my storytelling and journalism skills active, while learning from and getting to know some of the top leaders in the social impact space.

My hope is that you'll be entertained, moved, and informed by these episodes. I hope they'll build empathy, and provide insight into what's required to make real and lasting progress against the most important social and environmental challenges of our time. I hope you'll be inspired to infuse greater impact into your own work, or take steps to get more involved, and support the work being done by these incredible leaders. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy the stories!