Check out the transcript of RFC’s conversation with Eric Ritz.
Recently Dario and Kelly sat down with Eric Ritz, the founder of Global Inheritance to get a better understanding of what Eric is hoping to accomplish. Started in 2002, Global Inheritance is a 501C-3 non-profit working to empower individuals worldwide to think and act creatively in solving global imbalances. Global Inheritance raises the bar in environmentalism by partnering with big businesses and artists to push for progressive social change. With Eric’s experience working with the Truth Campaign, he gained insight on how to reach people for non profits.
“American Legacy was one of the first, if not the first, sort of [Non Governmental Organization] that went out there and really transformed their messages based on the audience and really did a good job of empowering versus guilting and really playing to people’s intelligence versus fire and brimstone preaching.”
With his fresh and open minded outlook on getting attention for his worthwhile causes,Ritz decided to start his own non-profit.
“I’d always really wanted to start my own non-profit, and I felt that due to technology and the direction that we were going and what you could create on the web, that it was the perfect time because I felt like I was experienced enough, I had enough energy, and with the Web I could be a lot bigger than we were without any sort of funding.”
By partnering with fashion brands ranging from Levi’s to Diesel and from American Apparel to Puma, Global Inheritance started to use clothing as a canvass for supporting causes and as a platform for the artist’s ideas.
They “felt it was a great way to communicate ideas and have people take a vested interest in what they believed in.”
From the Fashion Piece, Global Inheritance moved towards events and planning ways to incorporate socially conscious decisions with musical festivals and concerts. By designing a recycle bin with artistic flair, they helped to reduce the typical trash piles from after concerts. Without labeling themselves as an environmental organization or as being “Green,” Global Inheritance is taking strides to level the playing field between multiple opposers. Their latest projects include an Environmental Museum in the middle of a mall along with an Environmental Theme Park.
“We thought it’d be great to call an amusement park and our tagline was, “Nobody Rides for Free,” and really kind of play off, this whole thing with “that this can be fun or interesting, and really get people in there. Because, for us, we feel like we’re trying to get them to look at it and ideally inspire them to care more or want to be involved or see that it can be done through different angles.”
With an outlook to meet people where they are and “know your audience” Eric is looking to get people to think. He wants to help them to see that no matter who you are, you can make a difference. Currently the cause is environmental matters but the cause can evolve and change depending on what is happening in the world.
“We want this to be something that people take pride in and have fun doing and feel like it’s a part of their lifestyle.”
Be sure to listen to Eric Ritz’s podcast to hear all of the fantastic things he is working on with Global Inheritance and be sure to check out Global Inheritance for more information.
