Tragedy is often accompanied by triumph, on scales both big and small. As the world observes the war in Ukraine unfold, stories of heroes stepping out of their comfort zone and into the chaos offer us hope and remind us of the good in the world.
We were fortunate to talk with one of these heroes, someone who says he broke down in tears and knew the only way to help was to get a one-way plane ticket to Poland. That's what Max Rantz-McDonald did nine weeks ago when it became clear that Ukrainian refugees and neighboring countries needed help.
Max is a longtime member of the GoPro Family, as is Benjamin Ortega who is one of many who joined Max to aid his efforts in Poland. We say this because that's how Max's incredible story got on our radar, and yes he used some GoPro to film his journey, but we're not here to talk about GoPro, we're here to hear from Max-read his story below.
GoPro: What prompted you to take on this incredible effort?
Max: I have a good deal of experience in humanitarian crisis response around the world, most notably in Nepal when the devastating earthquake struck in 2015-video recap here.
So when the war started in Ukraine, my mind started racing, wanting to help people. It was day three of the war, and I had seen enough. My girlfriend Nicole walked into the kitchen and saw me in tears and said, You're going to help arent you?
I feel I was in a lucky position that, at that moment in time, I could drop what I was doing and with Nicoles support, cancel my upcoming projects and head straight to the Ukrainian border. I couldnt sit at home in Los Angeles and watch this unfold. How could I answer my future kids questions when they learn about this in history class and ask me what did I did to help?
Were you joining another organization, or did you set out to do this solo?
My intention from the start was to head out solo and find out what was most needed. I wanted to get a first-hand impression of the realities of what was going on and not rely on the news (I trust certain outlets but I needed to see it for myself). I had a fair idea of how I thought I could help, as I had done in Nepal, but until I saw for myself and talked to those affected, I wanted to hold off.
Mike Savas and I had set up an Org called Adventurers for Change, which we worked under this umbrella in Poland/Ukraine. I put up a few Instagram stories to let my community know I was going over and asked to be connected with anyone on the ground who could be helpful-straight away I got connected with a dozen very helpful individuals, most of which I am still in touch with today.
The model I wanted to use was transparency through social media. I would show people on my Instagram the realities on the ground and what people needed. In turn, people internationally would donate to a GoFundMe I set up and I would buy the aid needed locally and get it into their hands asap (this also helps the local economies that are under strain).
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Max Rantz-McDonald (@livetothemax)
--
Considering restrictions, how did you travel to the location and where were you stationed?
I found traveling to Poland wasnt that hard, so I jumped on the next flight I could. The difficult part was when I landed in Warsaw it was impossible to rent a van (which we wanted to transport refugees), so we got a small car and headed for the border.
I wanted to visit every border crossing and see what the situation on the ground was. We took photos, collected peoples contact details (to be able to find out about any developments once we were gone) and dropped off the small amount of aid I was able to bring over from the U.S. As the majority of refugees were crossing into Poland at that point, finding accommodations along the border was impossible, so we slept in the car for the first three nights.
How long in total were you on the ground in Ukraine, and do you plan on going back?
During my first stint, I was there for over a month. I then had a project I couldnt put off any longer and went to Dubai for a week, which felt very strange. One of the first people I let know was Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen, an amazing advocacy organization that I have worked with in the past. The organization puts on huge concerts around the world to raise funds and awareness for certain causes. I texted Hugh and let him know.
This developed into producing an event called Stand Up for Ukraine, Pledging Summit in Warsaw with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada and President Duda of Poland. The event took place in an 18th century palace and, through the engagement of the biggest names in the music industry and pressure put on governments, $10.1 billion was pledged in aid, grants and loans for Ukraine. More details here
Can you tell us some stories about the people you met and how those encounters went?
We met some amazing people, like the lady that created the city next to Chernoble and had to evacuate tens of thousands of people when the nuclear disaster struck. We looked after her in one of the refugee centers we created in the center of Warsaw, and then paid for her flights to Germany. We are currently supporting her son with funds in Ukraine.
We also had a lady in our car that had a 4-week-old baby and another that was going to give birth at any moment. We put both of them up in Airbnbs so they could have some privacy.
The reaction we got when handing out $125K worth of supermarket gift cards was also an amazing experience. It gave people the dignity of choice, where they could go in and buy the items themselves, as opposed to taking their food as handouts from a cardboard box, and this was extremely impactful.
I met people that had walked for days to get to Poland and had to leave their 18-year-old sons at
North America Stories
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
15/05/2026
86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...
15/05/2026
Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...
15/05/2026
Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...
15/05/2026
Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...
15/05/2026
Connection is the heartbeat of any strong community, and with live streaming becoming more accessible in the modern era, it's much easier for faith-based or...
15/05/2026
Powered by GX 3 media servers, optimised IP-VFC workflows and on-site engineering expertise, the production delivers high-performance visuals for one of the wor...
15/05/2026
Back to All News
A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflixs Crime-Co...
14/05/2026
Sweetwater and Airstream have announced a custom-built Dolby Atmos mobile recording studio inside an Airstream trailer, set to tour music festivals, schools, tr...
14/05/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced a new par...
14/05/2026
ESPN has announced plans to transform Santa Monica Beach into a broadcast hub du...
14/05/2026
Amagi has announced a significant update to Amagi CLOUDPORT, its cloud-based broadcast playout platform. The update includes 250-plus features shipped in FY25-2...
14/05/2026
Clear-Com will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005, June 17-19, Las Vegas Convention Center), introducing a new product that builds on Arcadia Central Station...
14/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D3-1, Singapore Expo, May 20-22), introducing two new viewfinders alongside its existing camera, control, and...
14/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside ...
14/05/2026
NAGRAVISION, a Kudelski Group company, has announced a partnership with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to launch Play Snooker,...
14/05/2026
Belden Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire RUCKUS Networks from Vistance Networks for approximately $1.85 billion. The transaction has been app...
14/05/2026
NVIDIA has released the Content Localization Blueprint, a modular reference arch...
Tragedy is often accompanied by triumph, on scales both big and small. As the world observes the war in Ukraine unfold, stories of heroes stepping out of their comfort zone and into the chaos offer us hope and remind us of the good in the world. 
