Innovation and Entrepreneurship

With some Soul.

I just got back from a long weekend in Dubai attending the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The experience was enlightening, invigorating, inspiring, motivating and above all else, empowering. In fact, if there ever were just the right medicine for what was ailing my drifting Soul, this was it. And right at a time when I was feeling dragged down and deflated in Oman.

I have so many things to remember and take away from this Summit - but I choose to sum it up with one statement. Living with a purpose.

This statement is what drove the spirit of the three days from April 1-3. Straight from the mouths of a sampling of the worlds movers and shakers including business leaders, government ministers and officials, NGO leaders, entertainers and spiritual motivators - all gathered together with a common interest in Innovation and Entrepreneurship with a purpose - Innovation for Peace. People spoke with such passion and energy, determination and foresight, about gathering together around each others' goals and initiatives to drive further innovation for the benefit of the global society. They spoke so passionately and intently that I actually believed them. More importantly, they asked the right questions and gave the right answers that I actually began to believe again that I too, am working for and have a purpose driven by the same things.

AIESEC representatives were invited to provide a youth element to the conversations. It was truly a privilege to represent AIESEC and simply to be present in such an engaging environment. Thank you to AIESEC for that opportunity, as well as the Global Leadership Team for recognizing the value that AIESEC can bring to such discussions and gatherings.

What I think I will remember the most out of this experience is this single phrase that the Minister of Information Technology from Mauritius kept repeating. It was throughout his conversation with the Executive Vice President of Deutsche Post - himself an AIESEC Alum - about the costs of leadership on the people that choose to rise through it. The Minister kept repeating, "What we need is more value-driven people in this world." It was clear through the conversation tone and setting, that the values he wanted were basic respect and understanding for life and humanity supported by the will to serve your neighbor, and to do good for good's sake.

I am reinvigorated and ready to approach my life renewed. I am bringing this energy and passion that I have rediscovered back to Oman with the commitment to live my life here with purpose, and to never overlook the opportunities here for discovery and learning - about myself and the world that surrounds me. Yes, I am brining it back with some more Soul.

Feeling Effective

I am going through a personal revelation about how to best keep myself in that "effective zone" where I know that things are being accomplished and that I am optimizing my time. I have started to notice that it is critically important for me to have a clear separation between my work life and personal life. I knew this going in to things here, and then I began to make a few sacrifices here and there, eating into my personal space until I had lost any real sense of life without work, without AIESEC. I know now how unhealthy that is, as it leads me to resent parts of my work, and at times the people I work with - which is by no means adding to my work efficiency and effectiveness.

The International Presidents Meeting gave me a lot to think about - what is AIESEC at its core, what does it mean for me, and why do I continue to give it my energy, my dedication, at times my sacrifices. I began to search for that deep meaning and purpose that I had once discovered in my AIESEC experiences. To be most honest, these experiences were ones in which I felt most alive. What I am realizing though, is that it was not the AIESEC mantra and models and dances, etc., that really elevated me to those levels. It was everything that I was putting into my life-living: the energy, the dedication to self-exploration, the insistence that I was doing something important for someone - if no one else but myself.

It is true that AIESEC is doing amazing things in this world. But it is not meaningful in and of itself. It is the people that are living in it that provide it with its meaning.

Perhaps I feel this way because I have lived what I consider to be the quintessential element of the AIESEC experience - the exchange. It was not until I completed this element that I was willing to devote my time to supporting the entire organization.

My words here are not meant to discredit anything that AIESEC or AIESECers have done. In fact, I laud the continuing efforts of AIESECers worldwide - and I can think of very few things more valuable for young people to be pursuing at this stage in life. However, I challenge all AIESECers to really evaluate the meaning and importance of what it is that we are doing. Why do we all continually, relentlessly pour our hearts and souls into this organization? I think it is more than just the concept of impact. And I think there is more to being an AIESECer than just simply being a member of this organization.

Finally, bringing this all back to the title of this post - I cannot feel effective and purposeful with only AIESEC in my life. I need my life balance and I need to realize that AIESEC is not life in and of itself - it is an enabler for some quintessential parts of life to be lived. I need the other parts in my life, and I always will.

