It’s not hard to see why Periscope appealed to Jon Jacques, a 20-something who worked for a video marketing company in New York City — the app that gives you instant access to a captive global audience. So a few months ago, he decided to give it a try during his free time after work and on weekends. Quickly, though, he saw his street magic performances were turning into something more.

In June, Jacques quit his high-paying job to Periscope full-time. He was determined to make money from Periscope and use it to help people in need.

At the recommendation of the Periscope community, Jacques set up a GoFundMe page and raised almost $700 within 24 hours. He let contributors decide where the money should be donated; they voted to divide the funds among various causes, including Wounded Warriors, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. They told Jacques to use the rest on random acts of kindness.

Jacques brings his contributors along on his journeys with Periscope; those who donate can watch the direct impact they helped make. In some cases, followers have made private, direct donations to individuals in need after his Periscope broadcasts. In the time since reaching his first GoFundMe goal, Jacques has set up another page to raise even more, with a goal of $5,000.

"It can give anyone a platform to tell their story," Jacques said of the live streaming platform. "It can give people a voice."

Jacques has saved enough over the past few years to survive without a steady paycheck — for the time being. He brings in some money by doing presentations for his former company approximately once a month.

"The way I look at it, in four or five months, if things don't pan out and I need to go back to working full time, then I will," Jacques said. "But it will be time well spent."

He says he hasn't kept a dime of the donation money for himself, but he's starting to see an influx of brands and ad agencies contacting him. It's not hard to see why—over the past month, he's racked up more than 22 million hearts (the Periscope equivalent of Facebook Likes) and is now ranked No. 16 on Periscope's "Most Loved" list worldwide.

"I see people in need being ignored every single day in New York City," Jacques said. "The hustle and bustle of people walking by, just trying to get to the next business meeting or appointment. Now that I don't have that pressure anymore, I walk through life looking for people to help."