Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Feb 5Member-onlyFreedom Soup: 2022 Year in ReviewEvery New Year’s Eve, my mouth waters for Freedom Soup. Freedom Soup is a traditional dish enjoyed every January 1st on Haitian Independence Day. This has been the tradition since General Toussaint Louverture led his people to freedom from the French in 1804. Soup Joumou, traditionally known in Haiti, was a forbidden dish during the French colonial period. Only enslavers…Books5 min readBooks5 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Jan 28Member-onlyJames Webb Didn’t Have A Chance Until This MoveJanuary 2022, man’s most advanced observatory completed its million-mile journey to its final destination. It overcame over 340 potential single-point failures to prepare to give humanity a glimpse we didn’t dream possible into the birth of the universe. Once the images started flowing, we were all gripped with collective awe. But we didn’t know that this powerful invention was the culmination of twenty years…Leadership8 min readLeadership8 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Jan 16A World Perspective …“If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.”– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A world perspective starts with seeing the…Leadership1 min readLeadership1 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Nov 24, 2022Member-onlyThe Layer Cake: 3 Secret Ingredients for LeadershipI wrote this after I returned from my quarterly CEO forum. It’s a peer group where we learn from each other’s wins and losses. During the discussion, one of my good friends, Mike McKee, said something that struck a chord with me. “The best teams are built on trust, conflict…Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Nov 24, 2022How to Give Thanks… To YourselfTime flies, doesn’t it? I am always amazed by how quickly the summer ends, fall arrives, and the time comes again to give thanks. The old turkey baster makes its way out of the drawer. Planes, trains, and automobiles are filled with hungry family and friends. We come together to…Life Lessons2 min readLife Lessons2 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Oct 30, 2022Moral Courage“Moral courage is the commitment to act upon one’s values regardless of the difficulty or personal cost. It inspires the conviction to take action with the clarity to remain constant in goals but flexible in method.” — Social Standard, Jacqueline Novogratz On your mission, you will encounter adversity. Challenges that…Leadership1 min readLeadership1 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Oct 24, 2022Endurance is not what you think…“Everything that happens is either endurable or not…Just remember: you can endure anything your mind can make endurable, by treating it as in your interest to do so. In your interest, or in your nature.” –Marcus Aurelius, Meditations ENDURANCE. It’s not physical. It’s a powerful force that lives in the mind. Winning at the startup game requires some endurance. You just have to put your mind to it.Life Lessons1 min readLife Lessons1 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Oct 17, 2022It’s not about how smart you are…When I was in high school, I was a human-computer. I could literally do quadratic equations in my head. One of my mentors in high school was Mr. Hickson. He was my math teacher in 11th grade. He would send me home with a little black book full of mathematical thought exercises and brain puzzles. I loved it. But, by…CEO2 min readCEO2 min read
Published in CEOPLAYBOOK·Sep 27, 2022Member-onlyWhy How Smart You Are Has Nothing To Do With How Successful You’ll Be As a CEOWhen I was in high school, I was a human-computer. — I could literally do quadratic equations in my head. One of my mentors in high school was Mr. Hickson. He was my math teacher in 11th grade. He would send me home with a little black book full of mathematical thought exercises and brain puzzles. I loved it. But, by…Books6 min readBooks6 min read
Aug 10, 2022Green Tech: Michael Toporek of Soluna Holdings On How Their Technology Will Make An Important…501Jilea HemmingsThanks for doing this interview.Thanks for doing this interview. At Soluna we are on a mission to make renewable energy a global superpower, using computing as a catalyst. I have been in the innovation game for over 25-years and this the most exciting venture I have been on.1 min read1 min read