
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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
08/04/2026
The deadline to enter the 18th Annual SVG College Sports Media Awards in association with NACDA is rapidly approaching! Submit your entries to this year's c...
08/04/2026
The Pittsburgh product helps lead more than 100 annual ESPN broadcasts as part o...
08/04/2026
Dynamic ad insertion, AI-based technologies, programmatic advertising are some o...
08/04/2026
Seven Fellows Selected for Second Year of Residency in Honor of Social Justice L...
08/04/2026
On March 7, Bad Bunny made history with his first-ever performance in Asia, taki...
08/04/2026
El 7 de marzo, Bad Bunny hizo historia con su primera presentaci n en Asia, subi...
08/04/2026
New channel strip plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in to be added to the Fuse Audio Labs line-up emulates a selection of vintage hardware units, combining c...
08/04/2026
Guitar & bass multi-effects software overhauled
Blue Cat Audio's flagship guitar and bass multi-effects software has recently received a significant upd...
08/04/2026
PanNoir mixer integration, Dolby Atmos Renderer & more
Merging Technologies have just launched Pyramix 16, the latest major update to their renowned DAW sof...
08/04/2026
Applicable Products Part number Description
QUARTZ-22-LTE (EU) Dual Port Dual SIM LTE Router (EU)
QUARTZ-COMPACT-11-LTE (EU) Single Port Compact LTE ...
08/04/2026
The September 19, 2025 YEP Newsletter highlights a group visit to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where participants explored exhibits showcasing the art...
08/04/2026
The L3Harris HBTSS satellite is proven on orbit, successfully demonstrating trac...
08/04/2026
Image Credit: NASA. Artist rendering of a space communications satellite in orbit, representative of the resilient, multiband infrastructure supporting mission ...
08/04/2026
Latest evaluation validates image quality, Inertial Navigation System performance and long-range tracking in operational flight conditions....
08/04/2026
New Gracenote study finds behavioral change well underway, but trust in AI-gener...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Integration eliminates ingest bottlenecks by ensuring content is immediately usable across cloud and hybrid editorial workflows. See it at NAB 2026.
Nevada Cit...
08/04/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the commercial availability of Dalia, its media-aware, agentic AI...
08/04/2026
Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced Senza Ignite, a cloud-based platform that transforms existing connected devices through a single firmw...
08/04/2026
Modernised architecture increases operational control and agility, while reducing cost and simplifying nationwide media transport across affiliates and news bur...
08/04/2026
Company to Feature DMX Dual Relay, High-Density 48-Channel Relay Panels, and New Private Label Power Program
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of innovative ele...
08/04/2026
Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), a European media technology and services partner, today announces a technology partnership with BCNEXXT, a Netherlands-based c...
08/04/2026
Encompass Digital Media today announced the expansion of its Master Control Room (MCR) facility in Riga, Latvia, establishing it as one of the most advanced and...
08/04/2026
Leading video solutions provider Synamedia is back at The 2026 NAB Show with innovations that connect tomorrows audiences today. On display will be a range of t...
08/04/2026
COW Jobs: Director Needed for WWII Indie Docudrama
Brie Clayton April 8, 2026
0 Comments
Director Needed for WWII Indie Docudrama
March 17, 2026COW ...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Marshall Electronics introduces its latest POV camera with the new CV376 Compact NDI |HX3 HDMI POV Camera at NAB 2026 (Booth C8339). Designed for versatile 4K c...
08/04/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, enables interoperable live video workflows across multi-vendor environments, helping broadcast...
08/04/2026
All episodes available on Thursday 30 April on Sky Atlantic and NOWWednesday 8 A...
08/04/2026
Back to All News
Agent from Above' Celebrates Divine Ascent to Global Rank...
08/04/2026
Back to All News
Official Poster Revealed for My Two Cents, the New Animated Se...
08/04/2026
ICG is gearing up for a busy day on 14th May in Manchester.
First up, we'll be joining the Northern Marketing Festival as one of the event's marketing ...
08/04/2026
The Teatro Col n in Buenos Aires is not a venue that tolerates compromise. Built in 1908 and routinely ranked among the worlds finest concert halls, it has an a...
08/04/2026
Young Forever: The Death of Ageing? airs Monday 13 April and 20 April on RT One and RT Player
Around the world, the race to beat ageing is on. From cutting ...
08/04/2026
Scripps Research scientists uncover new mechanism cancer cells use to survive DNA damage Discovery reshapes understanding of how tumor cells repair broken DNA, ...
07/04/2026
Ikegami USA will launch a refinement to the UHK-X700 and UHK-X750 3-CMOS -in. UHD cameras in the UNICAM XE series plus two new 7-in. viewfinders at NAB 2026 in...
07/04/2026
The NAB Leadership Foundation and NAB PILOT will host a career mixer for technology students at NAB Show 2026 on April 18, 5-6:30 p.m., North Hall, Room N225/22...
07/04/2026
Audinate Group Limited and Futuresource Consulting have published results from a...
07/04/2026
Eluvio has announced the commercial availability of its Content Fabric Bucharest...