Daniel Rubano

Background

About Daniel Rubano

My story and experience are not much different from most people, right up until the moment I stepped off the path most traveled. Formally trained as a podiatric physician and surgeon, I was clearly headed toward a typical career path. Seven years into practice, my wife and I packed our belongings and moved from Beverly Hills to the jungles of Central America. AQUA an eco-sustainable wellness resort on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua - Our aim was to create an environment where guests would reconnect with nature, health, and wellbeing. This venture was probably the most difficult and life-changing experience I have had to date. In the end, our not-so-little sustainable treehouse retreat received global recognition and a top-five ranking. However, the real gift is how the people of this country, affectionately known as “the country with heart”, impacted our lives. GroundSwell began on our returned home after close to a decade in Central America. Whether it was us personally or something specific to the US, things had changed. Too many “good” businesses we knew and loved were gone. And worse, big corporations seemed to have all the money and on a crash course with the planet. Maybe, just more of the same, but for us it screamed not to fall in line with the status quo. By 2015, GroundSwell evolved into a collective of passionate individuals all brought together with a shared vision to make positive change. The common thread amongst this group was recognizing a simple fact that organizations doing critical planetary work, the things we most need to survive, are chronically underfunded. All the while, they have expertly created the greatest asset of all - millions and millions of passionate loyal supporters. Our solution to issues facing all creatures, move the needle in a positive direction by using people's everyday purchases to fund their favorite nonprofits - a groundswell of conscious consumerism dedicated to improving life and well-being on the planet.