Gamifying Giving: Ryan Beckmann on Hero Picks and Reinventing How America Donates
This is a special one. Host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Ryan Beckmann, founder of Hero Picks, to announce a major collaboration between their two platforms — and to unpack the story behind an idea that started with a hockey shootout bet and turned into a new way to fundraise for good causes. Ryan walks through how it all began: his son Tino's terrifying week in the Phoenix Children's ICU, a text from former NHL goalie Eddie Lack that turned into an unlikely friendship, and a charity shootout challenge that snowballed from "let's keep it small" into a sold-out rink event with pro athletes, WWE talent, and a Jackass alum taking slap shots. What followed were more events, Ryan's own nonprofit, and a hard lesson: even great events with real star power don't raise nearly as much as people assume. That gap is what led to Hero Picks — a platform that "gamifies giving" through Hero Tokens, prediction games, and sweepstakes-style entries into real experiences (meet-and-greets, FaceTimes, on-ice moments, memorabilia) — all while directing dollars toward smaller, deserving nonprofits that get buried under the small number of organizations that receive the majority of U.S. donations. Sophie and Ryan dig deep into why fundraising has barely evolved in decades, why storytelling (not size) is what actually moves donors, and why smaller nonprofits have an underrated advantage: real, personal stories big organizations can't replicate. Hero Picks is launching soon — details on how to get it are below. What We Cover (00:01:15) The origin story: Tino's ICU stay and a text from NHL goalie Eddie Lack (00:02:45) The shootout bet that started it all — and why it almost didn't happen (00:04:40) Going viral on the Empty Netters podcast and selling out an Arizona rink (00:06:10) The hard truth: big events don't always mean big money (00:08:02) Why instant gratification changed how people expect to give (00:09:01) The idea behind Hero Picks: Hero Tokens, predictions, and gamified giving (00:11:33) How Hero Tokens work and why there's a free mode of entry (00:12:27) The storytelling problem: why smaller nonprofits get lost in the noise (00:16:45) Why fundraising hasn't evolved in 10-20 years (00:17:39) Donor fatigue: why people default to giving to what they already trust (00:35:20) The uncomfortable truth about "selfless" giving (00:38:01) Why refusing help can rob someone else of their own joy (00:43:11) Ryan's own lesson in learning to accept generosity (00:47:34) Ryan's perspective on giving to people on the street (01:09:00) Advice for small nonprofits: differentiate your story or get lost (01:11:02) Why smaller organizations have a real advantage over big-name charities (01:13:55) Why Americans gave more than ever despite economic pressure (01:16:00) How Hero Picks and The Giving Game are teaming up (01:21:41) Where to find and download Hero Picks About Ryan Beckmann Ryan Beckmann is the founder of Hero Picks, a platform built to "gamify giving" by combining predictions, sweepstakes-style rewards, and real athlete and celebrity experiences to drive donations toward nonprofits — including smaller, under-the-radar organizations often overshadowed by major national charities. Ryan's journey into fundraising began with grassroots charity hockey events built around personal relationships with professional athletes, and evolved into a broader mission to modernize how people give.
