https://www.movewhenthespiritsaysmove.com/ Last night I went to see a screening of a locally made film about civil rights leader and local hero, Dorothy Foreman Cotton. Dorothy was "a member of the inner circle of... the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As the SCLC's Educational Director, she was arguably the highest ranked female member of the organization." At the … Continue reading Education, Inquiry, and Art

"Trust is a confident relationship with the unknown...It's really all about risks. Not big, intense, reckless, risky behaviors but consistent micro-risks that help us build trust. The daily phone call or the weekly meeting at the same time. The consistency is what develops the trust." This is a quote from Esther Perel. In it, she … Continue reading Risk + Consistency

I recently participated Felicia Hatcher's "Genius Jam" workshop and she helped us figure out our zone of genius and encouraged us to lean into it. The concept of your genius zone comes from a book by Gay Hendricks entitled The Big Leap. In the book Hendricks lays out four zones. Your zone of incompetence: things … Continue reading Your Zone of Genius

servo motors programmed for 2 on 3Polyrhythms are African rhythms in which we play two different meters that meet up on the one. For example, in "2 on 3" we would subdivide a beat into three sections in our right hand and into two sections in our left. In western music we call this "two … Continue reading Polyrhythms as a Metaphor for Culture

I've been thinking about my core principles—the themes that I rely on over and over again as I do my work and engage with others. Here's the list I came up with: Inclusive Innovation is Better Innovation Inclusive innovation is better than homogeneous innovation. We have a lot of homogeneous innovation right now, and it's … Continue reading Five Important Things

Raj Chetty and his team research economic mobility, race, and class. One of their main findings is captured in this quote: "If you grow up in a place where low income and high income people are interacting more, you are much more likely to rise up in the income distribution yourself."This finding leads to the … Continue reading The Role of Friendship in Economic Mobility

To edit an idea down to it's essence is a process. When you find people that can help you do that, it is a gift. Book editors do this with authors. Producers do this with musicians. Directors do this with theater and film. Co-workers and peers can do this, too, if you find the right … Continue reading Simple is Collaborative

There's a great quote from SNL Producer Lorne Michaels on creative process and product. "We don't go one because we're ready. We go on because it's eleven thirty."Who knows when creative work is done. It's hard to tell. We can always tweak something. Sometimes we overwork a piece and then we need to tweak to … Continue reading We Don’t Go On Because We’re Ready

We fall off the horse. Life throws obstacles in our way. Get back up. No need for questioning or self-doubt. Get back up. Showing up enables forward motion. Small steps everyday. Or almost everyday. Cuz like I said, sometimes we stumble. Get back up.

The Inclusive Entrepreneurship Investment Checklist appears at the end of a report that the Technical.ly team put out in August 2023. Below is a copy of the categories and questions they share in the checklist. If you manage startup portfolios or programs, this is a must-read. ----------------------------------- Defining Inclusive What does underrepresented mean for your … Continue reading The Inclusive Entrepreneurship Checklist