Danny Seo
Danny Seo
Early Life
Danny Seo was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. With regards to eco-friendliness, he did not get the most influence from his parents. In fact, his father was a doctor who advocated animal testing and his mother had a collection of fur coats. [30]
Earth 2000
At an early age, Seo told his family he wanted to create an environmental and animal rights advocacy group. When he turned 12 years old in 1989, he founded Earth 2000 using all $23 of his birthday money. [30]
Using his own backyard, the young activist organized various events, including an anti-whaling demonstration, volunteer work to provide vegetarian meals to people with AIDS, and communication with lawmakers to change environmentally related legislation. [30]
By the time he was 18 years old, Seo took the nonprofit and blossomed it from barely a dozen members at its start to 25,000, making it one of the largest teen-focused grassroots movements in the country.
In between then and launching his career, he also worked at the GAP. [9]
Career
Early in his adult life, Danny Seo made a name for himself in the eco-friendliness sphere, but that was only the beginning.
Collecting fountain coins after they were collected by building managers; he devoted an hour to this and raised.
While he was in Baltimore, he asked a Starbucks venue if they would be willing to donate 5% of their total sales for one day to benefit the house building; $3,500 was raised.
After seeing a copy of his unreleased book at a used book store, he asked how they accessed his book after a book reviewer sold it to them.
After realizing this, he called up producers and book reviewers and asked if they could have all their new unused copies.
Once he did that, he took all of those books and sold them to a used book store.
He raised $2,500 for 3 hours.
He had the idea of selling the excess chocolate companies made during the holidays and sold them at a discounted price.
He earned $3,630 that way in 2 hours.
When he worked at the GAP as a teenager, he remembered receiving an employee manual that gave away free merchandise to employees for charitable work in the community.
Years later, he asked them for 500 t-shirts to sell.
He sold them at a discounted price, but asked them for additional funding since he was raising money for Habitat for Humanity.
He raised $3,700 that day.
While living in Washington, DC, he sent each Congress member a letter asking them for $10.
At least $3,100 was raised with less than one hour of total work done.
Earlier that year, he published a book entitled Generation React: Activism for Beginners. [31]
In 1998, he was listed as one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People." [33]
Naturally Magazine
Later in his career, Seo became Editor-in-Chief of Naturally Magazine, a publisher of tips and products that promote a healthy, natural, eco-friendly lifestyle. They cover various topics, including food, beauty, travel, home, and entertainment. [17] The print versions of the magazine are printed on recycled paper. [33]
Danny Seo Media Ventures
Danny is founder and CEO of Danny Seo Media Ventures, a multimedia lifestyle company that integrates style and sustainability across a variety of media and merchandising products.
The Danny Seo portfolio includes a line of home products sold at over 4,000 stores, including T.J. Maxx, [20] Marshalls, and HomeGoods.
His products include:
Danny Seo Philosophy organic wines
Danny Seo Reserve Beauty, a collection of fine fragrances and bath products sold on HSN
A collection of best-selling books he wrote, which cover decorating, entertaining, crafts, and more.
Books
Generation React
In 1997, at age 20, Danny Seo published his first book, Generation React: Activism for Beginners. He discusses his experiences with growing his first nonprofit, Earth 2000. It contains a step-by-step guide meant to teach the reader how to change the world with practical skills and examples. [31]
He teaches you the following how to do the following:
Start your own activist group
Re-energize an existing activist group
Brainstorm creative fund-raising techniques
Win media exposure
Reform school policy
Launch boycotts
Make legislators listen
Organize a protest
Tap the wealth of free information on the Internet
Be the Difference
Seo published his second book, Be the Difference: A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World, after he retired from his position of CEO at Earth 2000.
After leaving the nonprofit, he continued to receive thousands of letters from young people asking how he grew the company.
In what may be considered an expansion and/or updated version of his first book, Seo published Be the Difference in 2001 to reveal to beginning activists how to start their own activist group, fund-raise, gain media exposure, organize a protest, use the internet as a tool for change, and make legislators listen. [37]
Upcycling
After becoming a well-known figure in the lifestyle industry, Seo published his third book, Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have in 2011. In it, he discusses his 100 most inspiring projects for creative transformation. [38]
These crafty, eco-conscious innovations are made out of things most people would no longer use - old leather belts, chipped plates, and worn-out paperbacks - and recycle them by turning them into more useful things.