“If nothing else comes of the DAO, the community itself is the most wonderful, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in the nonprofit space, and I’ve been working in this space for 12 years.”
Kimbal Musk is a South African environmentalist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 2011, Musk founded Big Green, a United States-based nonprofit focused on impacting lives by growing sustainable food. Big Green builds “Learning Gardens” in schools to connect children with real food and teach them about nutrition. These classrooms provide students with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while also helping to promote environmental stewardship. Furthermore, Musk is the owner and co-founder of The Kitchen restaurant group.
Musk is passionate about sustainability and the environment, and he is an advocate for the use of renewable energy sources. He is also a proponent of the adoption of Web3 technologies. He believes that the decentralized, blockchain-based nature of Web3 can help facilitate more transparent and equitable economic systems, while also empowering individuals and communities to take greater control over their own data and resources. This is also a major reason he turned Big Green into a decentralized autonomous organization.
In the third quarter of 2021, Musk put $1 million of his own funds into Big Green DAO. Governance members of the DAO chose six different nonprofits to each receive a $50,000 grant. Every quarter, 30% of the total funds are allocated to selected charities. By summer 2022, the DAO had raised almost $7 million, distributing funds to about 20 unique nonprofits — with over $1.5 million allocated during the year. In addition to nonprofit grants, Big Green continued its educational school garden outreach program, called “Jumpstart,” with a total of 504 applicants, of which 465 received funds to enhance their outdoor education programs. Around $1 million was distributed to schools via Jumpstart, and almost 1,000 educators attended Big Green educational seminars.
As a member of the board of directors for the Web3 Foundation, Musk is dedicated to advancing the development and adoption of Web3 technologies in ways that align with his values and vision for sustainability. He is also a co-founder of the Web3 Impact Summit, an annual conference that brings together experts from across the globe to discuss the latest developments and innovations in the field.
In June 2022, Musk spoke at NFT.NYC on the topic of green NFTs, stating: “I’m not really a crypto guy. I’m more curious about how you create trustless networks. I’m more curious about how this crosses borders and [how] you can bring equity across the world and give people access to tools.”
In 2023, Big Green’s Jumpstart intends to impact schools in central Austin, Texas. Grants are available for up to 50 schools to receive sustainable outdoor gardens and/or improve their current ecological program. The goal is to “connect students to the life-changing power of growing food.” Big Green DAO can serve as an example of how to leverage technology to impact sustainability and the environment, and it will be interesting to see how Jumpstart expands its reach in 2023.
Through his work with Big Green DAO and Web3 advocacy, Musk will likely continue to make a significant impact on the environmental and technological landscape. He is a vocal advocate for sustainability and innovation, and his efforts have the potential to inspire many others to align with his vision and pick up similar initiatives.
