ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York.

Why you should listen

Mark Bezos is the SVP, Development, Communications & Events at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City. Bezos joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.

Bezos is the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is continuously amazed and motivated by the everyday acts of heroism--big and small--that surround him.

More profile about the speaker
Mark Bezos | Speaker | TED.com
TED2011

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

Mark Bezos: En livserfaring fra en frivillig brannmann

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Frivillig brannmann Mark Bezos forteller en historie om heltemot som ikke gikk helt som planlagt -- men som lærte ham en viktig lærdom: Ikke vent på å bli en helt.
- Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
Back in NewNye YorkYork, I am the headhode of developmentutvikling
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I New York er jeg sjef for utvikling
00:17
for a non-profitnon-profit calledkalt RobinRobin HoodHood.
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i en veldedig organisasjon som heter Robin Hood.
00:20
When I'm not fightingslåssing povertyfattigdom, I'm fightingslåssing firesbranner
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Når jeg ikke bekjemper fattigdom, bekjemper jeg branner
00:22
as the assistantassistent captainkaptein of a volunteerfrivillig fireBrann companyselskap.
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som assisterende kaptein i et frivillig brannmannlag.
00:25
Now in our townby,
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I vår by,
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where the volunteersfrivillige supplementsupplement a highlyhøyt skilleddyktig careerkarriere staffpersonale,
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hvor de frivillige støtter et høyt kvalifisert og profesjonelt brannvesen,
00:30
you have to get to the fireBrann scenescene prettyganske earlytidlig
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så må du komme til brannen ganske tidlig
00:32
to get in on any actionhandling.
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for å få noe å gjøre.
00:34
I rememberhuske my first fireBrann.
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Jeg husker min første brann.
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I was the secondsekund volunteerfrivillig on the scenescene,
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Jeg var den andre frivillige på stedet,
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so there was a prettyganske good chancesjanse I was going to get in.
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så det var en ganske god sjanse for at jeg fikk gå inn.
00:41
But still it was a realekte footracekappløp againstimot the other volunteersfrivillige
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Men fortsatt var det et skikkelig race mote de andre frivillige
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to get to the captainkaptein in chargelade
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å komme seg til den ansvarlige kapteinen
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to find out what our assignmentstildelinger would be.
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for å bli tildelt oppgaver.
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When I foundfunnet the captainkaptein,
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Da jeg fant kapteinen,
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he was havingha a very engagingengasjerende conversationsamtale
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var han i en meget engasjert samtale
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with the homeownerhus,
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med huseieren,
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who was surelysikkert havingha one of the worstverst daysdager of her life.
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som helt sikkert hadde en av sine verste dager i sitt liv.
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Here it was, the middlemidten of the night,
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Det var midt på natten,
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she was standingstående outsideutenfor in the pouringheller rainregn,
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hun sto ute i pøsende regn,
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underunder an umbrellaparaply, in her pajamaspyjamas, barefootbarfot,
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under en paraply, i pysjamasen, barfot,
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while her househus was in flamesflammer.
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mens huset hennes sto i flammer.
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The other volunteerfrivillig who had arrivedkom frem just before me --
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Den andre frivillige som hadde ankommet rett før meg --
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let's call him LexLex LutherLuther --
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la oss kalle ham Lex Luthor --
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(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
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got to the captainkaptein first
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kom til kapteinen først
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and was askedspurte to go insideinnsiden
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og ble bedt om å gå inn
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and savelagre the homeowner'shus doghund.
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og redde huseierens hund.
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The doghund! I was stunnedlamslått with jealousysjalusi.
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Hunden! Jeg var full av sjalusi.
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Here was some lawyeradvokat or moneypenger managersjef
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Her var en advokat eller finansforvalter
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who, for the resthvile of his life, getsblir to tell people
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som for resten av livet kunne fortelle folk
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that he wentgikk into a burningbrenning buildingbygning
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at han gikk inn i en brennende bygning
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to savelagre a livingliving creatureskapning,
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for å redde et levende vesen,
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just because he beatslå me by fivefem secondssekunder.
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bare fordi han slo meg med fem sekunder.
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Well, I was nextneste.
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Vel, jeg var nestemann.
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The captainkaptein wavedvinket me over.
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Kapteinen vinket meg over.
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He said, "BezosBezos, I need you to go into the househus.
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Han sa, "Bezos, jeg vil at du skal gå inn i det huset.
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I need you to go upstairsovenpå, pastforbi the fireBrann,
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Gå opp i andre etasje, forbi flammene,
01:47
and I need you to get this womankvinne a pairpar of shoessko."
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og hent et par sko til denne kvinnen."
01:50
(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
01:53
I swearsverge.
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Jeg sverger.
01:55
So, not exactlynøyaktig what I was hopinghåper for,
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Så, ikke helt det jeg hadde håpet på,
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but off I wentgikk --
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men jeg satte i gang --
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up the stairstrapper, down the hallhall, pastforbi the 'real'"ekte" firefightersbrannmenn,
