I first heard about charity: water in 2008.

I was inspired by how charity: water did what it did: using social media to drive social change, letting people see the impact they're making in the world through powerful imagery and story telling, and most of all, sending 100% of all public donations directly to the field.

I was also struck by the numbers: "80% of the world's disease" was directly related to unsafe drinking water. "1 billion people" in the world lacked access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation. I was 31 years old, had never heard of these statistics, and felt like no one else was talking about them either.

Through a series of very fortunate events, I'm proud to say that at 35 I'm tackling the water crisis head-on alongside some of the most innovative, creative, and intelligent human beings I've ever come across. Every day, I'm more and more grateful for the opportunity to serve charity: water and the people around the world who need us.

I've seen first-hand what $5,000 can do, and I have much more than I could ever want or need at 35. So, all I want for my birthday is for 250 people to get clean water. Let's do this!