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Disability

From “Breaking Bad” to breaking barriers: RJ Mitte celebrates a theater redefining inclusion

The Prospector Theater has paid $26 million in wages to employees with disabilities—and sparked a movement.

Sarah Elizabeth Farrell

RJ Mitte at the Prospector's Gala, celebrating 10 years of changing the lives of those with disabilities.

RJ Mitte, best known for his portrayal of Walter White Jr. in Breaking Bad, has never shied away from using his platform to advocate for inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities. Recently, he attended the Prospector Theater’s 10th anniversary gala in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where he celebrated the theater’s innovative approach to meaningful employment and shared how the arts can create transformative change.

The Prospector Theater celebrates 10 years of making a real difference. Sarah Elizabeth Farrell

The Prospector Theater, a nonprofit cinema, has a clear mission: to provide competitive and fulfilling jobs to people with disabilities. This "sparkly beacon of hope" stands as a testament to what’s possible when a community commits to inclusion. The theater was founded by Valerie Jensen, who drew inspiration from her sister, Hope, born with Down syndrome. Jensen’s determination to create opportunities for people with disabilities led to the transformation of a historic Ridgefield, Connecticut building into a state-of-the-art, inclusive workplace.

"Val really inspired me to continue to push forward and to continue my missions."

— RJ Mitte

A model for inclusion

In its first decade, the Prospector Theater has employed over 330 people, combining competitive wages with an empowering workplace culture. It’s not just a theater—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when businesses commit to inclusion.

Ryan Wenke, Valerie Jensen, and State Senator Julie Kushner pose for a photo.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell

“Everyone in this world deserves a job or a career that they feel passionate about, that they feel connected to, that they feel that they want to wake up and go to work in the morning,” Mitte said.

"When you enrich someone's life and you give that opportunity, it changes people—not just the individual that you're giving the job to, but everyone around that individual."

— RJ Mitte

He went on to note that while many jobs available to people with disabilities are isolated or low-visibility, the Prospector prioritizes customer-facing roles that showcase employees’ skills and talents.

"I think where the Prospector is today is 100 years past many organizations when it comes to this type of meaningful employment and business model."

— RJ Mitte

Representation in action

In the run-up to the gala, attendees celebrated the theater’s success with a screening of The Wizard of Oz, a film that resonates deeply with themes of courage, inclusion, and hope. The timing felt especially poignant, as it coincided with the release of Wicked, featuring Marissa Bode as Nessa Rose—the first authentically disabled actress to play the role and a major step for authentic casting in a major production.

Prospect Tom Gollogly and RJ Mitte pose for a photo together.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell

For Mitte, the connection between the Prospector Theater’s work and milestones like Bode’s casting couldn’t be clearer. “This is the kind of progress we’ve been working toward for years,” he said. “Representation matters—not just in the stories we tell, but in who gets to tell them.”


Mitte reflected on how far inclusion in entertainment has come and the work still left to do."Now that we've seen people with disabilities in film and television not just play characters but succeed in playing these characters... We do have a long way to go... We may mess up along the way... but that's part of finding and growing, especially in the entertainment business."

The ripple effect

For Mitte, the gala was also a reminder of how businesses like the Prospector Theater can create ripple effects in their communities.

“For me, seeing that outpour of support and community—and the Ridgefield community specifically—was really, really nice to see, " Mitte said. "It doesn't happen everywhere.”

Mitte pointed to broader research showing that companies employing people with disabilities often see improved morale, greater innovation, and even higher profitability. The Prospector Theater, with its thriving business model and growing popcorn line, exemplifies how inclusion is both socially and economically beneficial.

How others can help

For businesses inspired by the Prospector model, Mitte offered practical advice. “Start small,” he said. “You don't have to employ 150, 250 people, but employing one—getting that one—because it's going to make a difference in your business.”

Prospector Production member Gabe Kavookjian holds a camera as he looks over his shoulder.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell

He emphasized that inclusion is an investment, not just in employees but in the future of the business itself. He added that the talent pool among people with disabilities is enormous, and creating an inclusive workplace allows businesses to access new perspectives that can lead to transformation.

