Max Harper

Max Harper, combines skills in media and communications, design, video production and business management, with a history of agricultural, environmental and community/NGO organization leadership.

He graduated from Colorado College in 2004 with a degree in environmental science and a minor focus in architectural design. Leading several student organizations over his four years on campus he helped champion numerous campus initiatives: securing local organic food and fair trade coffee procurement in CCs food service, an institutional transition to post-consumer recycled paper, a commitment to LEED building standards in all future campus constructions, custodial green/non-toxic cleaning product procurement, development of a sustainable living student residence and a campus community garden (later expanded to a campus farm). These successful efforts won the attention of a major national environmental organization, Earth Island Institute, who, in 2002, awarded him the Brower Youth Award — one of the nation’s most prestigious environmental and social justice youth leadership awards.

After graduating, Harper went on to help struggling family farmers organize, pioneering an innovative program to connect them with Colorado Springs’ numerous churches for direct marketing, event and volunteer opportunities. He later held local agricultural marketing, research and development positions at both the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.

Within three years of organizing for local farms and community gardens, Max began to explore the advancing tools and distribution channels of new media, teaching himself video production, as a way to transmit powerful emotional content, bring an amplified voice to causes otherwise voiceless and help accelerate social change. Some of his first advocacy videos played on the JumboTrons of the Colorado Springs’ mega churches in the before-mentioned project to unite local organic farms and christian churches over shared values and shared harvests.

In late 2005 he incorporated his own environmentally-focused video production company,Third Point L.L.C., and and after Three years of professional video production and social impact media strategy consultation Harper had the good fortune to land in the New Media Department at the Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago at the run-up to the general election. There he piloted the concept for the Blueprint for Change videos, and produced and edited numerous others: PSAs for Voteforchange, MyBO tutorials and micro-targeted constituency videos such as a Women for Obama piece featuring Valerie Jarrett.

After producing videos for Change.Gov on the Presidential Transition Team in Washington, D.C., Max went on to direct Energy Action Coalition’s Power Shift 2009 video program — the nation’s largest youth summit on climate change, clean energy and green jobs. Max currently runs IB5k’s video strategy consulting team and production unit in D.C., while poising himself to put his shoulder to the wheel of emerging green economy.

Max Harper loves his president.

Max in the media