Frank Luntz had doubts about the effects of climate change, but now he advocates the importance of stopping it

A pandemic is still brewing across the globe and a tumultuous American election is only months away. The future is foggy, but one thing is for certain: Dr. Frank Luntz, an influential communications consultant renowned for his work as a pollster and political strategist, is determined to keep pushing ahead for climate action.

Luntz needed to see firsthand the effects of global warming; he went to Alaska to observe the ice caps melting, and traveled to numerous countries to see the devastating impact on a multitude of species.

“There’s never been a better opportunity to rethink our climate policies,” Luntz says from his home in Los Angeles. “We are rethinking everything; our politics, our educational system, our economics, our foreign policies, and the environment. Everything is going through a fundamental examination.”

Joanne Maislin spent a decade in Haiti to help create meaningful impact

When Montreal-born, Joanne Maislin began working in March, 2010, it was only two months after a devastating earthquake tore apart the small Caribbean country. She felt instantly connected to the land and its people.

“From the moment I arrived, I did not want to leave. I knew that Haiti was a magical place where my skills and passion for giving back could be met,” she says from the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.

Maislin is the founder and president of C432, a boutique consulting and development firm with a mission “to create meaningful impact through sustainable development.”  The small but diversified team at C432 works with for-profit organizations interested in investing in Haiti; C432 gives these clients the reasons and tools to do so. From manufacturing and tourism to aquaculture, Maislin and her colleagues focus on job creation, capacity building, and community engagement in Haiti. She has collaborated with leading brands including TOMS, Lululemon and Donna Karan.

Gray Keller’s art is his life

It’s a sweltering afternoon in Lake Nona, Florida where philanthropist, art collector and author, Dr. Gray Keller lives. Every so often a colony of noisy gulls fly by interrupting our conversation. Keller tells me he’s not a great self-promoter when it comes to the books he’s written about philanthropic leadership, and he doesn’t like being the center of attention.  But when the conversation veers towards his contemporary art collection, Keller instantly becomes passionate and animated.

“I think there’s something very powerful about visual art,” he remarks.

“A great piece of artwork will automatically impact the viewer.”

Keller, who is 44 years old, and his wife Dixie, have been collecting art for more than 15 years- and the scope of pieces they have acquired is exceptionally diverse, from sculptures in bronze, aluminum, and steel to LED and video installations, to oil paintings, ink drawings, works in charcoal and oil wash, Keller notes he is interested in art that is not only creative and varied but also impactful.

“A great piece of art will comfort the afflicted and can simultaneously afflict the comfortable,” he often says.