Jeremy loves outdoor; he is an active runner, biker, and hiker. He started Atayne, an active apparel company yet it’s not just another T-shirt company. Each Atayne was made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and supporting local economies: made in USA. Atayne was also a B Corp that …
Category Archives: Inspiration
Sam – Making Life Brighter
When hosting TEDx Millriver: Innovation in 2012, I came across Jane Chen’s Embrace TED talk; it stayed with me and started my interest in learning and supporting social innovation/ enterprise. I read about Stanford’s Design for Extreme Affordability then Sam and d.light. I was fascinated by his story and mission… Sam’s neighbor was badly burned …
Heather – Making it Work!
Heather and I met at MIT Scaling Development Ventures conference in 2017, an event hosted by MIT D-Lab to bring social entrepreneurs and supporters together to make a more equitable world. Heather, who received PhD of Mechanical & Ocean Engineering from MIT, shared her story: Practical Education Network (PEN). I was moved and touched by …
Yuliya – Turning Passion into Mission-Driven Opportunity
Yuliya and I met at Greater Stamford Toastmaster in 2011. I was a new member. I knew she is “special” from the first time I saw her speaking (evaluation). Yuliya has a keen ear of listening; she provided speakers thoughtful feedback in a positive demeanor. We became fast friends as we share many traits and …
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Carly – Committed to Excellence
I met Carly at a Toastmaster club visit in 2018 when I was a division director. She was the club VP of education. Though the club was started 2 years ago, the meeting was well-organized and attended. After the meeting, I asked Carly if she could share some tips as some corporate clubs struggled to …
Priscilla – Fuel a Brighter Future
I met Priscilla in late March 2012 at Women Mentoring Network, a non-profit to empower women with life skills. Priscilla was a presenter and talked about starting CPASGhana, a non-profit to send girls to schools in Ghana. She was a retired art teacher, soft-spoken and had no personal tie with the country. Priscilla fell in …
Rich – Multiplier
Rich runs a successful recruiting firm yet he is not a typical recruiter. Rich hasn’t interviewed me, nor placed me for a role. Yet, he has done more than that. We met in Columbus, OH when I was graduating from my MBA program, and we have kept in touch since – for 14+ years. Every …
Amy – Thoughtful Being
If I choose one word to describe Amy, it would be “thoughtful”. Let me give you a few examples… Amy is an amazing chef and a hostess. (Pre-Covid) Every year she threw a holiday (Xmas) party and invited friends to her apartment. She started preparing the “global food tour” days prior, including American favorite, e.g. …
Yan – Loving, Authentic & Courageous
Yan and I’ve known each other over 5 years. We share with each other good reads and interesting things. Once in a while, I’d pick Yan’s brain; she is always generous to offer thoughts and advice. During my transition in 2018, I asked Yan how she decided to leave a successful corporate career (GM before …
Simone – Owning Your Career & Voice
I met Simone at Greater Stamford Toastmaster (GST) in 2011. She was the club president and I was a new member. I admired her energy, confidence, and how she presented herself so I asked her if she’d be willing to mentor me. She said Yes. In our first meeting, she asked my goal for Toastmaster. …