Occupation: Philanthropist, Entrepreneur, Filmmaker Based in: Los Angeles Last Education: The University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School |
Jason Y. Lee could have had a lucrative career in finance. He started as a summer intern for the U.S. Department of Treasury while attending the University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, and after graduation, he worked as a financial consultant at Bain & Company.
Instead, he chose the road less traveled: helping others in need. When the 2010 Haitian earthquake devastated an estimated 3 million people, Lee wanted to contribute to the relief effort.
In a self-effacing video, Lee set out to busk in a New York City subway (he says he’s a very, very bad singer) in order to raise $100 for Save the Children. At the end of the day, he raised a total of $85.01 and €2. Not giving up, Lee asked in his YouTube video for viewers to contribute the remaining money to the the fund he set up. Not only did he reach his goal within the first 10 minutes of posting, he set a stretch goal of $500, which was ultimately surpassed to reach $761! Thus, the Jubilee Project was born. The Jubilee Project consists of Jason, his brother Eddie Lee and their friend Eric Lu. Combining philanthropy and filmmaking, the trio - a humanitarian Wong Fu of sorts - leverages social media to inspires others to do good through their YouTube channel. In fact, their hashtag is #DoingGoodisContagious. Since its inception in 2010, the Jubilee Project has raised tens of thousands of dollars for humanitarian causes and charities and garnered about 50 million views. They've worked with other Privy members such as Jeremy Lin and Mei Melançon, and continue to contribute to the greater good. |
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