Andy Patrick

Builder. Writer. Photographer. Convener.

I work with people I admire and respect, on compelling projects that inspire me, with the intent of instigating positive change.

For more than four decades, my work has lived at the intersection of creativity, systems, and human dignity. Sometimes that work has taken the form of companies or nonprofits. Sometimes it has been expressed through photographs, essays, or gatherings of people trying to think more clearly together.

This site is not a résumé. It is a reflection of a life spent paying attention.

Photo by Bernie DeChant in Berlin

The Throughline

At first glance, my work may appear eclectic.

Technology startups and nonprofit organizations. Homeless advocacy and documentary photography. Board service, public speaking, and longform writing.

But the throughline has always been the same.

I am drawn to moments where people are unseen, stories are flattened, or systems fail to honor the complexity of human life. I work with others to build structures that restore agency, meaning, and dignity.

I do not believe change comes from grand declarations alone. It comes from proximity, patience, and the willingness to stay.

Photos © Andy Patrick - taken between 10pm and 4am at Carpinteria Beach, CA

Writing

Thinking in public

Writing is where I think in public.

In recent years, and especially in the past few months, writing has become a daily practice of reflection and inquiry. It has also become a source of genuine joy and connection. Each new reader and subscriber feels less like an audience and more like a conversation.

I write about memory, power, technology, grief, creativity, politics, and the quiet human moments that often matter most.

Writing, for me, is not commentary. It is companionship.

You can find my ongoing work at:

andypatrick.substack.com

The act of reader support has been unexpectedly meaningful to me. Not simply as encouragement, but as a reminder that thoughtful attention still has value, and that writing can be a sustainable form of presence in the world.

Photos © Andy Patrick - Raven, Mori Point, CA

Photography

Paying attention

Photography has been my longest conversation with the world.

I have spent decades working alongside some of the great documentary photographers of our time, while maintaining my own photographic practice.

My recent post about the State of Photojournalism

I was the high school photographer, spending hours a day in the darkroom. Years later I would start a foundation dedicated to supporting documentary and photojournalistic photographers, including administering the International Fund for Documentary Photography. Later I would run a company that housed some 15,000+ photographer websites, as well as work with the iconic NatGeo Explorers-in-Residence Wade Davis and Chris Rainer in creating the All Roads Photography Program .

My own images are less concerned with spectacle than with attention.

I am interested in what lingers. In the quiet spaces between events. In the way light, memory, and time intersect.

Photography taught me how to slow down, how to listen, and how to see what others might pass by. Those lessons have shaped everything else I have done.


Photos © Andy Patrick - Carpinteria Beach, CA

Work and Impact

Building structures for dignity

Some of my most formative work happened far from conference stages or boardrooms. It happened on sidewalks, in shelters, and in conversations about who gets to belong.

MadHousers of Chicago

In the early 1990s, I started the MadHousers of Chicago, a volunteer-driven effort to build simple, dignified housing for people experiencing homelessness.

We did not begin with policy papers or abstractions. We began with people, with their stories, and with a shared belief that housing is a form of respect.

It was imperfect, practical, and deeply human work. It shaped my understanding of systems, community, and responsibility in ways that still guide me today.

StreetWise

In 1992, I helped Judd Lofchie in creating Chicago StreetWise, a newspaper sold by unhoused and formerly unhoused individuals as a means of income, agency, and voice.

StreetWise was never charity. It was infrastructure for dignity.

It has demonstrated that people do not need to be fixed. They need opportunity, trust, and a platform to be seen. To this day, Streetwise continues having partnered with over 13,000 individuals, with 75 cents of every dollar going to assist them in their daily lives.

FiftyCrows Foundation

I founded the Fifty Crows Foundation to support documentary and photojournalist storytellers around the world.

Photojournalists and visual witnesses often work at great personal risk and economic precarity to bring truth into public view. FiftyCrows, and the International Fund for Documentary Photographers (a grants program that we administered) existed to say clearly and publicly that this work matters, and that those who do it should not have to stand alone.

Supporting storytellers has been one of the great privileges of my life.

Boards and Stewardship

Over the years, I have served on numerous nonprofit boards and advisory councils, often at the intersection of media, human rights, education, and culture.

I see board service not as governance through control, but as stewardship. The work is to ask better questions, to protect mission, and to help organizations remain human as they grow.

I have been fortunate to work alongside people of deep integrity and commitment, and I carry those lessons into every project I touch. In addition to the boards of FiftyCrows Foundation, Streetwise, MadHousers of Chicago, and various for-profit ventures, I have also served on the boards of:

The Kinsey Institute

The Gere Foundation

Foundation for National Progress (Mother Jones magazine)

National Geographic Society (All Roads program)

Human Aligned


Photo © Andy Patrick - Big Sur, CA

Speaking

Conversations that matter

I have given talks and keynote addresses around the world, speaking to audiences from 200 to 20,000 that include artists, students, executives, policymakers, and community organizers.