"The Prospector Theater is a sparkly beacon of hope for the millions of Americans who can work, want to work, yet struggle to find meaningful employment."

— Valerie Jensen

A legacy in the making

Through his own foundation and advocacy work, Mitte continues to push for greater inclusion in all areas of life. But the Prospector Theater holds a special place in his heart.

“I wish programs like the Prospector existed when I was growing up,” he said. “What they've built here is truly amazing.”

Want to support the Prospector Theater? Visit prospectortheater.org to learn more, or treat yourself to their signature popcorn at prospectorpopcorn.org. As Mitte suggested, even purchasing their signature popcorn can contribute to making a difference.

making a difference
Joy

An emotional Michael Jordan opens his first clinic for the uninsured and underinsured

"This is just the start of a battle of being able to touch as many people as we can."

The Charlotte Observer/YouTube

Michael Jordan at the opening of his health clinic.

This article originally appeared on 11.05.19


Basketball great Michael Jordan made himself a global household name with his seemingly superhuman slam dunks and uncanny ability to score under pressure.

Now, 16 years into his retirement, his name is associated with something completely different—a medical clinic for uninsured and underinsured people in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jordan, who grew up in North Carolina and now owns the Charlotte Hornets NBA team, spoke at the opening of the $7 million Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic, the first of two clinics for low-income families he is funding.

With tears streaming down his face, Jordan praised the community the clinic will serve, telling the crowd, "This is a very emotional thing for me to be able to give back to a community that has supported me over the years, from when I was playing the game of basketball, to now when I'm a part of this community."

The clinic, which has 12 exam rooms, an x-ray room, and a space for physical therapy, is located in a lower-income area of Charlotte and will provide affordable primary and preventative care services to people with insufficient or no insurance. A study by Harvard University and UC Berkeley in 2014 ranked Charlotte dead last out of 50 large cities for social and economic mobility for children born into poverty, so this clinic fills a vital need for affordable medical care. The clinic will also staff a social worker and offer behavioral and social support services.

Jordan announced that the second clinic was already underway. According to a press release from Novant, over five years the clinics "are projected to care for nearly 35,000 children and adults who do not currently have access to primary and preventive care or who use the emergency room for non-urgent medical needs."

Jordan vowed that these clinics were not one-time contributions to the community, saying, "This is just the start of a battle of being able to touch as many people as we can."

Watch Jordan speak from the heart at the opening of the clinic:

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Science

Man who won $200+ million in European lottery is using it to preserve and revitalize Earth

Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash

An anonymous lottery winner is donating nearly all of his Euromillions winnings to save the planet.

Imagine winning enough money in the lottery to be able to do pretty much anything you want. Travel the world in luxury. Buy multiple mansions and expensive cars. Hire a gourmet chef to prepare all of your meals. Yachts seem particularly popular among the uber-wealthy. With more than $200 million, there are few material wishes you couldn't fulfill.

But what if your biggest, truest wish was to save the planet from destruction?

An anonymous Frenchman who won 200 million euros (the U.S. equivalent of approximately $218 million) in the Euromillions lottery in 2020 has chosen to use his winnings to preserve and revitalize Earth. The man, nicknamed "Guy" by French lottery group Françaises des Jeux (FDJ), has not identified himself publicly, but has created a foundation called Anyama, named after an Ivory Coast city, for the purpose of protecting the planet. He shared an open letter on the Anyama website explaining why he's using his windfall this way.

“The Anyama endowment fund is the result of an imperious desire to act for nature and human beings that I have had for years," he wrote (translated from French). "Above all, it is the expression of a conviction that I want to share with as many people as possible: giving makes people happy, and constitutes a tremendous lever for transforming indignation into concrete and useful actions."

He explained how seeing truckloads of trees cut from the forests of Burkina Faso passing through the Ivory Coast (where he had spent several years as a child, according to Le Parisien) impacted him. He wrote that he has always only entered lotteries with "important jackpots," specifically for the purpose of creating a charitable foundation.

"My dream has never been to acquire boats, castles or other sports cars," he wrote, "it is to be useful and to give meaning to this money, with maximum positive impact. So that's what I'm doing today by creating Anyama, which acts for the benefit of the common good of all, with one watchword: protect the living. This is for me the urgency of our time and most certainly of the many years to come, in the interest of future generations."

