Interviewer: Ocean Pleasant, Global Youth Editor of ORIGIN Magazine
Ocean Pleasant: You have an extremely powerful presence in mainstream media. How do you use that platform to try and instigate positive change in the world?
Russell Simmons: Well, I try to use my voice. I know that celebrity is valuable, and people do listen. I jokingly refer to Kim Kardashian as more powerful than the President because she actually has 50 million more Twitter followers than the President. I have 2 million Twitter followers. Some of those people are also yogis and activists and people who really go out and make a difference. I do as much as I can with my voice. It’s effortless in some cases. I try to remind everybody that they have that kind of voice. And really, I don’t know that God favors the person who has a greater reach than those who have a small reach. It’s the intention. I try to keep a positive intention, and use whatever resources I have to benefit others. I try to create businesses that I think are not hurtful. I try to do things that I think are helpful to the environment, to the animals, and to the planet.