Simply Leonardo DiCaprio

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Since New Jersey became the first state in the nation to incorporate climate change education across its K-12 learning standards, Leonardo showed his support for this action:

Hello. This is Leonardo DiCaprio.And I just want to say that last month, New Jersey became the first state in the United States to incorporate climate change across K-12 education standards. Congratulations!

Students are now gonna learn about climate change in every subject area. Climate change puts our water and our air at risk. It disrupts our livelihoods and impacts our health. No matter who you are or where you live, the climate crisis will change the way you live.

Thank you to New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy for her leadership and vision.

To all you students in New Jersey, we are counting on all of you to be the climate leaders of this generation. And to the students in the rest of our 49 states, contact your representatives and make your voices heard. New Jersey was the first, what state is gonna be next? well that’s up to you. Thank you for your time.

You can listen to his voice by clicking on the post below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFhs3S3jrO2/

Leonardo DiCaprio is making a significant commitment to the Los Angeles-based investment firm Struck Capital as part of the actor’s commitment to building LA into a tech development powerhouse.

It’s part of what Struck Capital founder Adam Struck called a vision of making Los Angeles “a leading hub for innovation to save the world.”

Struck Capital, which is currently investing out of a $55 million second fund, would not disclose the size of DiCaprio’s stake, but said that the investment is significant.

“Los Angeles has a creative and innovative spirit like nowhere else, and I’m excited to be investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in my hometown,” said DiCaprio, in a statement.

DiCaprio has already made a number of investments in startup companies that have done very well for the Academy Award-winning actor. Two investments, mattress retailer Casper and meat alternative manufacturer Beyond Meat, are now both publicly traded companies. In fact, Beyond Meat was one of the best performing public offerings of the last year.

And the two investments highlight themes of consumer innovation and sustainability that are a through-line across the startup commitments DiCaprio has made public, according to Crunchbase. Other investments include the lab-grown diamond manufacturer Diamond Foundry; the tea company promoting sustainable rainforest preservation, Runa Tea; recycling technology developer Rubicon; the sustainable meal prep company Love The Wild; and Magnus, an app that bills itself as a Shazam for art. DiCaprio is also an investor in the Los Angeles-based ethically and sustainably focused financial services firm Aspiration.

“He sees this as a way to support LA,” said Struck of DiCaprio’s commitment.

In addition to his commitment to the fund, DiCaprio will be making co-investments alongside the Struck Capital team. In fact, the actor has already invested in Raptor Maps, a company that uses drones to analyze the productivity and operations of solar farms.

“He chose us because he already appreciates our mandate,” said Struck. And while the firm may not be an impact investment fund by design, Struck said the company’s deals focus on financial inclusion, sustainability and technological innovation as first principals. 

“I think, fundamentally, if a business is mission-driven, they’re most likely going to acquire higher enterprise values and retain more talent,” Struck said.

Struck is now the fourth largest dedicated seed fund in Los Angeles, and has nearly $150 million in assets under management. Its portfolio companies include: Sendoso, ScratchPay, Mythical Games and Brainbase and has backed and exited a number of later-stage companies like Mojo Vision, Postmates, Nutanix, Latch, Grab and Wunder Mobility.

“Alongside the team at Struck Capital we’re creating a community, where the next generation of LA’s leaders can grow their business, learn from one another, achieve their visions, and improve our world,” DiCaprio said in a statement.

Waorani indigenous leader, Nemonte Nenquimo is on TIME‘s list of the 100 most influential people of 2020 and Leo wrote about her for Time100:

Last year, the Amazon was better known for acres ablaze than for acres saved. But the lawsuit that Nemonte Nenquimo, president of the Waorani of Pastaza and a co-founder of the Ceibo Alliance, brought forth was a rare bright spot. The landmark ruling protects the Waorani’s ancestral home in Ecuador from immediate destruction.

The ripples have brought hope to Indigenous communities everywhere, all too often facing overwhelming odds of their own. Nemonte lives her fight, and to have a conversation with her is to witness a rare clarity of purpose. I remember she once told me that she wasn’t going to give up. That she was going to keep fighting. That she would continue to defend the forest that she loves from the industries and the oil companies that would devour it.

She has kept her word, and continues to be a voice and advocate for her community. Nemonte’s cause is all our cause. She inspires those she speaks with to shoulder the nearest boulder and walk alongside her as her movement continues to grow. I am lucky to have met her, and I am luckier still to have learned from her.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFiD741lPKh/

© 100 most influential people of 2020

Netflix dropped the first trailer for Whose Vote Counts, Explained which is produced by Vox and Vox Media Studios, in partnership with Leo’s Appian Way Productions on Thursday and Leonardo DiCaprio is part of this as narrator alongside Selena Gomez and John Legend which will be out on September 28.

Leo took to social media to promote the documentary and to urge people to register to vote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFhjtDEFmSm/

13th annual event raises over $900,000 for ocean conservation.

On Saturday, August 22, supporters tuned in for the first ever virtual SeaChange Summer Party to benefit Oceana, the world’s largest ocean conservation organization. The annual event, in its 13^th year, is usually hosted in Laguna Beach, California, and went virtual this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Actors, activists, and Oceana Board of Directors members Ted Danson and Sam Waterston hosted the evening, which featured a special address from Leonardo DiCaprio and a musical performance by Sting of The Police’s 1980 hit song “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” Miranda Cosgrove, Alexandra Cousteau, Angela Kinsey, Billy Magnussen, Austin Nichols, Oscar Nunez, Christina Ochoa, Sally Pressman, Sam Trammell, and Kate Walsh were also featured.

This year’s benefit focused on how protecting the world’s oceans and restoring abundance benefits both people and the planet.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a longtime environmental advocate whose foundation donated $3 million to Oceana earlier this year, and made other impressive commitments in 2014 to protect the world’s oceans. DiCaprio gave an inspiring speech, where he spoke about diving around the world and witnessing the destruction of the world’s oceans first hand. He then urged the audience to continue supporting the fight, saying that we have an obligation to protect our oceans and the many species that inhabit them. DiCaprio addressed a captivated audience:

“Allow me to get straight to the point. I truly believe that saving our oceans is the most important struggle of our time. As an avid diver I’ve been lucky enough to dive in places all over the world, including Australia, the Galapagos, Belize, and Thailand. I’ve witnessed first-hand not only the beauty that our oceans have to offer a diver, but everything they have to offer humanity.”

“We have an obligation to protect our planet and all the species that inhabit it, and that is why I’m here today to celebrate Oceana’s achievements. For me and my foundation, Oceana is an absolute no-brainer to support because they deliver tangible results and that’s what we need. We need someone to deliver tangible results in this fight.”

Watch the 2020 SeaChange Summer Party wrap video here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEO8PBXg0n6/