After 8,000 miles of driving around the United States in a modified school bus, Chris Temple ’12 and Zach Ingrasci ’12 returned to campus, where it all started, as they wrapped up their national screening tour of "Living on One Dollar." They have spent the past several months on the road sharing their inspirational film and spreading the word on how microfinance is helping provide financial services to the poor. Chris told us, “We’ve just been really excited about the interest in social entrepreneurship and social business models at CMC, where students are blending profit and impact to move their careers forward.”
The Kravis Leadership Institute has strongly supported the evolution of Chris and Zach’s documentary and the formation of their organization. KLI’s executive director Sarah Smith Orr observed, “They are passionate about their mission of promoting microfinance/micro-business, and like the proverbial Pied Piper, a large following of people of all ages are now asking how they can help make a difference. We are all immensely proud of this incredible team!”
Spirits were high on Saturday night, and so was anticipation, as CMCers lined up to congratulate Chris and Zach on their tour’s success. Pickford Auditorium filled up quickly, as a mostly student audience filed into the room with cotton candy and kettle corn in hand. After a brief welcome, the lights were dimmed and the main event was underway.
The film was received with an enthusiastic response from the home crowd, and an air of inspiration was surging through the audience as they discussed the film and its impact following the screening. Alex Bergonia ’13 said, “Zach and Chris’s documentary brought back many memories from my time spent working for a microfinance organization last summer in Nicaragua. Given the nature of the work, I was so impressed by their ability to become integrated with the residents of Peña Blanca, and experience the financial realities of their neighbors. They have turned their experience into an incredible documentary that can be used as a tool to relevantly teach students about poverty and the power of microfinance.”
We had a chance to ask a few questions of Chris and Zach before the screening. Happy to update us on their recent adventures, they also gave us an exclusive tour of the bus on which their team of four––including Sean Leonard, the creative director of the film, and Living on One program director Hannah Greg ’12––have lived during the past four months.
Living On One Returns to CMC from Claremont McKenna College on