Lecture by WeRateDogs creator to celebrate very good dogs and showcase entrepreneurship, philanthropy

Matt Nelson and his dog, Doug. Larger image.

AMES, Iowa – This is Matt. He created a social media phenomenon and has turned his talents toward philanthropy by raising money to help pets find homes and receive critical veterinary care. 15/10.
 
Matt Nelson, creator of the social media phenomenon WeRateDogs®, will deliver a lecture titled “WeRateDogs®:  A Conversation with Matt Nelson About Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, and Social Media Fame” on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. This lecture is free and open to the public.
 
Nelson started WeRateDogs® in 2015 while in college. The social media outlet posts memes showing photos and descriptions of adorable pooches along with a cutneness rating. The account’s reach grew to 17 million followers by giving “better-than-perfect” scores to every pup they were sent. Nelson has used the platform to raise millions of dollars to help families pay for their pets’ medical bills, and he started a nonprofit called the 15/10 Foundation that helps dogs with behavioral and medical concerns get adopted into loving forever homes.
 
During the lecture, Nelson will share his story of turning a meme account into a powerful force for good. He’ll discuss how he came up with the idea, found his voice, built a community and harnessed it to start giving back. Attendees may just be inspired to learn how to turn their own jokes into a dream job.
 
To prepare for the event, the ISU Lectures Program has launched a social media promotion inviting the ISU community to send photos of their pets to be rated. Lectures Program Director Amanda Knief invites anyone interested in participating to submit their pet photos by replying to the Lectures Program’s Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Pet owners have until Oct. 19 to submit their pooch pics. Additionally, the first 100 ISU students to attend Thursday’s lecture will receive special We Rate ISU Dogs stickers.
 
The University Book Store will be on site selling WeRateDogs calendars, stickers and other items. This event will be recorded and available for two weeks on the Lectures Program website at www.lectures.iastate.edu/recordings/available-recordings.
 
This lecture is sponsored by the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by Student Government.