A Failure that Sparked Passion Once Again

As always in life things don't happen over night, rather they evolve unseen, and tiny in the beginning. Six months engaged in the aftermath cleaning up of the flooding in Dresden, five years at BMW Plant Leipzig, and the constant pull to make processes across boundaries easier with what already is at hand led to visit one of the prototypes of the "future management education" in Finland 2008. A bold plan sparked back then as my fellow friends of MonkeyBusines joined the Google project "100^10": TeamLea(r)ningExperience. Back then really a crazy idea to run an educational & entrepreneur development institution on the sideline of traditional education.

Back in the summer of 2011 a one-week visit (how crazy must one be to fly to Downunder being 60 hours in the air, and at airports around the world?!) to Amplifyfestival 2011 (Sydney) and Gathering 11 (Melbourne).  After returning to Dresden Daryl Cook, a social innovator and consultant, conducted an interview with me about my experiences at these conferences.

Later in 2011 during the uprising autumn, Robert Weichert, CEO of PR Piloten invited me as "blogger on tour" to follow a press tour with the Saxony Economic Development Corporation through Saxony's hightech scene - amazing which hidden diamonds lay amidst the Saxonian countryside!

Moving to Silicon Valley for merely a three-week visit didn't quite work out, InnoBay. My goal was meeting the various friends I had been able to make via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and of course personal meetings over the past years (especially down in Sydney to which Annalie Kilian invited me gratefully as "Blogger in Residence").

A failure so it seemed, yet only the beginning of reapplying for the Graduate Studies Program at Singularity University (back in 2011 I had a seat, yet no money; this time no seat yet, and 50 days to raise awareness, and money (!) - though quite a challenge of its own).

... so all rebooted with the help by my global friends whom I am deeply thankful for their constant support. Especially I want to thank:  Jennifer Sertl who not just pushed the boundaries, rather also introduced me into coming book review by a relevant researcher in the social innovation space • Nick Heap who has mentored me since the early days in 2011 • Silicon Valley Link with its founder IdaRose Sylvester, who was introduced to me via Mark Zawecki, asking me specifically "tough" questions, that the entrepreneur seldom likes ;-) • Sheridan Tatsuno one of my mentors across distance, and supporter of Dresden's vision of the future • David Hawthorne (moderator of MoonShots) a dear friend based in New York with whom I share over the years a common understanding on changing the world to the bettter • James Parsons (who enabled my first elevator pitch back in early 2008).