Some stories are not defined by a single moment, but by what you come to understand over time.

I first met Sara at the Do It For The Love Foundation Fashion Show at the El Prado Hotel, standing backstage among a mix of community members, creatives, familiar faces, and local celebrities. It was one of those local gatherings where cause and culture intersect in a way that feels both intentional and effortless. We stayed connected through Instagram, and over time, I found myself witnessing her life in fragments. Watching her son grow, seeing the arrival of her new baby, and following moments from their retreats at Soulshine Bali.

What stood out was not just what she was building, but how she was living. There was no visible separation between her role as a mother, her presence in community, and the work she was doing through the Do It For The Love Foundation.

Reading her reflections, that alignment becomes even more clear. Her understanding of healing is not abstract. It comes from years spent as an ER nurse, sitting beside people in some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, where what is needed often extends beyond medicine. It is about connection, joy, and being seen as a person beyond a diagnosis.

Together with Michael Franti, that understanding evolved into something that reaches far beyond a single experience. It reflects a belief that music is not just something we listen to, but something we feel collectively, something that can shift a moment, a memory, or even how someone chooses to keep going.

What makes her voice stand out is not just the impact of the work, but the consistency behind it. The way she continues to return to something simple and often overlooked. That meaningful change is not always built through scale alone, but through presence, intention, and the willingness to stay connected to the people in front of you.

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Voices Shaping Culture Series: Sara Agah Franti and Michael Franti 

What inspired you and Michael to start the foundation, and what moment made you realize the impact it could have?

Before I was any of the things I am today, I was an ER nurse. I spent years sitting with people in some of the most terrifying, painful moments of their lives and what I kept witnessing was how desperately people needed something beyond medicine to support their healing. They needed joy. They needed to feel human again in a world that related to you through your illness or disease. When I met Michael Franti we talked a lot about what happens at his shows, the way the music moves through people, the way strangers become community even for a few hours something clicked for both of us. The moment that made it undeniable was meeting Steve and Hope Dezember. Steve had ALS and Michael invited them on stage at a show at a music festival in Florida. We had seen their story online and when we had met them, Steve’s ALS had progressed and was only able to speak in quiet whispers and bound to a wheelchair. We had them watch the show side of the stage and Michael invited them out to dance during his song ‘Life is Better with You’. It was a powerful moment for us. I saw how Michael introduced Steve and ‘Steve’ and he could be seen for the person he is and not the disease he is living with. Hope and Steve had a beautiful slow dance that had us all crying…even other artists standing in the wings of the stage. Watching them together that night, the love, the joy in the middle of so much hardship, I knew this was something we had to build. We started Do It For The Love in 2013 where we send adults and children who are living in end stages of life threatening illness, children with severe challenges and wounded veterans to live music experiences. And we haven’t looked back since. 

How have you seen live music experiences transform the lives of the individuals and families you serve?

Coming from nursing, I understood the clinical side of healing but what I’ve witnessed through this foundation has expanded my understanding of what healing even is. I’ve sat next to wish recipients and their families who hadn’t laughed in months, and watched something unlock in them the moment the music started. I’ve seen family members hold each other in a way they maybe couldn’t at home, where the weight of illness, the doctors appointments, medication juggling was too heavy. I’ve seen caregivers who spend every day giving finally get to just receive something. Over 3,500 wishes fulfilled and I still cry watching our testimonial videos like this one:  

Because what’s happening isn’t just simply entertainment. It’s people being reminded that they are still fully alive, still capable of joy, still connected to something bigger than their diagnosis. That’s not a small thing. That can be everything and sometimes the only thing keeping them alive.

How have you balanced growing the foundation while keeping the mission personal and meaningful?

It’s something I hold carefully and consciously. I think about it a lot, honestly. Running a nonprofit alongside building Soulshine, being a mom, supporting Michael’s career, growing my own personal brand. There’s is absolutely no version of that which is perfectly balanced. But the thing that keeps me grounded is always coming back to the mission and the work that come from it. The person whose wish we’re granting. The family sitting in the front row. As long as I can still hear these stories and see the impact, I know we haven’t drifted. The ER nurse in me is also just wired to stay close to the human in front of me but that can also be really hard when you are on the go, in the grind of it all. There is a lot of admin and compliance when running a 501.c3 legitimately and it can be easy to just get stuck in the paperwork. I think that instinct has protected the heart of this organization more than any strategy ever could. Growth is only meaningful if the experience on the ground stays human, and that’s a standard we refuse to drop.

