In 1978, Bill Austin created the Starkey Fund, which was a battery-recycling program with proceeds aimed at helping people in need receive hearing assistance. This fund evolved into the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which was officially founded in 1984 by Bill and Tani Austin.
In 1985, Starkey Hearing Foundation conducted it’s first mission at XV World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles, fitting more than 800 deaf athletes.
In 2015, Starkey Hearing Foundation was the official Healthy Hearing partner of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. As the Healthy Hearing partner, the foundation provided free hearing health exams and free hearing aids to Special Olympics athletes.
The foundation fits more than 175,000 free hearing aids annually to children and adults through global hearing missions all around the world and through the daily efforts of its domestic Hear Now program. As a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, the foundation has pledged to fit more than one million hearing aids by the end of this decade.
Austin’s philosophy is that the gift of hearing opens up a whole new world of opportunity by connecting individuals to life and helping them realize their potential. The goal of the Foundation is not only to help restore hearing, but to empower people with the ability to build themselves better lives and the knowledge that they too can help those around them.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation works closely with strategic partners in each country it travels to. These partners include national and regional health leaders, schools and non-government organizations. Members of the foundation recruit and train local volunteers to help ensure the long-term success and sustainability of each hearing mission.
The foundation is committed to global hearing health and leads a national program called Listen Carefully. Through music and education, Listen Carefully aims to help teens understand the science of hearing and dangers of exposure to high-decibel sounds
World Liberty TV, had the pleasure of Speaking to Bill Austin & Tani Austin Co-Founders of Starkey hearing Foundation, at The CGI 2015 Meeting, see how these 2 great Humanitarians are making a difference with there foundation Worldwide, right here in our World Liberty TV, Humanitarian Channel.
Actor Matt Damon sprinkled in some humor with talk of the global water crisis, channeling “Bubba” in his panel discussion at Clinton Global Initiative.
In good humor, Damon impersonated former President Clinton at the annual meeting aimed at tackling worldwide crises Tuesday in New York, pointing out that water solutions could be aiding more people.
Damon also pointed to the fact that moved him to become a clean water advocate: Every 21 seconds, a child under 5 dies because of a preventable water related disease.
Damon, together with fellow Water.org co-founder Gary White, explained how a lack of potable water and sanitation leads to fatal illnesses, but is also just as much of a women’s issue, since women and girls are often assaulted while relieving themselves in public.
And while the pair agrees that there will never be “enough charity” to solve the water crisis, they remain optimistic about their progress, pointing specifically to the critical role microloans play.
To make toilets and clean water more accessible, Water.org –- which White and Damon co-founded in 2009 — developed WaterCredit. It’s the first program of its kind to use microfinance tools enable struggling communities to address the global water crisis.
The program connects financial institutions with communities in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Uganda, Peru and Kenya so that individuals and households can get the loans they need to fund water connections and building toilets. As the loans are repaid, they can be redeployed to other people in need, reducing the need for subsidies.
“We solved this here in the West 100 years ago,” Damon said. “Just imagine if we solved AIDS tomorrow or cancer, and in 100 years, children were still dying by the millions — it’s really unconscionable.
How will you change the world with $1M in start-up capital?
The Hult Prize is a start-up accelerator for budding young social entrepreneurs emerging from the world’s universities. Named as one of the top five ideas changing the world by President Bill Clinton and TIME Magazine, the annual competition for the Hult Prize aims to identify and launch the most compelling social business ideas—start-up enterprises that tackle grave issues faced by billions of people. Winners receive USD 1 million in seed capital, as well as mentorship and advice from the international business community.
The Hult Prize is offered in partnership with Former US President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative. It is hosted and supported by Hult International Business School. And it is generously funded by Swedish entrepreneur Bertil Hult and his family.
Open to universities, colleges and students on every continent, the Hult Prize has grown to become the world’s largest student movement for social good. It is also the world’s largest crowd-sourcing platform. Participating annually are thousands of students from 130 countries, representing over 350 institutions of higher education. Competing schools included Stanford, Harvard, INSEAD, Hult International Business School, NYU, Columbia, American University Beirut, LBS, Hitotsubashi, St. Petersburg, and Tel-Aviv University. Nearly all of the Financial Times’ Top 100 MBA programs participate.
Each year, a critical social problem is selected by President Bill Clinton and a challenge issued. Teams of 4-5 students are challenged to develop an innovative start-up enterprise to eradicate the problem. Access to Education. Clean water. Affordable housing. Clean energy. Solar Power. These are a few of the issues competitors have tackled since the competition’s inception.
It’s a win-win for the world.
This year’s winner s of the USD 1 million in seed capital, were Nano Health from The Indian School of Business. The Gala was held at The CGI 2014 Meeting in NYC.
Princess Ameera bint Aidan bin Nayef Al-Taweel often called Princess Ameera al-Taweel, in the English-language press, is a Saudi Arabian princess and philanthropist. Princess Ameera assumed the role of Vice Chairperson of Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation and member of the board of trustees at Silatech.
Princess Ameera, the wife of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, travels extensively on behalf of the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundations in an effort to better understand the most pressing challenges facing our world
She spoke in a special session at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative titled “Voices for Change in the Middle East and North Africa,” in which she discussed her views on the current movements for change in the region with U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share personal skills, gifts of spirit, and friendship with their families, their fellow Special Olympics athletes, and the world.
Through the power of sports, Special Olympics helps people with intellectual disabilities feel welcome in their communities and develop a profound belief in themselves. One of the best ways to explain how we help our athletes is to share this story with you.
Special Olympics is a 4-star-rated, world-renowned charity targeting the nearly 200 million adults and children who have intellectual disabilities, in nearly 170 countries, through sports, education, and health programs. We are designated tax-exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
World Liberty TV was on hand at the Clinton Global Event, where Mr. Tom Golisano, Billionaire Businessman made a donation of 12 million to the Special Olympics.