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opp trappene, ned gangen, forbi de 'virkelige' brannmennene,
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who were prettyganske much doneferdig puttingsette out the fireBrann at this pointpunkt,
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som praktisk talt hadde slukket brannen på dette tidspunktet,
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into the masterherre bedroomsoverom to get a pairpar of shoessko.
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inn i hovedsoverommet for å hente et par sko.
02:09
Now I know what you're thinkingtenker,
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Jeg vet hva dere tenker,
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but I'm no herohelt.
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men jeg er ingen helt.
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(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
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I carriedgjennomført my payloadnyttelast back downstairsnede
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Jeg bar min last tilbake ned trappene
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where I metmøtte my nemesisNemesis
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hvor jeg møtte min nemesis
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and the preciousdyrebar doghund by the frontfront doordør.
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og den dyrebare hunden ved døren.
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We tooktok our treasuresskatter outsideutenfor to the homeownerhus,
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Vi tok våre skatter med ut til huseieren,
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where, not surprisinglyoverraskende,
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hvor, ikke overraskende,
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his receivedmottatt much more attentionoppmerksomhet than did minemin.
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hans mottok mye mer oppmerksomhet enn min.
02:34
A few weeksuker laterseinere,
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Noen uker senere,
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the departmentavdeling receivedmottatt a letterbrev from the homeownerhus
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mottok avdelingen et brev fra huseieren
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thankingTakkebrev us for the valianttapre effortanstrengelse displayedvises
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hvor hun takket oss for den flotte innsatsen vi hadde utvist
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in savingbesparende her home.
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i å redde huset hennes.
02:42
The acthandling of kindnessvennlighet she notedbemerket aboveovenfor all othersandre:
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Den ene handlingen hun bemerket over alle andre:
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someonenoen had even gottenfått her a pairpar of shoessko.
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noen hadde til og med hentet henne et par sko.
02:48
(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
02:50
In bothbåde my vocationyrke at RobinRobin HoodHood
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I både min beskjeftigelse i Robin Hood
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and my avocationbibeskjeftigelse as a volunteerfrivillig firefighterbrannmann,
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og min bibeskjeftigelse som en frivillig brannmann,
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I am witnessvitne to actshandlinger of generositygavmildhet and kindnessvennlighet
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så er jeg vitne til generøse og omtenksomme handlinger
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on a monumentalmonumental scaleskala,
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på en monumental skala,
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but I'm alsoogså witnessvitne to actshandlinger of graceGrace and couragemot
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men jeg er også vitne til handlinger om nåde og styrke
03:01
on an individualindividuell basisbasis.
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på en individuell basis.
03:03
And you know what I've learnedlært?
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Og vet du hva jeg har lært?
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They all mattersaken.
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Alle betyr noe.
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So as I look around this roomrom
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Så når jeg ser meg omkring i dette rommet
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at people who eitherenten have achievedoppnådd,
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på folk som enten har oppnådd,
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or are on theirderes way to achievingoppnå,
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eller er på vei til å oppnå
03:13
remarkablebemerkelsesverdig levelsnivåer of successsuksess,
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suksess på høyt nivå,
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I would offerby på this reminderpåminnelse:
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så vil jeg gjerne tilby følgende påminnelse:
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don't wait.
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ikke vent.
03:19
Don't wait untilfør you make your first millionmillion
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Ikke vent til du har tjent din første million
03:21
to make a differenceforskjell in somebody'snoen er life.
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med å gjøre en forskjell i noens liv.
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If you have something to give,
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Om du har noe å gi,
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give it now.
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gi det nå.
03:27
ServeTjene foodmat at a soupsuppe kitchenkjøkken. CleanRengjør up a neighborhoodnabolag parkparkere.
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Server mat på et suppekjøkken, rydd opp en park i nabolaget,
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Be a mentormentor.
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vær en mentor.
03:32
Not everyhver day is going to offerby på us a chancesjanse
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Ikke hver dag vil gi oss muligheten
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to savelagre somebody'snoen er life,
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til å redde noens liv,
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but everyhver day offerstilbud us an opportunitymulighet to affectpåvirke one.
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men hver dag gir oss muligheten til å påvirke et.
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So get in the gamespill. SaveLagre the shoessko.
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Så sett i gang, redd skoene.
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Thank you.
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Takk.
03:44
(ApplauseApplaus)
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(Applaus)
03:49
BrunoBruno GiussaniGiussani: MarkMerke, MarkMerke, come back.
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Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, kom tilbake.
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(ApplauseApplaus)
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(Applaus)
03:58
MarkMerke BezosBezos: Thank you.
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Mark Bezos: Takk.
Translated by Martin Hassel
Reviewed by Guro Sørumshaugen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York.

Why you should listen

Mark Bezos is the SVP, Development, Communications & Events at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City. Bezos joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.

Bezos is the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is continuously amazed and motivated by the everyday acts of heroism--big and small--that surround him.

More profile about the speaker
Mark Bezos | Speaker | TED.com