With no experience Chris Temple produced a video that has changed thousands of lives.

But first, Chris survived for two months on $1 a day in Guatemala.

Here is his story.

Chris Temple is now an award-winning filmmaker and activist who demystifies some of the world's most complex situations, leaving audiences more connected and empowered to make a difference.

In this conversation, Chris will share his journey as a filmmaker and changemaker, and the philosophy that has guided him through everything: actionable optimism, the idea that we all have the capacity to imagine and help manifest a more equitable and empathetic future.

Chris is a film director and the founder of Optimist, a non-profit studio in Los Angeles. He's best known for directing the feature documentaries Living On One Dollar, Salam Neighbor, and Five Years North.

His films have been released globally by Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and PBS, and have premiered at Tribeca, DOCNYC, Full Frame, AFI Docs, & MountainFilm. His work has helped raise over $91 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts. He's been honored with the 2016 Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award; recognized alongside Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders of 2015 by YPO's Real Leaders Magazine; and accepted by the U.S. State Department into the American Film Showcase. His work at Optimist has won 1 Gold Telly Award, 4 Shorty Awards, 2 ADDY Awards, 1 Webby Award, and 2 AVA Digital Awards. He was also recognized as one of the 40 under 40 top documentary filmmakers of 2023 by DOC NYC and HBO.

Chris recently directed the feature film This Is Not Financial Advice with XTR and Cinetic exploring the psychology of investing in the modern digital era. Currently, he is making an as-yet untitled feature film about Ethereum and its founder Vitalik Buterin.

You can find his full filmography on IMDB. He loves the outdoors and is a founding individual member of 1% for the Planet.

To learn more, go to:

Optimist's Website: https://optimist.co/

Join the Monthly Doc Club (think book club, but for documentaries!):

https://optimist.co/doc-club/

Review our 10-year Impact Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JGUp_JKaQDm095x2n9HTnyS6ZYhBRx5W/view

Donate/Get Involved:

https://creative-visions.networkforgood.com/projects/207642-optimist

Micaela Connery is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Kelsey, a national nonprofit pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are affordable, accessible, and inclusive.

She launched this work alongside her cousin and co-founder, Kelsey, a passionate advocate for access and inclusion who lived with multiple disabilities. Their shared vision continues to shape the organization’s mission and impact. The Kelsey is a Bay Area-based nonprofit with a national impact, working at the intersection of housing and disability.

The Kelsey both builds and advocates for accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing—what they call "disability-forward" housing. You will get an overview of The Kelsey's work, sharing how The Kelsey came to be, why this work matters, its current projects and impact, and how to get involved.

Since founding The Kelsey in 2018, Micaela has led the organization to develop over 200 disability-forward homes, unlock nearly $190 million for inclusive housing, and scale its influence to reach thousands of advocates and homes nationwide.

As a Fellow at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, she published leading national research on housing and disability, laying the groundwork for The Kelsey’s model. Her commitment to inclusion began early—as the founder of Unified Theater, which she launched at age 15 and scaled to schools across the country. Micaela is recognized as an Ashoka Fellow, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur, Mitchell Scholar, and Harvard Social Innovation and Change Initiative Fellow. A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, the University College Dublin Smurfit School, and the University of Virginia, she is a leading voice on inclusive design, housing innovation, and community-based living. Through The Kelsey, she is advancing a bold vision: communities where people of all abilities and incomes live side by side—with dignity, equity, and belonging.

To learn more, go to:

The Kelsey's website: https://thekelsey.org/

Top 12 Moments from The Kelsey's work in 2025: https://thekelsey.org/eoy-recap-top-12-moments-of-2025/

Voices from the Community (hear directly from The Kelsey's residents): https://thekelsey.org/voices-from-the-community/