By: Linda Stein

With his parents, Ray and MarySue, Gregory Hansell, who has a background in technology, nonprofit organizations and business, started the the Facebook game “A Better World” that showcases people’s good deeds in 2010. Instead of raising virtual farm animals or killing imaginary space invaders, “we wanted to unleash that power for good,” said Gregory Hansell, 38, the chief product officer, who lives in Wayne, with his wife, Samantha and two young children.

The family was sitting in the Great American Pub trying to come up with a name for the game, when Gregory Hansell said, “We need a name that makes it sound like we’re trying to make it a better world, because that’s what we’re doing. And my dad said, ‘Well, how about A Better World?’ And, ding, that was it.”

Read the full interview: http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2016/08/31/main_line_suburban_life/life/doc57c59a97e0f87015547086.txt?viewmode=fullstory


By: MarySue Hansell, A Better World

I'm an Entrepreneur and a Businesswoman, but the titles I'm most proud of are Mom and Grandmom —Mom to three grown successful children and MeeMee to five adorable grandkids.

Like most Moms, I'm very concerned about how today's fast-paced world is affecting all of us, especially our kids. We're all worried about the lack of kindness displayed on the Internet, in the schoolyards, and on the playgrounds. You hear so much about bullying with teens and younger kids. We all get exposed to too much violence, especially on TV and even in games. Our children are also used to getting so much more than we ever did, and so we find ourselves wondering how do we teach kids today how to be grateful for what they have and learn how to give to others.

How can we as adults reflect positive values to our children and show them ways to be kind, be grateful, and help others? What's a good way to teach positive values that avoids in-one-ear-out-the-other lecturing, that will get their attention and maybe even be fun?

Well this is the challenge my husband Ray, son Gregory, and I tackled. We wanted a new way to give back and make a difference in the world by addressing these problems so we put our heads together and brainstormed a solution.



You could—if you played A Better World, a Facebook game started by Wayne entrepreneurs, MarySue, Ray and Gregory Hansell. The game, played by 4 million people in 100 countries, is a twist on two phenomena—gaming and social media. In A Better World, players advance through doing good and helping others, either through expressing gratitude and doing virtual good deeds or through recording good deeds they’ve done in real life.

When the gaming community has earned enough virtual points, the Hansells reward the actual world with a donation to charity. So far, the family has given over $50,000 to over 20 charitable organizations, both international and local.


The family team behind A Better World - the do-good virtual world game on Facebook - presented Operation Warm with a donation to provide 250 brand new coats for kids in need. The donation is the result of a successful holiday challenge for players in A Better World to perform 1,000,000 good deeds in game. Operation Warm is a nonprofit based in Chadds Ford, PA that provides winter coats for kids in need, nationwide.


Ray, MarySue, and Gregory Hansell presented Operation Warm Marketing Director, Brock Clauser with the donation on Tuesday, January 26th.

“Operation Warm is so grateful to have a partner like A Better World that believes in our mission to provide brand new winter coats to children in need. New coats not only help keep them warm, but increase their self-esteem and reassure them that they are of value. It’s rare to find an organization like A Better World that at its core is so focused on doing good and making the world a better place. The partnership is a natural fit,” said Clauser.

A Better World was joined in its pledge by law firms Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz and Reger Rizzo & Darnall, as well as Philadelphia Main Line fashion boutique Posh Collections.

“We crossed the million good deed threshold just as the 2016 blizzard hit the east coast. This historic storm really drove home how high the stakes are for these kids in need. It’s our honor to help by harnessing the goodwill of our players to support this timely cause,” said A Better World CEO, Ray Hansell.

A Better World encourages gratitude, habits of goodness, positive mindsets, and giving to social causes to make a difference. Players can even send get well notes to real world children recovering from surgeries. Fun rewards for doing good include dressing up, taking care of pets, and decorating virtual homes. Players also work together to meet do-good goals that, when met, release money to charities. A Better World calls this Cause Gaming®. You can learn more and play A Better World by going to Facebook.com/ABetterWorld.

About A Better World: 
A Better World is a Social Enterprise whose mission is to make "Uplifting Games and Apps to Brighten the World." Our goal with everything we do is: Do-Good, Have Fun, and Change The World. We're committed to creating awesome stuff designed with the purpose of making a difference through optimism, altruism, and charity. Our flagship product is our A Better World game on Facebook, "Where All Good Deeds Are Rewarded and Real World Causes Are Supported!" As of Summer 2015, over 3.5 million people have done over 36 million good deeds in A Better World. Check it out at Facebook.com/ABetterWorld.

About Operation Warm: 
Operation Warm, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of new winter coats to children in need. Operation Warm’s vision is that every child wearing a new winter coat is healthy, able to attend school regularly and develop a strong self-esteem. To date, Operation Warm has served over 2 million children across 47 states. For more information visit: OperationWarm.org.