About Us

Change The World Films is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose core mission is to address one extremely important, worldwide issue at a time, delivering truth and solutions in both a trust-building and community-building environment. We uncover the truth via meticulous, integrity-focused research, investigation, and solid, fact-based documentary film-making – educating, creating solutions, and empowering individuals around the world to lend a hand and help solve the problem.

To accomplish this, we do more than make a film – we build and engage our audience before the film-making process even begins. We leverage multiple media formats (blogs, articles, podcasts, videos, etc.) across multiple syndication and social networks, expanding our content’s reach and marketing our work to any corner of the world where the problem in our cross-hairs exists or may potentially exist.

Finally, we build trust with our audience, and within that trust framework, we deliver solutions. Every time we bring a research sequence to its conclusion, we offer exact steps that our audience can take to help right the wrong… to help resolve the problem. That’s how we work to change the world, by exposing crucial, hidden truths for everyone to see, and by empowering individuals around the globe to do the little things it takes to actually make change happen. We don’t run on agendas. Our only agenda is discovering the truth.

One important note — we are funded by private donors, grants, etc., and make it crystal clear that no donation will ever affect our mission to discover the truth. In other words, we’re not for sale.

To learn more about how both Change The World Films and The Walk a Mile Project came to be, please see below. To meet the Change The World Films team, just scroll to the bottom section.

The Walk a Mile Project
Our Flagship Program

The Walk a Mile Project is a long-term, multi-phase documentary film and multimedia project designed to help solve one crucial, worldwide problem at a time.

We tackle problems and controversies where a search for the truth can bring the issue to its tipping point… where asking the right questions, deep research and investigative, truth-focused film-making, combined with critical thinking and the voice of reason, can step in and take the problem at hand well on its way to resolution.

About The Founder

Hi this is Eric Battersby from Hollywood 27 Productions and Change The World Films, and since I’m the one who started The Walk a Mile Project here, I thought you might appreciate knowing a little bit of my story and how this whole crazy project actually came about.

My desire to “change the world” really started with a passion for fighting racism, which began during my high school days at Proviso East back in Maywood, IL, just a few miles directly west of Chicago.

After growing up in the nearly all white town of Forest Park my whole life, I was sent to Proviso East, which was a nearly all black high school, one that most kids in my town were pretty afraid to attend – and their parents were usually pretty afraid to send them too.

4 years later, at the ripe old age of 17 and as a Senior, I spoke at a forum at my old Junior High School gym back in Forest Park. After a rather dull evening of questions ignoring the true issue at hand, I finally spoke up near the end of the night and challenged the parents to raise their hands if the real reason they were afraid to send their kids to my high school was because of the race situation.

And… only one person raised her hand. But… within a few minutes, and with some healthy persuasion on my part, the vast majority of that big room raised their hands. THEN we finally had an honest conversation, and at that moment, things changed for me. I realized I could help people face up to the truth about racism, and fight through it, and it really shifted my life’s path. And all that because I simply spoke up. I didn’t shy away from the truth.

I proudly graduated high school with my brothers and sisters of all races, and I’d grown so much as a human being – I couldn’t thank Proviso East enough.

I went off to college for writing and film-making, and 5 years after graduation I started my own film company called Hollywood 27 Productions, to make a movie about racism and start making a difference on a larger scale. But boy did it take awhile… like well over a decade a while. I had to work my day job that whole time, and believe me it was NOT easy to get investors for making a film about racism in Chicago – a lesson well-learned for when it came time to start Change The World Films.

You can learn more about that film project, the movie is called PYRITE, and all my racism fighting efforts over at Hollywood27.com. Now I tell you all this because The Walk a Mile Project actually started as another film project to fight racism and really any other narrow-minded thinking we struggle with in the world today. The idea was to show audiences short documentary stories about walking a mile in another person’s shoes before you ever try to judge them. Over time that concept grew into taking on some of the biggest issues facing us today, and applying the same kind of attitude, and really with a premium on truth. Our mission, “Discover the truth and change the world”, it all grew out of that idea to walk a mile in another person’s shoes, because that’s where you find perspective… that’s where you find the truth.

So almost a few years ago now I finally quit my day job, and I started down the path of running a nonprofit full time and doing what I’m supposed to do – which is to take that natural ability I realized I had way back at that forum in my junior high gymnasium, when I was first inspired to speak up and make a difference. Now at The Walk a Mile Project we’re all doing it, and it’s for issues that affect nearly the entire planet – we’re here to change the world.

And I hope you’ll join us. You can click the JOIN THE PROJECT link on this page or anywhere at walkamileproject.com, and either become a subscriber or just sign up free. So that’s my little story, but we’ve got much bigger ones to write… together.

Eric Battersby

President & Founder

Indie filmmaker from Hollywood 27 Productions, podcaster, marketer, magazine publisher, and author … Eric brings it with full force to Change The World Films, his full-time job (and then some) where he’s dedicated to knocking out one giant worldwide issue at a time.

No Pictures!!!!

Eric back in the day at IBM

A “candid” picture of Eric right before he left his day job to start Change The World Films and The Walk a Mile Project.

The Change the World Films Team

Carol Smith-Johnson

Carol Smith-Johnson

DIRECTOR

While running her own business, Carol also serves as a Director on the Change The World Films Board.  In addition to often helping with fundraising, she helps with legal research and as well.

Winston Punla at Change The World Films - NEW

Winston Punla

DIRECTOR / TREASURER

Famous for his QuarterFiler software, which allows small businesses to do their own payroll for free, Winston serves as our wise and seasoned Treasurer.

Josh Kasselman

Josh Kasselman

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

NYU grad and founder of Limitrophe Films, producers of multiple award-winning shorts, Josh brings an extremely high level of talent to The Walk a Mile Project as its Director of Photography.

Joe Siok Change The World Films Veritas

Joseph Siok

VERITAS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Joe brings a diverse background in business, IT, and the non-profit world to our Veritas Advisory Committee, including many years as owner of a software consulting business, where he served as COO.  He’s served on the Board of Trustees for the National MS Society, Greater Illinois Chapter for the past decade, with a focus on development of large fundraising events.

Rod Smith Veritas

Rod Smith

VERITAS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Rod brings nearly 25 years of non-profit and consulting experience to our Veritas Advisory Committee, and continually provides his guidance, leadership and expertise to Change The World Films.  We couldn’t be more grateful for all the help he’s given us, and you can learn more about Rod at his own nonprofit supporting military families, Helping Hand For Freedom.

Lewis Walton-1

Lewis Walton

LEAD GRANT WRITER - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

After spending many lucrative years as a highly sought after nanogenetics pin-up model and pro wrestling ring inspector, Lewis found his true calling working with non-profits to help raise both awareness… and funds.  All kidding aside, Lew brings several years of grant-writing experience to the team, and an incredibly positive attitude as well.

Spencer Battersby -- Change The World Films

Spencer Battersby

IT CONSULTANT

You could call Spencer a “technical professional” based on his experience as an analyst, technician, and small business owner… or you could call him a racer (he loves cars more than computers)… but we call him our #1 volunteer!

Cindy Salstone Change The World Films

Cindy Salstone

VERITAS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

UCLA grad and principal of MC Design Groupe, Cindy is a multi-faceted designer with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the advertising and marketing arena for both large and small businesses. Her natural curiosity and enthusiasm are great assets to our Veritas Advisory Committee.

Sheryl Keeme-1

Sheryl Keeme

VERITAS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Sheryl serves as Chair of Change The World Films Business Development Committee, where she brings a wealth of experience from her time at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the National MS Society, and the American Cancer Society as well.