Who has ever been sitting beside someone they didn’t know and wanted to say something, but never did? Many of us have been there before. But, by overcoming our fear and opening with “hello” we can all contribute to a more united and connected world. In this inspiring talk, Mark shares his solo unsupported cycling journey around the world from China back to Canada and how a simple human connection can improve the wellbeing of people throughout the world. Mark Quattrocchi, B.Ed, recently returned from a cycling journey around the world from China back to Canada that spanned twoyears through forty countries and five continents. On his adventure, Mark fundraised for education to build five schoolhouses in developing communities along the way. Mark gained his sense of adventure and learned about the importance of community growing up in the small country village of Rideau Ferry, Ontario. Before setting out on his cycling adventure, he was a certified Teacher and taught internationally in South Korea, China and locally in Canada. Currently, Mark lives in Scarborough with his wife and daughter where he works fulltime as a Motivational Speaker with the WE organization, sharing the power of sustainable impact to tens of thousands of people each year. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx