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Eli Marienthal

@elifreebird

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1630

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Traditional futurist
Co-founder @backtobacktoearth

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A CALL FOR ALLIES TO SUPPORT A MORE MEANINGFUL CULTURE FOR YOUNG MEN

I’m looking for people who believe we need to invest differently in young men.

Earlier. Before crisis. Before distorted versions of masculinity become the places young men go looking for identity and belonging.

I’m working with an extraordinary organization, Back to Earth, and I believe deeply in this work.

For 12+ years, Back to Earth has been creating transformative wilderness experiences and sustained mentorship for young men, helping them cultivate connection, belonging, trust, confidence, vulnerability, purpose, and a deeper sense of who they are.

Founder & ED, Eli Marienthal left Hollywood to devote himself to this vision. And I believe this work deserves far more attention, investment, and reach.

I know this work personally. My own mentors, rites of passage, deep nature immersions, and the people who have safely held and challenged me have profoundly shaped who I am.

What if we invested more deeply in what helps young people thrive before they reach crisis?

I'm looking for:

🌿 Donors & philanthropic partners who want to invest in young men, youth mental health, belonging, and this 12+ year vision.

🌿 Connectors who know funders, foundations, schools, youth organizations, or leaders who should know Back to Earth.

🌿 Podcasts, panels & speaking opportunities for Eli to share what he's learning about young men, masculinity, wilderness, mentorship, and culture.

🌿 Journalists & media partners interested in telling a different story about young men and how we can change the culture before crisis takes hold.

If this speaks to you, please reach out. I’d love to have a 20-minute conversation, introduce you to Eli, or hear your ideas about how we can expand this mission.

This is about believing in young men and our shared future enough to invest in the culture and community around them.

Explore the work: www.backtoearth.org

And if someone comes to mind, tag them, connect us, or send this their way. ❤️

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27yrs ago today #TheIronGiant came out @vindiesel

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Happy Father’s Day to this stellar human @elifreebird
I am in awe of how you show up for our daughter and for me. We didn’t talk much about our parenting styles before we had a kid, so it constantly amazes me how in sync we are. Thank you for all the ways you care for Ami by caring for me. The presence, care and love you give our family is unmatched.
And then you show up for all these young men @backtobacktoearth
You build a culture based in inclusion and connection to this earth. It’s pure gold babe. Bless all of that for you. May you have everything you need.
We love you to the moon and back.

🩷

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Full-time position with back to earth starting summer 2026.

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HANBLECEYA 2026 - YEAR ONE - THE YELLOW — to the SOUTH IS THE BLAZING SUN OF WHOLE HEARTED COMPASSIONATE RELATIONSHIPS — I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE MOST LEGENDARY SUPPORT CAMP AND FOR WHAT WE ALL DID UP ON THAT HILL — I GOT TO BRING MY MOTHER TO THE QUEST TO SUPPORT AND BE WITH HER GRANDSON WHILE I WAS UP THERE — I GIVE THANKS AND BLAZING LOVE TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP SO BEAUTIFULLY AHO — CAN’t WAIT TO BE BACK UP THERE ILY ALL LFG

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confessions of a teenage drama queen is STILL that girl @disneyplusuk @lindsaylohan @meganfox @msalisonpill

#confessionsofateenagedramaqueen #disneychannel #relatable #lindsaylohan #explorepage

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I am kvelling and plotzing and so excited to share that ONE month from today (7-9pm on 5/22) Ann Arbor will be blessed with an epic show “Poems for the People!” featuring all-star, award winning authors Patricia Smith, Sarah Kay, Ross Gay, Shira Erlichman & Hanif Abdurraqib + an incredible crew of Volume alumni and current youth poets! I am so honored to co-host this event with Jeff and Angel Nafis.

This show is in celebration of Jeff Kass’ last year as a public school teacher after 32 years. If you know me, then I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about Jeff and how he changed the trajectory of my life when I met him at 14 years old. I was a shy, insecure sophomore trying to blend into the background at our massive public school when I took his creative writing class and started going to his poetry workshops at the old Neutral Zone.

Through his mentorship and deep belief in me, I found my voice, I found myself- I became confident in my identity, my beliefs and my purpose. Jeff took other youth poets and I across the country to festivals and slams where we got to connect with poets from all over the world and sit at the feet of our poetry elders like Gwendolyn Brooks, Sekou Sundiata, Saul Williams, Sharon Olds and Rita Dove. He packed huge theaters and brought poets like Patricia Smith, Ross Gay, Patrick Rosal and Reggie Gibson to grace Ann Arbor’s stages. He built a program inspired by the wisdom of leaders like June Jordan (whose Poetry for the People program inspired the name of our show).

I came home from my first BNV in the Bay Area at age 16 and told my parents that when I grew up I wanted to move to the Bay and be a poetry teacher like Jeff. He didn’t just teach me how to write, he taught me how to teach- how to hold brave space. Witnessing him and other teaching artists build a national youth spoken word movement gave me the blueprint to do just that- after college I moved to the Bay and co-founded RAW Talent, then returned home 10 years later to take over the NZ Literary Arts program from him and co-founded Staying Power. Through these 3 decades of poetry life I have experienced such deep healing, inspiration and community. Continued in comments below💜

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Happy Birthday to those born on this day, March 6th !

Anna Maria Horsford, Alisha Boe, Aryana Engineer, Connie Britton, D.L. Hugley, Dylan Schmid, Eddie Deezen, Eli Marienthal, Jacob Bertrand, Martin Kove, Millicent Simmonds, Milo Manheim, Moira Kelly, Odessa Young, Rob Reiner, Shaun Evans, Shaquille O’Neal, Tom Arnold, & Tyler the Creator.

#happybirthday #celebritybirthdays #march6th

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Something humongous is among us…
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#irongiant #theirongiant #warnerbros #90smovies #vintagehat

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Happy 22nd anniversary to confessions of a teenage drama queen (2004) 🎥🩷💙

#confessionsofateenagedramaqueen #lindsaylohan

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A reminder that in all of the conversations being had at the moment and on so many levels, we feel it’s important to remember the Earth

Not just as a passing comment about ‘nature’ or the ‘environment’

But as a core piece of the conversation and why the Earth matters, and even more so why our relationship to it matters

In a world where domination is the game- it’s time to remember & learn what true power means - and not just for us humans, but for all of creation

May we think not only of ourselves but the next generations to come 💚🙏🏾

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#theirongiant

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