What advice would you share with people who want to create positive change through music, service, or philanthropy?

Start with what you’ve already lived. For me, it was years at the bedside watching people feeling scared or lost and knowing there was more that could bring them back to themselves. For Michael, it was music being the through-line of his entire life and purpose. When those two worlds collided, Do It For The Love was almost inevitable. So I’d say don’t look for a cause outside of yourself. Look at what you’ve already witnessed, what already breaks your heart, what you already understand in your bones. Because if it breaks your heart it means you care. And then I’d encourage you to really sit with your why, because when you get honest about it, you might realize that the best way to live it out isn’t actually starting your own organization. It might be finding someone who’s already doing the work beautifully and throwing your full support behind them. We don’t always need to build something new to matter. I also think we’ve gotten into this performative space where people feel like they need to prove their goodness, prove their impact, show the world they’re doing something significant. But we should never underestimate the power of quiet, consistent kindness. Being of service to the people closest to you: your family, your neighbors, the person right in front of you. That is the foundation everything else is built on. Change isn’t made through grand gestures. It’s made through what you choose to do every single day.

What is your vision for the future of Do It For The Love Foundation?

We’re approaching 15 years, and I can say with utmost certainty that we have achieved what we set out to achieve. If feels profound to be able to say it. And yet we are still fully in motion. We’re still fundraising, still fulfilling wish grants, still showing up for the people we serve every single day. But as I approach this milestone, I find myself wanting to do what I’d encourage anyone to do at a major turning point. I will take space, get quiet, and really look at my why again. Because the why I had fifteen years ago may have evolved, and the community we were serving then may look different now too. We saw that happen in real time through COVID. The music industry shifted dramatically, and that directly impacted our fundraising model. It forced us to adapt, to rethink, to evolve. And I think that’s healthy. Organizations should change. Rigidity is not a virtue. You don’t want that.

So while the future of Do It For The Love is still deeply rooted in providing these healing live music experiences, what I really hope for is that beyond the programming, the organization itself becomes a source of inspiration. We are living in a genuinely hard time. In the world, in our country. And it can feel like everywhere you look, it’s dark. So if someone stumbles across a story about one of our wish recipients and it cracks something open in them and if it inspires them to go out and live more joyfully, to do something kind, to be a little more present with the people around them, then that ripple matters just as much to me as any wish we’ve ever granted. Little pockets of peace and joy are not small things right now. They’re everything. And if Do It For The Love can be one of those pockets, that makes me deeply happy.

Closing Thoughts

What stands out in Sara Agah Franti’s perspective is the understanding that healing is not limited to medicine. It is deeply connected to joy, human connection, and the moments that remind people they are still fully alive.

Through the Do It For The Love Foundation, that philosophy is translated into something tangible. These are not simply concert experiences. They are moments designed to reconnect individuals and families to a sense of presence, belonging, and emotional release in the midst of life’s most difficult circumstances.

In a time where impact is often measured by scale or visibility, her approach offers a return to something more human. It is not about performance or recognition, but about creating meaningful experiences that meet people where they are, and remind them of what still exists beyond what they are going through.

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The Spotlight Series

The Voices Shaping Culture Spotlight Series highlights voices shaping culture, film, technology, business, and the arts. 

Future features will continue exploring individuals whose work influences how stories are created, experienced, and shared across industries and communities.

If you know a voice whose perspective deserves a wider stage, nominations are open through my website.

In today’s AI-driven discovery environment, digital authority has become the foundation for visibility.

Thank You

Thank you, Sara Agah Franti, for sharing your perspective and for building a foundation that continues to bring moments of joy, connection, and humanity to those who need it most.

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About the Author

Susye Weng-Reeder, known online as SincerelySusye™, is a Google Verified Internet Personality, published author, and former tech industry professional with experience at Facebook, Apple, and Zoom.

Recognized as one of the first human AI indexed creators — not CGI — she has built a digital presence that surfaces across major AI platforms including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others. Her work reflects a deliberate approach to identity architecture, digital visibility, and long term authority in an AI driven discovery landscape.

Susye first gained recognition through intuitive healing, travel storytelling, and personal transformation writing. Over time, her focus expanded to include AI visibility, online identity strategy, and the evolving relationship between human creators and machine interpretation.

Today, she writes at the intersection of culture, technology, and emotional intelligence. SincerelySusye.com serves as a space for thoughtful analysis, creative expression, and conversations about how identity, authority, and narrative are shaped in the digital age.