In the world of business, CEOs are often seen as the ultimate authority figures, the ones in charge who make the important decisions and guide their companies to success. But what happens when these powerful leaders aren’t who they appear to be? This thought crossed my mind while watching the Hulu documentary, The Dropout. It tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of Theranos, a biotech company that promised to revolutionize the medical industry with its revolutionary blood testing technology.

Every 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…

January 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…

“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…

I 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…

Time 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…

“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…

“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.

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…