My talks are not motivational in the conventional sense. They are invitations to think differently about responsibility, power, creativity, and what it means to show up for one another.

I speak about systems and stories, about attention and ethics, and about the quiet choices that shape our collective future.

Audiences I've addressed

  • Artists and creative practitioners
  • University students and educators
  • Corporate executives and leaders
  • Policymakers and government officials
  • Community organizers and activists
  • Nonprofit professionals

Founding and Leadership

I have founded or co-founded multiple organizations across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and have served as CEO, COO, advisor, and board member at various stages of organizational life.

1

Early Stage

Co-founding organizations where values matter most and initial decisions create lasting impact

2

Operational Leadership

Serving as CEO and COO, building culture and systems that honor both mission and people

3

Strategic Advisory

Guiding organizations through transitions and helping leaders navigate complexity

4

Board Governance

Stewarding mission and ensuring long-term thinking prevails over short-term pressures

I am drawn to early moments, when values matter most and decisions ripple forward in lasting ways. I care deeply about culture, governance, and the long-term consequences of short-term thinking.

For a comprehensive professional history, you can find me on LinkedIn.

Exhibition Curation

Bringing stories to light

My curatorial work has focused on documentary photography, bringing powerful, often challenging, narratives to a global audience. Through exhibitions, I aim to create platforms for crucial conversations, ensuring these impactful stories are seen and heard, fostering deeper understanding and empathy.

"Of Consequence" by Colin Finlay

Photographs, musical score, and musings exploring the environmental, cultural, and social impact of choices over 25 years, in collaboration with Kevin Miller at SouthEast Museum of Photography.

"The Price of Sex" by Mimi Chakarova

A poignant documentation of young Eastern European women drawn into sex trafficking, exhibited at FiftyCrows Gallery (later became a feature documentary film).

"The Julie Project" by Darcy Padilla

An 18-year documentary charting homelessness, AIDS, drug abuse, and recovery, showcased at FiftyCrows Gallery (feature film currently in production).

"Brasil, Alem Brasil" by Bernie DeChant

Captured the evolving landscape of Brazilian culture, presented at Instituto de Arte Moderne, Valencia, Spain, and Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, Brasil.

"I Still Do" by Judith Fox

A tender exploration of loving and living with Alzheimer's, displayed at FiftyCrows Gallery (later published as a book).

"Curse of the Black Gold" by Ed Kashi

A powerful exhibition accompanying the book launch, held at FiftyCrows Gallery.

"What Matters" by David Elliott Cohen

An exhibition coinciding with the book launch, hosted at FiftyCrows Gallery.

"Darfur, Darfur" by Colin Finlay, Mark Brecke, Eli Reed

A compelling exhibition on the Darfur conflict at FiftyCrows Gallery (Mark Brecke later created a feature film).

"Women Empowered" by Phil Borges for CARE

Presented in conjunction with the book launch, at FiftyCrows Gallery.

"Aging in America" by Ed Kashi & Julie Winokur

A profound exhibition accompanying the book launch, capturing the realities of aging.

"The Spirit of Tibet" by Alison Wright

An evocative exhibition exploring Tibetan culture and spirituality, hosted at FiftyCrows Gallery.

"Recalling the Vote" by Dan Budnik

A historical exhibition reflecting on the civil rights movement, featured at FiftyCrows Gallery.

For me, curation is more than just displaying art; it's about creating dedicated space for important stories to be witnessed, processed, and understood. It's about bringing voices from the margins to the center, sparking dialogue, and fostering a deeper, more empathetic connection with the world.

Voices

Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to work with people who see clearly and act with courage. Their words matter to me more than titles.

Andy is unique in the world of management: he cares for people first, and profit second. His mission driven philosophy is infectious, and in many ways, the reason for his continued success — he drives both himself and others to reach higher planes. As someone who’s know him for over 10 years, he stands apart as one of the most respected, inspiring individuals I’ve ever known.

Andy has been amazing to work with! He’s a highly intelligent, knowledgeable, engaging, passionate, approachable, and strategic business leader who sincerely cares about people and social change. By nature, Andy sees “the glass as half full” and inspires people to persevere. He’s committed to mentoring people in a manner that encourages professional growth and success.

Andy is the kind of leader that creative folks love to work with. He has a distinct and specific vision for what he wants, but once articulated, he steps out of the way and lets you do what you do best. I count him as both a client and a friend, and have the utmost respect for his integrity, ethics, and relationship skills. He’s truly one of a kind.

To be continued…

I am still learning.

Still building.

Still paying attention.


If any of this resonates, I would love to hear from you.

And remember, what we need is love.



A Little Love from London, © 2014 Andy Patrick