Power of the Crowd

Beijing is blowing my mind.  I can’t wait to tell you all about it but first I need to spread the word about my long-time friend, accomplished artist, host-with-the-most and 26 year old trailblazer Joey Ellis.

Originally from Auburn NY, Joey has been working as an artist in Beijing since 2005.  He was recently awarded TEDGlobal 2010 Fellow*.  By definition he’s a world-changer who has shown unusual accomplishment and exceptional courage.  Other Fellows include Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Jamie Oliver and Al Gore.

He’s been commissioned by organizations such as Greenpeace and Bank of America. His work has been featured in The Wall street Journal, Time Magazine and just recently Newsweek.  He’s been profiled by The New York Times as one of the leading international artists working in China.

It gets cooler.

Joey is a diver and is passionate about coral reef restoration**.  He is spearheading a global movement that will ultimately redefine the way we think about these diverse ecosystems and he’s starting with the reefs along China's coastlines. 

His plan:

• Partner with top marine biologists in Beijing to translate an international database of coral reef publications.

• Produce animated and well-designed awareness campaigns.

• Visit the three major cities along the coastline creating local art programs to introduce solution-based awareness.

• Work on a BIOROCK*** coral reef structure in Hainan.

Joey and his crew need $11,000 for funding and, because he’s always up for a challenge, he’s decided to limit the fundraising timeframe to one month.  There are 23 days to go.  This project will only be funded if at least $11,000 is pledged by Wednesday Jan 5^th.   In other words... your credit card will not be charged unless the goal is reached in full. 

$1 will help and spreading the word will help even more.  Visit Kung-Fu for Coral Health to contribute, read more about the project and watch the power of a crowd change the world.

*TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences was formed in 1984 to disseminate “Ideas Worth Spreading”.

** Coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species, they are very fragile and they are under serious threat from climate change, blast fishing and much more.

*** Biorock accelerates coral growth and resistance to stressful environments.