#185: Reza Marvasti: Unlocking The Power Of Play For A Better Future Unscripted with Spencer Lodge

I was so inspired by my next guest after spending a week with him in Rwanda, that I just had to have him on the show. Reza Marvasti is the Founder and CEO of The Power of Play - an NGO that builds sustainable playgrounds for children in underpriveledged communities all around the world. Reza is a former professional extreme athlete who after a life-changing event went on a journey of self-discovery. This led him to discover his life’s purpose of creating safe spaces for children who have experienced extreme hardship. By doing this, kids rediscover childhood, process trauma, and make sense of the world through creativity and play.
 
In this episode, Reza and I talk about his difficult childhood, how The Power of Play operates and builds playgrounds, and how, after searching for so long, Reza found the meaning of life.
 
Notes
03:29 Introduction to Reza 05:22 Speed flying 08:20 Reza’s sports background 11:37 How Reza found his purpose 13:50 How Reza connected to children 15:56 Reza’s journey 18:06 Reza’s first playground  29:00 The meaning of life 30:56 How The Power Of Play is funded 32:25 How a playground is built 36:37 How a playground impacts the community 40:00 The main goal for The Power of Play 44:37 Reza’s frustration with excessive wealth 48:33 One thing Reza wants to remind humanity of 51:00 Volunteer opportunities for families 52:30 Spencer’s favourite moments in Rwanda Show Sponsors:
Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor  
Socials:
Spencer Lodge
https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/
https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV
 
Reza Marvasti
https://www.instagram.com/thepower.ofplay/?hl=en
https://thepowerofplay.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/buildingplaygrounds/