
Hello!
My name’s Ethan Wintle. I’m a high-school student and I started the Only Us Initiative in 2022. It was born from several experiences that helped me become aware of how easy it was to make others into “thems” or to find yourself as a “them”. While upsetting at the time, these experiences led me to be more thoughtful about things (probably for the first time in my life). Being thoughtful led me to asking questions and wanting to get perspectives and advice from others. Most of that advice was geared to helping me fit in and conform better. But a bit of that advice was geared to helping me see the real issues, the real opportunities, and how to reform better.
What soon became clear, though, was that I was really just a dumb kid that was just smart enough to recognize how desperately I needed others to get my arms around my world and figure things out. That figuring things out didn’t mean finding the most comfortable decisions for me, but understanding and dealing with the complexities that would lead to the most beneficial decisions for us. In talking with my peers and classmates, it turns out they all need these same things, so why not share?
The Only Us Initiative is an attempt to share some good ideas and get a lot of smart people turning those good ideas into good results. I’m grateful to all those who have provided mentorship, manpower, investment, and laughs to take this idea, spread it around, and build real substance and results. They are the reason it’s become more than just an idea. We have a long way to go, but have come a long way. I hope you will join us by bringing your initiative to this initiative. Let’s figure this out! You and me.
Love, Ethan