Matthew Geiling: International Philanthropy

Matthew was one of the first people who came to mind when I had the idea for my podcast. He grew up volunteering in New York City and then traveled to Ukraine last summer to help provide aid to refugees. Matthew’s also an entrepreneur and started his new business, WYA, a social events platform, this year. Similar to myself, he is very clear about his core values: productivity, selflessness, and improvement. It was striking to hear how his approach to business and philanthropy were so similar. Wherever there was a gap in what was needed in the world, whether it was a lack of social options for college kids or a call to aid for Ukraine, Matthew used his tools to fix it.

I am blown away by Matthew’s maturity and strong grasp of all the things he has on his plate, from business to relationships to adjusting to life in college. I love how he is constantly innovating and working on himself, even though he has already accomplished so much at a young age. Whether he’s doing volunteer work in the city, starting a non-profit, or leading a service trip, Matthew continues to level-up his impacts on the world. I can see from the patterns of his work that he is never satisfied by checking a box and always utilizes his resources and drive to find ways to provide greater value for others. Matthew did give a lot of praise to his parents—his dad is a businessman and his mom is a nonprofit employee—which sums up his humility and innate ability to reflect on the world. His parents not only provided him with a good life to do great things, but also supported him emotionally by validating his ideas and pushing him to help people. His dad has advised him on how to begin reaching out to people for his business partnerships, and his mom helped him navigate his partnership with UkraineFriends. He’s become a synthesis of the two of them by launching a business while also continuing to stay involved with his work for Ukraine.

I can’t wait to see what is next in store for Matthew, because I know he will continue to serve and create for the better. Matthew ended the podcast by telling me how impressed he was with my project and what I’ve done. With all the achievements Matthew has, it speaks to his character that he chooses to focus on others and appreciate what they do.

Listen to Matthew's episode here.