Young Needham Entrepreneur Promotes Message Of Kindness

BOSTON (CBS) - A young boy from Needham wowed them at an educational technology conference at Gillette Stadium Thursday with a message that is simple and profound. And he's making a unique difference in the lives of a lot of people.

He's just 12 years old, but Maxwell Surprenant has an impressive resume. He's been an entrepreneur with a lemonade stand that won a national contest. He's a reporter with a long list of articles on the Sports Illustrated Kids website. He's a filmmaker whose short movie won him a trip to the White House. But most importantly, he's the founder of his own non-profit.

Maxwell commanded the stage at the MassCUE conference giving the keynote address to teachers and education leaders. "Often times people say, I wish I had that good idea, as if there are no more good ideas to be had," he told them.

One of his best ideas came seven years ago. He was just five when Maxwell and his parents started "Catching Joy." "Once I saw the need I couldn't pretend it wasn't there. Once I saw what I could do, I had to help," he says.

"Catching Joy promotes volunteerism and acts of kindness," he adds. Especially by young people. The non-profit has organized efforts to give blankets to people living in shelters and gifts to kids in hospitals, and it has created a "heart" project in memory of Martin Richard, who was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Maxwell's work even earned him a trip to the White House to meet the President along with other young people who are also making a difference in their communities. "When we help people we feel the joy of giving. Kids have so much to give. Sometimes kids just need a vehicle to do it. Everything adds up and it's the ripple effect. One small act of kindness leads to another, and if everybody does one little thing that's kind, then that'll make the world so much better," Maxwell says.

An inspirational young man.