Who are you and why did you start SEVA-Exchange?
I was a Senior Timebanking Fellow and was asked to start a venture to mainstream timebanking around the world by Dr Edgar Cahn, the father of timebanking and Founder of Timebanks.org
Spreading the concept of timebanking became a lifelong calling for me once I found out about it. I also had a technical background and entrepreneurial experience, so Edgar must have felt I was the right person to do this venture.
What are the goals of SEVA-Exchange?
Seva Exchange at its core has timebanking, however, we go much further. Any member within a Seva Community can contribute not only time, but money and goods (as donations) and lend out items and even places (like a room!) Members are also expected to request help whenever they are in need and can create borrow requests as well. So our goal is to build fully trusted communities where we ask for help and help others in ANY way we can.
Which milestones did you already reach?
The biggest milestone was launching our platform called SevaX App on the mobile phone for Android and iOS. We later launched a web platform to make it easier for admins. Our latest milestone is that we finally got paying clients to prove product market fit. Our next milestone is to raise a seed round of $1.5 million.
Why is it so difficult to find volunteers?
The problem is there are many folks willing to volunteer, but don’t know where to start. Even if they find a place to volunteer, it isn’t something that they are passionate about doing (like managing a long line) nor do they feel they are making a real impact. And last, they don’t feel appreciated for their time.
I can see strikes all over the world but no or only little real changes. Do you think climate strikes are efficient?
Mobilizing mass amounts of people for any cause is important, as it attracts media attention, who will then bring more awareness, and hold governments and corporations accountable. This is the beauty of Seva Exchange, you can receive time credits for civic engagement.
What do you think about doing interviews instead of strikes?
They are both needed.
What are you working on at the moment?
As I mentioned earlier, I am seeking funding to scale our solution globally. Doing interviews like these also brings awareness that a tool like ours even exists.
Which charities do you support and why?
I personally support YWCA, domestic violence awareness charities like DVWatch.org that I co-founded because domestic violence against women and children is the silent pandemic that has only gotten worse over the past couple years. I also support affordable housing initiatives as the cost of living continues to rise, but those in minimum wage jobs can no longer live off of that amount.
What do you look for when choosing projects to support?
I like to know how much of the money I give actually goes to the initiative that I am trying to support. That’s another beautiful thing about our platform, community organizers can directly create fundraisers for their projects and all the money goes toward funding that project.
Do you have any other innovative projects or what’s next?
I am working with partners like Democracy Watch News who have two thousand volunteer journalists to deliver actual news on the ground in their communities. We also are working with Tim Jenkin and his organization, Community Exchange System, to upgrade their barter system to our mutual aid platform.
Have you ever hugged a tree? When was the last time and why?
I feel I must have done that as a child on a field trip to the Redwoods. It felt good and it is certainly way overdue for another hug.
Will I find volunteers (MoJo’s) with your app ?
Our SevaX App is for communities. You can create your own community, whether it is local or virtual and then request help. If you are looking for volunteers for virtual help, you can post your request and make it public to all members of our global Seva Community. So yes you can find volunteers like mobile journalists using our SevaX App! (Just go to https://www.sevaxapp.com to register and start your community for free today!)
