After her mother’s death, What You Can Do creator Jessica Arinella struggled to find hope in a world faced with so many problems. She felt overwhelmed by news about dire issues from melting ice caps to homeless animals, and wondered how she could make a difference in her everyday life. Jessica dreamed up the idea for What You Can Do to spotlight easy ways to help change the world in just a minute, and found the perfect partner in sister Alicia and her company On the Leesh Productions. The web and TV series embraces a mission to inspire positive change for issues from cancer to climate change, one minute at a time. Since What You Can Do premiered on New York City PBS affiliate WLIW in 2009, Jessica, Alicia and their team have produced nearly 500 videos.

Filming with Gotham Girls Roller Derby in NYC to encourage choosing reusable vs. plastic water bottles

To share the latest ways to make an impact, the What You Can Do team has partnered with hundreds of leading non-profits across the country such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Petfinder Foundation, the Breast Cancer Site and Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.

Alicia Arinella shoots an interview about sustainable seafood at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

With social media reach into the millions, What You Can Do’s impact extends beyond videos. Fans have rallied to help fund 500 free mammograms for women in need, raise $57,000 for shelter pets, protect an acre of rainforest, and provide 1,200 hungry New Yorkers with hot meals.

What You Can Do has won more than twenty awards, twice been nominated for Best Educational Series at the International Academy of Web TV Awards, and received a Webby Award nomination in 2015. The series has screened at over forty festivals worldwide including the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, Melbourne Web Fest and ITVFest. Jessica Arinella was chosen to share her work with What You Can Do on the mainstage at Vidcon, one of the web video industry’s premier events, in 2012.

Jessica Arinella presenting on the Main Stage at VidCon



What You Can Do has been featured in media outlets such as Better Homes and Gardens magazine, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the VideoInk web site, Green Divas radio show and the Mrs. Green’s World radio show. For more information on where the series has been featured online and in print, please visit our buzz page.

We want to hear from you about the issues that inspire your passion. Join us on Facebook and on Twitter. And remember if you have even one minute, you can help change the world.