Budd MacKenzie, our founder, enjoys talking to groups about the challenges encountered in bringing education, economic and reconstruction aid to Afghanistan.

Recognized by HH Dalai Lama as an “Unsung Hero of Compassion” in 2014.

MacKenzie graduated from Amherst College then moved west to earn a joint J.D./M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1971 he has provided legal and business counsel to entrepreneurs. In 2004, after raising money to build a school in Afghanistan and discovering how U.S. involvement in the country had affected its people, MacKenzie founded Trust in Education, a nonprofit organization, to help Afghans rebuild their lives and country. Over the past 15 years MacKenzie has traveled to Afghanistan 20 times. He published a book about his work inside and outside Afghanistan titled “Off the Couch and Into the War for Hearts and Minds”. It’s literally what happened to him.

MacKenzie was asked and did create a course for teachers titled “Reversing the Trend — From Narcissism to Altruism that is currently offered online by Dominican College. He is very involved with schools in his community advocating that teachers and parents devote more time to teaching empathy and compassion to their students and children. At the request of teachers he is also involved in finding them seniors to volunteer as teacher aides in their classrooms.

Honors recognizing MacKenzie’s contributions include Lafayette Citizen of the Year, the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Lafayette Rotary, the Peace and Justice Award from the Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center, the 2018 Choice Humanitarian Award for Contra Costa County. He also served as President of Lafayette’s Chamber of Commerce and Lafayette Little League.

Budd would happily travel anywhere if expenses are covered.

Contact us to plan your event.

trustineducation@gmail.com
(925) 299-2010

* Many of these events are open to the public. If you are interested in attending please contact the TIE office at tieoffice10@gmail.com to register.