Gulftastic Time

And so it was that I ended my journey back from the US of A with a three day stopover in the island kingdom country of Bahrain. The occasion was the first AIESEC Gulf Conference, bringing together members from Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. There was a special aura, an energy amongst all in attendance - anticipating what this moment would mean. For me, it was a chance to really see a piece of my work coming to fruition, a tangible verification of the work that my team and I have done to this point. I cannot claim too much responsibility for the success of this conference outside of the sessions that I helped to facilitate, so I give credit where credit is certainly due to Jorien of Bahrain, and David of my team. With these two leaders, we, as a group in the Gulf, were able to catalyze our efforts into an experience for a group of young people that they will certainly not forget for a long time to come.

It is good to be back in the Gulf. It is good to be back in Oman. After leaving and coming back so many times now, it is now comforting to feel that there is a piece of home in Oman when I return. I am looking at another period of time away from this piece of home for another incredible AIESEC experience in the Republic of Macedonia. This will surely prove to be the most singularly challenging and exciting experience in my AIESEC career, as I will be representing my colleagues and members, as well as the six months of work we've done to this point, before a group of over 100 peer leaders. I know that I have a large responsibility going in to this conference, and that a lot is expected out of my representation. I feel as if I am looking at one of those defining and enlightening moments in life that provide a degree of clarity and confusion all at the same time.

I believe in the power of what I am a part of, the potential, and the impact already, of my efforts through the organization that is AIESEC. It's funny how my relationship with it is changing all the time, as well as my perception of my effectiveness and my capacity and competency to make our large goals realities. To say that it has been easy would be a lie. To be honest, it has been an extreme roller coaster much akin to an adolescent romance turning into an adult relationship- distance, skepticism, infatuation, love, struggle, disillusionment, rejection, finally to tempered, dedicated, quietly passionate love and deep respect. While I cannot say that it will forever receive my attention and love as I intend for my adult relationship, I can say that I will persist in my work for it, as a labor of love for its ideals and principles - and the people they are intended to benefit the most.

Revelations come at the most unexpected moments.

The Romance Continues

Small moments in time can change a lot. It's those moments, those conversations, those people, that come are able to push you to see more, challenge you to realize the importance of what you are doing and why - it's those moments that can change it all.

I'm back in the game

The Beginning of the AIESEC Oman Experience

It has finally come... the quintessential moment of the AIESEC experience, when students are first exposed to its possibilities and their own potential. For the very first time, Omani students had the opportunity to sit in their classrooms and learn first hand about what is coming to their colleges and universities through our information sessions. It was elating to see the excitement in their faces, the smiles, the questions and the already apparent commitment and dedication that some students have to do something more. These are important moments not only for the students to first learn and understand a piece about AIESEC, but also for the people speaking about their own experiences in AIESEC. I myself delivered my personal AIESEC story to yet another group of students - and yet again, I reflected on how important and impactful my experiences through AIESEC have been to me.

It is so exciting, and now relieving, to be able to speak and start to work with the Omani students. After four months of work and planning, the real purpose of why we are here is able to take place. Now the real work has just begun. Now we start to recruit our most direct stakeholders with the most to gain from what we are doing - the people who will be able to take the lead when we start to move on.

Through all of these experiences, I have been having my own moments of revelation and clarity. I am finally starting to understand what I am doing here, and the significance of this experience for my own development. The transition from our initial touch-down in Oman four months ago to now has been a flurry of activity, and a series of growing pains in which I've learned how to reach inside myself for some other source of energy and inspiration in order to reach back out. I've retaught myself how to live in a foreign environment, and to understand it as a place I belong, as yet another home. I've learned how to live and work with two incredible individuals who I've depended on for life in the work environment, as well as moments of personal troubles. I've learned how to get the best work out of myself, and how to encourage the best work out of my colleagues that makes us function as well as possible as a team. And through it all, I've rediscovered who I am, my values, and my purpose-filled life that I've worked so hard to build.

We are entering a new and exciting phase here, for AIESEC and for ourselves personally. Once again, I couldn't be happier with my choice to come to Oman in order to pursue the task I've bee given, for myself and the countless others who I will be working with. I've got to say that I am loving this life here, and I am ready for more to come.

With the Higher Education

Refer back to the title of my previous post - shazaam.

We had a great day with the Ministry. Our presentation went wonderfully and our host seemed genuinely interested about what AIESEC has to offer Oman. We will be giving them more soon. After that we met with an SQU official who was very welcoming in his reception. We talked about the wonders of Oman for about 15 min before we even talked about business. And after our presentation, he offered us a chance to visit his hometown with him during the Eid Festival coming up next week. I think this is about the 3rd or 4th offer that we've gotten - we have to take at least one up!

