ABOUT BRIAN

I got my start in Hollywood in the fashion industry, as a successful fashion stylist and as the celebrity fashion editor for Vanidad magazine. In the mid-90s, I realized that the internet was allowing us to connect to people in a way never before seen and I launched the first of three multi-media entertainment companies that delivered content via that platform.

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Following the death of a family member in the early 2000s, I stopped to examine my professional success and the impact I was having on the world. I decided it was time to change course, to start using my powers for good, and I got my first job in the nonprofit sector with Project Happiness, a global organization dedicated to teaching social and emotional learning to young adults.

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Over the last several years, I have had some amazing opportunities to work with and learn from some of the world’s greatest peace leaders. I went on to become the Deputy Executive Director for the Dalai Lama Foundation, where I specialized in developing and managing programs and curricula aimed at guiding young people on their own explorations of ethics and peace. Through my work with the Dalai Lama, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to South Africa where I met Archbishop Desmond Tutu. My connection with the Archbishop was instant and as the Archbishop and the Dalai Lama met to begin work on the Book of Joy, I transitioned to become the Executive Director of Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation.

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While working with the Archbishop, my focus was working to inspire young people to become change makers for peace. I developed and launched youth programs that focused on reshaping conversations on peace, equality and forgiveness.

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With the blessing of Desmond Tutu, I left the Archbishop's foundation to become the founding Executive Director of the Human Thread Foundation (HTF), an international nonprofit organization inspired by the work of acclaimed humanitarian photographer, Lisa Kristine. HTF's mission was to educate the public and build awareness about human dignity and human trafficking through exhibitions and educational programs. 

As it was for so many of us, the pandemic created a shift in my priorities and I began consulting and dedicating more time to Rotary International. I was a founding member of Rotary's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force now know as the Rotary DEI Advisory Council, dedicated to assessing the state of DEI within the organization and advising the Board of Directors and Trustees on how to best incorporate DEI into the Rotary Action Plan. It has been a great honor to have served as the Vice-chair of this group and I remain its longest serving member.

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I also continue my work with the Nobel peace laureates. I serve on the board of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa-USA, Leymah Gbowee's US organization, and I am a Strategic Advisor to Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation US and Laureates & Leaders for Children, two organizations assiciated with Indian Nobel laureate, Kailash Satyarthi.

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In 2022, I launched my own US-based nonprofit organization, Out For Equality. Out For Equality is dedicated to ensuring the human rights of LGBTQ+ citizens globally through financial and strategic support to grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations working improve lives, mobilize movements and build better futures for LGBTQ+ citizens in their communities.

 

My true passion is getting to share my story to inspire others. I travel the world speaking to people of all ages, sharing how we can find inspiration, and then use that to be inspiring to others. In everything I do, I try to remember the South African concept of “ubuntu” - I am because you are, my humanity is bound up in yours, and we can only be human together.