FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2015

Human Interaction Project (HIP) Launches to Encourage the
Next Generation of Leaders to Impact Change Locally and Globally

Author and Global Adventurer Leon Logothetis’ first foundation program to fund travel scholarships to support volunteerism and relationship building worldwide

Los Angeles, CA – Today, on Random Acts of Kindness Day, author, TV personality, global adventurer, motivational speaker and philanthropist Leon Logothetis announced the launch of his foundation, the Human Interaction Project (HIP) at The Giving Back Fund. The Human Interaction Project will educate others through real life, hands-on experiences that impact change on an individual and global level.

HIP’s mission is to create intrepid, bold and safe environments where individuals can connect with each other, face-to-face; to inspire in people the notion that the healing power of human connection is where real change happens; and to create leaders who can help shape their generation from a place of non-judgment, hope and fearlessness. HIP is rooted in the belief that travel is the best education and facilitates individual, local and global change.

HIP Founder Leon Logothetis said, “I recently returned from a journey around the world relying on the kindness of strangers and feel a strong urge to give back to my community. Through the establishment of the Human Interaction Project, I hope to challenge others to celebrate random acts of kindness every day.” He added, “Everyone should be allowed the opportunity to find their passion, live their passion and share their passion.”

HIP’s programs will provide interactive learning for participants who will gain new perspectives and opportunities to connect with peers from around the globe. HIP’s inaugural program will fund travel scholarships for recipients to receive the trip of a lifetime: foreign immersion combined with volunteerism and self-growth. Applications are now being accepted at www.HumanInteractionProject.org.

Scholarship recipients will be given a travel experience in partnership with the international volunteering and learning organization UBELONG. The Human Interaction Project will cover airfare, housing, UBELONG program fees, medical insurance and some incidentals.

Most notably, the scholarship is based on the principles of giving, receiving and changing. When one gives to another, one receives the gifts of connection and selflessness, which in turn can change and inspire one to continue giving and changing. HIP will facilitate each scholarship recipient awarding a life changing gift to an individual or organization that they encounter on their journey; the ultimate pay it forward.

In line with the program’s key principles of kindness and compassion, scholarship recipients will also receive training in leadership and philanthropy to help ensure an impactful travel experience. Upon returning, participants will be tasked with sharing the stories and lessons learned from their journey with their communities through blog posts, videos, speeches and other valuable content to help educate others.

Logothetis’ incredible adventures circumnavigating the globe on a vintage motorbike fueled by kindness can be relived in his latest literary release, The Kindness Diaries. Similar to the opportunity he hopes to provide his program participants, at each stop in the travel memoir, he finds a way to give back to the unsuspecting Good Samaritans in life changing ways, by rebuilding their homes, paying for their schooling, and leaving behind gifts big and small.

About Leon Logothetis
Leon Logothetis is a global adventurer, motivational speaker and philanthropist. It wasn’t always that way. He used to be a broker in the city of London where he felt uninspired and chronically depressed. He gave it all up for a life on the road. This radical life change was inspired by the inspirational movie The Motorcycle Diaries. The days of living and working behind his ‘slab of wood’ (or desk to the layman) are well and truly over. His new passion: Finding ways for your inner rebel (that voice that tells you, you are worth so much more than you think) to come out and play. The inner rebel tells you that your life is yours. And anything you dream of is possible. Anything. And that the fuel for all this delicious potential is simple: Kindness and harnessing the power of human connection. Leon has visited more than 90 countries and traveled to every continent. Leon has documented his travels for numerous media outlets including Good Morning America, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Outside, Good. For additional information, please visit www.LeonLogothetis.com.

About The Giving Back Fund
The Giving Back Fund (GBF) is a national public charity that creates and professionally manages charitable foundations and other philanthropic programs for athletes, entertainers, business entrepreneurs, and corporations. Since our founding in 1997, GBF has created an important niche in expanding and diversifying philanthropy, particularly among young people, women and people of color. Our unique structure allows donors to direct more of their charitable dollars to causes they care about and less to administrative overhead. To date, The Giving Back Fund has provided philanthropic consulting, management and programming to more than 200 athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and other high net worth individuals. GBF has overseen the distribution of more than $30,000,000 in charitable grants within the United States and other countries, and has developed dozens of unique scholarship, mentoring, medical, arts, and other philanthropic programs. For additional information, please visit www.GivingBack.org.

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Media Contact:
Jessica Duffaut
The Giving Back Fund
310.649.5222
jduffaut@givingback.org