Why Athentikos? Authenticity.
We wanted to help people in need around the world, but we realized that we aren’t doctors, lawyers, or engineers. We are creatives—artists, musicians, photographers, filmmakers, storytellers, and more. So, we decided to embrace our authentic selves on our mission. By using our creativity, we aim to inspire a diverse audience, including doctors, lawyers, and engineers, to come together and make the world a better place.
We believe that storytelling has the power to highlight important issues, connect people with opportunities to contribute to meaningful efforts, and amplify resources for our mission. To channel our talents and passion effectively, we established a non-profit organization that leverages the power of narrative to positively impact the lives of those in need around the world.
It’s all about Authenticity.
In examining the problem and honestly assessing our capabilities, we identified our limitations. However, this is not a negative thing. Understanding what we cannot do allows us to concentrate on what we can do and to do it with excellence. Embracing our limitations also encourages us to collaborate with others who offer different strengths, as we recognize that we can’t achieve everything on our own. We can excel in our areas of expertise while partnering with those who excel in theirs. Ultimately, we’re just a small part of something much larger.
It’s not only about what we do; it’s also about being true to our identity and finding peace in that truth. We are not merely cogs in a wheel. Our strengths and weaknesses, passions and sorrows, faith and doubts, history and dreams—these characteristics shape our identity, and our identity is important.
I really like this definition of authentic: having a verified origin supported by undeniable evidence. Undeniable—that is a strong word. An example that comes to mind is a one-cent coin—a penny.
You can’t do much with a single Penny … that’s why we usually spend them with other Pennies.
There is no doubt who created the penny and to whom it belongs: the United States of America. Furthermore, ignoring the recent economic situation, their value is clear—they are worth one cent. If they appear in Spain or Sudan, they still point back to their country of origin.
Athentikos was born from our identity. We believe that the desires of our hearts are gifts from a God who loves us and wants us to generously share our identity to serve the least, the last, and the lost.
When we’re authentic to our identity, our origin is unquestionable.
When we are authentic within a community, our lives complement each other in a sum greater than the individual parts—a diversity in unity that can only be explained by the overwhelming grace of God crafting a larger narrative.