We met up right after the meeting with our student friends at SQU. We've been able to branch out and meet more students. There are some very exciting individuals that we're talking to, and they are so excited to have AIESEC come to their university - they are already volunteering their time and energy to support us as we work to get the administration's permission! I'm so impressed already with the caliber of the young people in Oman. I couldn't be more excited to start working with them.

After the work day was over, we quick got out of our pimp suits and jumped into our street clothes to head back to SQU. A couple of student groups were holding an iftar dinner and celebration, and the three of us AIESECers were what developed into the guests of honor. I was hoping to slip without too much into the festivities, or at least not make anything that could be interpreted as a flashy show - the reason being that we have been told that SQU's administration is a little wary of foreign involvement with their students. Of course, when I bring it up with students they try to quell my anxieties, so we just all got on with it. Things moved along quite well, I got to speak with some more new students (new to me) and even practice a bit of my French with a Belgian Omani who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the last 13 years. It's almost comical how distinctly Brett, David and I stick out in a group of Omanis. All the boys dressed in white dishtashas and all the girls in black abayas. Of course, it's impossible to miss us. We invite curiosity with our simple presence.

After dinner, the excitement started. There were a series of prayers and readings from the Qur'an, all of which were unintelligible to me as they were naturally done in Arabic. I was able to pick up a few words that I know like, "in," "to," "day," etc. And then almost like it was an established progression, the student hosts quickly moved into a series of gag games. The three of us watched as the students had a banana eating contest, an orange juice drinking contest, a "pick the coin out of the plate of flower with your teeth first" contest, with a finale of a "tie a balloon to your ankle and stomp everyone else's balloon - last person with a balloon left wins" contest. I was quickly picked out of the crowed to tie the first balloon around my ankle, and then recruited my compatriots into the games too. The game started, and after a bright flash, Brett "Turbo" Borkan was the only one left with a balloon. Prizes galore, everybody wins - and I came home with a pair of candle holders. It's time to go candle shopping.

We topped off the night with a round of barefoot bowling at the student center on campus with a couple of our new friends. It still amazes me how Omanis are able to bowl in their long dishtashes. Kudos my friends.

Also, here is a quick video to check out. Brett and I made it for our LC in Madison - with the critical help of David Ziser. Hope you enjoy it.

Shout out to Mad Town!

Movin and Shakin

So tomorrow constitutes one of the biggest days of meetings that we've had while in Oman. We will be meeting with the Ministry of Higher Education, which is essentially the top dog around here when it comes to the direction and programming of institutions of higher learnings. While the meeting is designed to be an informational session for us to present to the ministry, it is our first formal presentation to the government and will be telling for us in future encounters. I have to say it came about quite fast, set up by a contact we made last week that actually followed through with a promise (and even during Ramadan). We weren't exactly expecting it, but thankfully we are prepared and ready to go. Our second meeting is with an official at Sultan Qaboos University which is considered to be the Holy Grail of universities in Oman, as it is the oldest and most government-esque uni around. It carries the Sultan's name for Gosh Sake. It's about time we get them warmed up to the amazing opportunities that abound for their students in AIESEC.

We are on the upswing of one of those rhythmic cycles I alluded to in a previous post. Things are starting to materialize in a real way which is changing our sense of time through the increased activity. And our perspectives of the culture and country will change shortly too, I have no doubt. The more people we meet the more our concepts of what Oman is change. They are wonderful revelations to be certain, and I look forward to the many new and exciting developments that they will bring. I will do my best to document them here so that everyone can keep up on the excitement too.

Rhythmic Anticipation

Here's when everything gets real. Here's when things get turned up a notch. Here's when we go from the drawing board to the playing field - the time is now, we will make it happen.

Anticipating moments of change is sensory art. It is the ability to know when the energy of a situation changes, in preparation for something different. These changes happen whether one is paying attention or not. The gift of anticipation is allowing oneself to adapt enough before the change in order to ease the transition from one phase to the next.

I have reason to believe that change has a rhythm - reasons derived more from a sense of faith than a measured record of fact. Nonetheless, change does happen, and our challenges together and individually are to make sense of those changes for the actions that must take place in it.

The reason I bring all of this up is not simply for the joy of musing on change itself - but because of my own sense that our reality in Oman is approaching a large change of its own. To this point, we have been laying the foundations for something, for a project that was to be at some other time. What is exciting is the fact that this time is now upon us. We are in the beginning phases of working with the people and organizations that will create AIESEC Oman.

And I guarantee that we are not only sensing the change that this brings, we are part of that change.