Some Stories Need Retelling

With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought this was a story worth retelling - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah and a new year ahead.  I am continually overwhelmed with the blessings in my life and this remains one of the most powerful in my entire career - thanks to Vala Afshar & Sidney Kushner. 
 

What Gives You Hope?

Summer is ending, leaves are changing and we know what is coming, and I'm so filled with Hope!  Yup! InBIF10 Top Row L-R Marlea Brown, Andrew Kaplan, Nicha Ratana; Bottom Row L-R: Faisal Khurshid, Isby Lubin, Fiora MacPherson, Sarah Kandath, Me  what, in Whom do you Hope? Hope is a powerful force in life.  It is based in what is both possible and probable, not in hallucination. That's why September is Hope Month for me...because of BIF10.  

BIF is the most amazing gathering of humans from all over the world sharing stories about perseverance, innovation, impact…and Hope! Every year we wonder how can the next be better and it always is.  Because of Hope – Hope in what the human spirit is capable of achieving:

• A 14yr old kid building robots because she can (Camille Beatty);
• Saving babies and moms in Nepal (Arlene Samen);
• Building on the power of Houston’s urban core (Angela Blanchard);
• Rebuilding an Air Force in Afghanistan (Col. Matt Fritz);
• Fleeing the Iranian revolution to become the guru of social business (Vala Afshar);
• Drawing your way to peace (New Yorker Cartoonist, Liza Donnelly);
• So many many more incredible stories of Hope! 

I urge you to look at the videos, photos, and posts…. And sign up for next year!!

What do the Classic Virtues Have to Do With Design?

Thank you Better World by Design for inviting me to share to a wonderfully crowded session! Very special thanks to Hanna McPhee for designing a gorgeous presentation and Sidney Kushner (Founder, CCChampions) and Faisal Khurshid (MED International) for powerful stories about the impact of the virtues on explicit aspects of 

Applying the Classic Virtues to Design & Innovation: A Better World by Design 2014 from Mills-Scofield, LLC