The focus of action for the foundation revolves around the conservation of forests and revitalization of biodiversity, but also around support for human caregivers as well.

"Family caregivers are an essential link in our society," the Anyama website reads. "Accompanying them also means protecting the living in each of us. People in a situation of dependency linked to age, illness or disability are a significant burden for caregivers. Anyama's 'Caregivers' program will support projects aimed at supporting, training, relieving or welcoming family carers."

Guy sees man and nature as one whose vulnerabilities overlap.

"Man, for years, believed he could exploit nature without taking into account his own membership in this ecosystem, freeing himself from the rules that guarantee its balance," he wrote. "This observation obliges us to 'pay attention to others,' to act to protect and regenerate."

According to Le Figaro, Guy told French newspaper Le Parisien that he has already given most of his winnings to the foundation, and that he would "progressively give almost all" of the money to it. He appears to have no desire for notoriety or recognition, saying he plans to "continue to live peacefully, in the most total discretion."

FDJ told Agence France-Presse that it is not uncommon for winners to be generous with their lottery money, but the proportion Guy is donating to philanthropy is a "great first."

What a refreshing approach to becoming a multimillionaire: Genuine generosity and humility, and a desire to use wealth for the betterment of humanity and our home. Congratulations, Guy. It sounds like you deserved this win.

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Heroes

Airbnb offers to temporarily house 20,000 Afghan refugees for free

Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash, Brian Chesky/Twitter

As tens of thousands of Afghans flee Afghanistan in the wake of a Taliban takeover, people around the world are scrambling to help. But providing help in a war-torn country with the chaos of U.S. military withdrawal and violent extremists seizing power is a bit complicated.

Simply getting people out of the country is hard enough. Figuring out what happens is even more complex. Where do these refugees go right now? How long do they stay? What countries will allow them to settle permanently? How do the necessary security screenings get handled? Who provides for their basic human needs as those details get sorted out?

While governments and refugee agencies work through the various moving parts and logistics, short-term rental company Airbnb has stepped up to provide a potential answer to one immediate need—where refugees will stay in the meantime.

For several years, Airbnb's non-profit arm Airbnb.org has provided temporary housing for people displaced by natural disasters and other crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has helped house healthcare workers on the front lines. For the past four years, the company has also helped provide temporary housing to 25,000 refugees around the world.

Earlier this year, Airbnb announced the creation of a $25 million Refugee Fund to expand their efforts to house and support refugees in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), HIAS, and Church World Service. With that fund and the company's experience hosting refugees, Airbnb is in a position to provide housing assistance in Afghanistan's newest refugee crisis.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced the new Afghan refugee initiative on Twitter:

"In this past week, it has become abundantly clear that the displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees here in the United States and elsewhere is a significant humanitarian crisis – and in the face of this need, our community is ready to once again step up," the company announced on its website. "Today, Airbnb and Airbnb.org are announcing that Airbnb.org will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide – the cost of which is funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund."

Dave Milliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, praised Airbnb for its support.

"As the IRC helps to welcome and resettle Afghans in the U.S., accessible housing is urgently needed and essential," said Milliband in a statement. "We are grateful to our partners at Airbnb.org and Airbnb for once again offering their support and infrastructure to meet this moment, providing safe and welcoming places for individuals and families as they arrive in the United States and begin rebuilding their lives."

Airbnb also acknowledged the complexities of the situation, but also called upon other businesses to make their own efforts to support the immediate needs on the ground:

"Airbnb and Airbnb.org recognize that the situation on the ground is fast evolving. Airbnb.org will closely collaborate with resettlement agencies and partners to go where the need goes, and evolve this initiative and our support as necessary. In addition, given the tremendous need, Airbnb urges fellow members of the global business community to join efforts to provide immediate support to Afghan refugees."

When the world faces a global crisis, it takes a collaboration of governments, organizations, businesses, and individuals to come up with solutions. Good for Airbnb for seeing an immediate human need it can help alleviate and taking action to make it happen.

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