When the wildfires struck Los Angeles, turmoil quickly consumed the city. People were desperate for clear, reliable information—unsure of evacuation routes or how to track the fires as they spread in a history-making wind storm. Then, we found Watch Duty. This intuitive app became our lifeline.

The visionary behind the app is John Mills, a seasoned tech entrepreneur who created Watch Duty out of necessity after his own community in Northern California was repeatedly threatened by deadly wildfires. But John didn’t just build an app—he reimagined how business and philanthropy can intersect to solve real-world problems.

Watch Duty is a not-for-profit initiative that harnesses the power of technology and human talent, relying on volunteers to gather critical data from fire scanners and reporters to save lives. Despite its explosive growth, John has no plans to sell the app, because for him, the value isn’t in making money—it’s in using his skills to help others. In a world where many focus on getting rich, John is challenging us to rethink how we can use our talents to serve the greater good.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on John and his work, check out:

Watch Duty

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