Talking with author and Philanthropist Jeff Rasley

Today's guest is Jeff Rasley a successful lawyer for 30 years, he made profitable investments, and so left law for more satisfying nonprofit endeavors at the age of 55. He's the president of one foundation and serve on the board of 5 nonprofit corporations.  The post-retirement nonprofit effort which has been most meaningful to me is the Basa Village Foundation.  It has finished a school with five grades, built a hydroelectric system, provided computers and educational materials for the school, smokeless stoves for all the homes in the village, toilets for the school, a temporary medical clinic, and we have started working on a clean water system.  Basa Village is a beautiful little village in the Himalayan Mountains inhabited by the Rai people with their own unique culture.  Prior to 2007 the villagers lived similar to the way people lived during the Middle Ages with no running water, electricity, toilet system or stoves.  In Basa there are no vehicles with wheels, not even wheel barrows or bicycles. 

Early in life Jeff, was an avid adventure traveler.  In his 20s and 30s he had several adventure travel articles published about scuba diving and motorcycle trips.  When he turned 40, at the suggestion of his wife to help resolve a "mid-life crisis", he hiked the Mt. Everest Base Camp Trail for the first time.  He then took up Himalayan Mountaineering and solo sea-kayaking and wrote several articles about those experiences.  

Since leaving the law Jeff  devoted much time to passing on to others what wisdom he's gained through combining financial success with adventure travel and philanthropy.