My name is Joe Kolnick and I'm a research scientist, professional soccer trainer, youth mentor, musician, community leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Having spent my entire life making a positive difference in the lives of others, especially children, I have more than 45 years researching the largest and most important issues that affect each of us, our planet, and future generations who will be inheriting the world that we leave them. Stemming from a spiritual experience I had at the age of 5 that resulted in a profound peak experience that forever shaped and directed my path towards the deeper understanding of our reality, it was an event that continues to be significant in my life today. It was also at the age of 5 that I had my first encounter with volunteering in my community, helping at a local farm that provided amazing experiences for children and adults with disabilities. I enjoyed it so much that I later spent years providing direct care and providing music therapy to those with special needs. Working in this field taught me the valuable gifts of patience, gratitude, non-judgment, compassion, and service to others who are less fortunate. I was introduced to nature and biodiversity at a very young age and it was at the age of 10 that I came to understand the importance of understanding, preserving, and protecting our world's ecological and biological systems. It was also at that young age that I first realized the severity of humankind's impact upon our planet associated with climate change, population growth, and the exponential development that has come with it. My neighbor, growing up in Hinsdale, Illinois, was the Chief Meteorologist at Argonne National Laboratory and the world's leading expert in his field, designing experiments that went up on satellites for NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense... he was a great guy and it was a profound honor to have been able to discuss the extreme complexities of our climate with him. He once told me that he was impressed with the body of knowledge I had on the subject, coming from someone with his credentials, it was a badge of honor that I hold to this day. It was also at the age of 10 that I discovered the wonderful game of soccer which turned into one of my greatest loves in life. As a professional trainer with more than 40 years experience, I've had the privilege of coaching more than 25,000 players of all levels and abilities. Looking back, I am forever grateful to have had a positive impact on so many children teaching the beautiful game! When I was 12 years old, I experienced the tragic and sudden death of my mother that both shattered my fabric of reality and propelled me into the further exploration of Biology in the attempt to understand the big questions we have... what's the meaning of life, why are we here, where did we come from, where do we go when we die, and fundamentally, is there a God and if so, what is the true nature of that responsible for creating our universe and everything that we know to exist in it... including and especially, us. Excelling in my studies and receiving a BS degree in Biology from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, I then spent several years immersed in independant study of the world's major religions, non-ordinary states of consciousness, and quantum mechanics that eventually led me to several years doing research on the Grand Unified Theory, the Holy Grail of science. At the age of 19, I participated in the Gateway Program at the Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences in Faber, Virginia and engaged in 30 hours of intense meditation over the course of a week utilzing the technology of Hemispheric Synchronization which utilizes bi-naural sound frequencies designed to induce heightened states of consciousness, out of body experiences, and the past life regression. It was the last night of my stay there that I experienced the second profound peak experience of my life, with the realization of the interconnectedness of all life and everything that exists in the universe. Having such an amazing and life-changing experience, I continued my explorations and went back to the Monroe Institute again for another week of meditation when I was 20 where I completed their advanced Guidelines program. On these two visits, I was blessed to spend quite a bit of time with Bob Monroe who had developed the Hemisync technology and was considered the world's leading authority on out of body experiences and past life regression. On both occasions, I was also able to meet Joe McEneagle, considered to be one of the most famous remote viewers, and was part of the CIA intelligence program. As an extension of my curiosity into expanded states of consciousness, my studies then developed into the examination of psychedelic plants and fungi when a friend of mine had given me the book Food of the Gods, written by Terence McKenna, and considered the bible of ethnopharmacology, detailing the evolution of humanity through the symbiotic use of visionary molecules found in nature. When I was 21, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend a weekend with Terence having 16 hours of intense discussion with the world's leading authority on the subject... at the time, I didn't know of anyone else who knew anything about psychedelics... but ended up starting my career in the field with one of the world's leading experts on the topic. It was truly one of the greatest experiences in my life sharing and exploring some of life's deepest and ancient mysteries with one of the most intelligent and insightful human beings to ever walk this earth. At the age of 27, I became involved with the planning and development of World Peace & Prayer Day working with Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe. Based upon the birth of Miracle, the white buffalo, in Janesville, Wisconsin as a fulfillment of ancient Lakota Sioux prophecies, it was a sign to the Native American communities to come together in the effort to restore balance in the world through their ancient prayers and ceremonies while preserving our sacred places of worship. Having researched indigenous cultures since early grade school, I understood the importance of their teachings in helping to solve our world's largest and most important environmental issues. By chance, I stumbled upon the efforts of Chief Looking Horse and ended up spending several years working on the event that occured every June 21st, the Summer Solstice, as the day of connection and healing of our earth. It was in the year 2000 that I participated in a ceremony at the Black Hills of South Dakota that hadn't been held in more than a 100 years... at this event, Native American elders met with elders from South America as a fulfillment of an ancient prophecy describing the time when the Eagle of the North would fly with the Condor of the South that would lead to the culmination of a 1000 years of peace and balance upon the earth. Fast forward to 2006, my wife and I decided to open an ice cream store in Queen Creek, Arizona as a passion for making people happy and also as a way to get more involved in our community. Having won several awards for volunteering and supporting numerous causes, we just won the 2024 Business of the Year from our local Chamber of Commerce in celebration of our 18 year anniversary doing business in our wonderful town. It was through the success of our store that we've been able to support over 250 non-profit organizations through our philanthropic efforts providing much needed funds to over 30 schools, local food banks, domestic violence shelters, first responder and veterans organizations, numerous youth sports programs, and many other important causes in our community. Helping others is our favorite way of doing business and we consider it an honor and duty to help serve our neighbors. Moving forward with hope and optimism, I continue to expand and explore further avenues of service to others within our community and am eagerly engaged in working to share and apply my knowledge for the betterment of our world, thinking globally while acting locally. Thanks for your time, I look forward to the amazing possibilities the future holds for all of us! With Love & Many Blessings! Joe |