Inspired by innovative communities, awesome organizations, and incredible individuals doing big things in the world to meet humanity's biggest problems, Seth Kahan has set out to gather stories in the form of a book (in process). I've signed on to help him (never pass up a good story, I say). In the process, our minds have been broadened and our heart parts deeply touched.

Everyday, we're inundated with negative news. Our brains are hard wired to stay tuned for fear-based information; it's a matter of survival. But media too often exploits this fact, and as a result, most of us are entirely unaware of the good things other humans are doing for our benefit. We want to help set a little balance.

Social media engagement, exponentially advancing technology, scientific breakthroughs: positive change IS happening. We're experimenting with ways to try to engage thoughtful people, which is why we're here. We believe this movement is growing, and we want to help it along.

Here's an example of a Grand Challenge we'e learned about: Michelle Popowitz and the amazing team of scientists, thinkers, and boots-on-the-ground at UCLA Grand Challenges (http://www.grandchallenges.ucla.edu/) have two ultimate goals:

1. to make Los Angeles 100% sustainable in water, energy, and biodiversity by 2050

2. to see the problem of depression cut in half by the same year, and eradicated by the end of the century

These are crazy-big goals, yes, but UCLA Grand Challenges is putting some of the smartest people on the planet to work to make them happen. And they aren't the only ones.

Grand Challenge initiatives bring people together to solve the world's biggest problems: embedded poverty, lack of access to healthcare, water shortages (nuts: we live on a planet covered in water!), food shortages, natural disasters, conflicts & refugees, limitations in governance, etc.

Grand Challenges are crazy big ideas, yes, but they are possible. Humans—wily and innovative for all their faults—are capable of figuring out the rest.

We hope you'll talk to us and each other about what it all means; we'd love to hear your ideas.

Gratefully,

Seth Kahan + Julie Jordan Avritt