I don’t talk about this much... but from 2018-2020 I was a political operative in The Philippines.
I failed, left the country, met my wife, built a camper van, wrote a book, and now I’m ready for the next chapter.
For the curious, some notes on that adventure:
In 2018, I decided to use my resources, relationships, and marketing skills to try to make a positive impact in the developing world. I created an incubator for advocacies related to transportation policy and commuter rights in Manila, Philippines. Our goal was to make the city a less painful place to get around. We provided resources to some of the brightest urban planning activists in the country.
The results were minimal at best. Even with direct access to a range of stakeholders and policymakers, I learned firsthand how difficult it is to improve public spaces. I also learned how frustrating and dirty street-level politics can be.
I left the country 45 days into the first wave of COVID lockdowns. I felt lost and defeated by the city and the project.
One of the conclusions I drew from building an ineffective nonprofit is that to scale positive impact, you need a working business model. Or at least a singular commitment to an objective measure of success. If you're trying to help animals, you need something like "dollars per dog saved." Without that, it's too easy for emotional appeals to cloud or distract from the data on what is actually effective.
That said, Manila has made amazing progress recently - and all those involved deserve tremendous credit. In just one year, 500 kilometers of bike lanes were created. Cycling is becoming normalized. And PUV modernization seems closer than ever to finally happening.
It has taken me years to rediscover what truly moves me. “Transportation policy advocate” was once a major part of my identity. I'm still passionate about cities and how we design and move around them, but I don't know what to do with that passion at this time.
What I do know is that I want to scale positive impact. And right now, the most cost-effective way I know how to dramatically improve someone's quality of life, is clear to me. I'm going to follow that and see where it takes me.
Happy Valentines day everyone - sending all of you some love from my heart to yours 🌹 ✨
These are all moments from our current Asia trip ✨
I am so grateful that everyday feels like Valentines day with you @alechess ❤️
Arches National Park 🏞 🚐
Did you know that you can get an Annual Pass to US National Parks for $80 ?
You get access to more than 2,000 recreation areas , most of which I experienced has the best amenity you can ask for in the middle of nowhere - a nice toilet and usually sink of running water 💩🥳 Worth it!!!
We built a camper van with no relevant skills. 🚐
Learned electrical, plumbing, woodworking, and a bunch of other neat tricks. YouTube and Amazon and my incredible dad made it all possible.
Our small tastes of #vanlife have exceeded all expectations. It feels incredibly freeing to live a life in which wherever you park is your home. Highly recommended project for learning “man-skills” and for creating a portable apartment.
Especially great for:
🌲 Waking up in nature.
🚲Creating magical start points for bike rides and hikes.
😴💃🏽 Sleeping outside the club while your fiancé dances the night away.
🔥 Attending burningman.
🍱 Creating feasts in the middle of nowhere.
🥰🟩 Cuddle puddles on your astroturf roof deck.
🌅 Never-repeated views of sunset.
Special thanks to @antisocial_8ctopus for hosting our van this winter while we are in asia.
This summer, we plan to finish van 1 (major additions coming) and are currently designing van 2 for Thailand.
