Martha Herrera, global director of Social Impact at CEMEX and director of the CEMEX-Tec de Monterrey Center, called on the entrepreneurial community to seek its purpose.

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November 4, 2020 2 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Seeking a purpose in life to transcendwas the main invitation from Martha Herrera, global director of Social Impact at CEMEX and director of the CEMEX-Tec de Monterrey Center during the second day of INCmty.

As part of the talk, Martha Herrera commented: "more than 80% of people are asleep, following others and although not all dreams come true, they must be willing to do something to achieve them", therefore, the three shared elements that she has used constantly to transcend personally and professionally: vision, personal development and purposes.

Image: Via INCmty2020

Based on these tips, the director of the CEMEX-Tec de Monterrey Center invited people to take spaces for reflection in these uncertain times to build a community where a vision can be shared without leaving anyone behind. "To become agents of change, so that each one can fight from their own trenches", concluded Martha Herrera.

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3 Elements to Transcend in Life and Leave a Mark - Entrepreneur

In a normal year, St. Francis University Upward Bound Director Anne Heinzeroth begins her recruitment in the spring to fill up the 110 slots the program is funded for through the U.S. Department of Education.

Thats not the casefor this year, though, because the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the whole process.

I was only able to conduct one recruitment visit in early March before the stay-at-home order was issued, she said. So we have a number of student openings.

Upward Bound is a free program for high school students, typically recruited in ninth and 10th grades, from low-income families and families in which neither parent holds a bachelors degree.

Our goal is to get these kids through college,Heinzeroth said.

There are severalUpward Bound initiatives throughout the state and country, but the organization at St. Francis isthe oldest in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest in the United States,Heinzeroth said.

Its been assisting students in Cambria County since 1966 in a variety of areas including college applications, workshops, educational activities and classes.

Were not a hand-out,Heinzeroth said. Were a hand-up.

Normally, students participate in four Upward Bound events per month during the academic year, twice on Saturdays at the university campus and twice at their home schools or libraries for tutorials.

There may also be chances for them to hear from speakers or take field trips.

Then, during the summer, the studentsspend six weeks at the campus taking classes that usually correspond with what they may be taking the next school year.

The environmentmimics a college experience, and for the older students, work study jobs are set up.

All of that has to be done virtually this year because of the pandemic.

Its been been working out, though, Heinzeroth said.

Holding remote meetings has allowedthe group already enrolled gather more frequently.

The group meets Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with teachers and tutors in addition to the Saturday gatherings.

Our virtual tutorials are pretty popular, Heinzeroth said.

Upward Bound is also offeringvirtual cultural and recreational activities for the students each Thursday night this semester.

Despite these setbacks, former participants still see a lot of value in the experience.

I would definitely offer the advice to get involved with Upward Bound or at least a similar program, said Desmend Phillips, a 2016 graduate of Northern Cambria High School. It has been a gigantic help to me and my family and could be a huge help to yours. It takes some time and work, but the rewards much outweigh the effort required.

More than all, it is so much fun.

Phillips studies at St. Francis University and plans to attend Georgetown University for his masters degree.

He got involved in the program because his siblings had participated, and is thankful he did.

This program prepared me for the future better than any other thing Ive ever done,he said. Without the program, I would not have been able to apply to as many scholarships as I did. It allowed me to go to college without the burden of thinking about the financial aspect providing the opportunity to expand on myself in every other aspect of my life. It also taught me how to learn on my own and maintain social relationships along the way.

Jessica Mandrick has similar feelings about Upward Bound.

It is amazing where life can take you after you take the first step outside of your comfort zone,she said.

Attending Upward Bound in high school led me to attend a liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia, where I was introducedto a network of peers from around the country and the world.

Her journey continued to a structural engineering job in New York City, world travel and involvement with national and local professional organizations.

This is a life I had not imagined for myself when I was in high school and I am forever grateful for Upward Bound in seeing it for me, Mandrick said.

She also got involved because of a sibling who had attended and went on toearn her bachelors degree from Swarthmore College.

Mandrick said Upward Bound prepared her for the future by introducing her to an intellectual community.

It set the stage for the types of friendships, professional relationships and personal development opportunities that I would seek out for the rest of my life, she added.

Counselors at the program are also the ones that encouraged her to apply to Swarthmore and helped her travel to college visits.

For more information about Upward Bound, contact Heinzeroth at upwardbound@francis.edu or by calling 814-472-3023.

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Upward Bound at SFU gets creative with recruitment, activities - TribDem.com

Making food and drink stay fresher and tastier longer. Finding ways to refine fuel to reduce pollution. Turning unclean water safe for human consumption. Developing new pest control products to prevent the spread of disease. Designing engineered cardiac tissue to reduce the risk of heart disease. Producing chemicals from natural resources.

These feats may sound beyond reach right now, but theyre actually projects that are being skillfully and confidently brought to life by a team of skilled chemical engineers. In a world dealing with an ongoing pandemic, a climate crisis and the coming age of automation, chemical engineers and the knowledge they bring are key to producing the most important compounds fuel, vaccines, food, and many other products that humanity will need to respond to these challenges.

In-demand and in-line with todays global needs, its of little surprise that chemical engineers are among the highest paid entry-level professionals. Globally, they have gone on to occupy CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies that include ExxonMobil, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Intel, Stryker Medical, and 3M.

Auburn University, one of the largest universities in the Southern US, offers students a strong background in every core area. Their Department of Chemical Engineering offers curricula that challenge and encourage aspiring chemical engineers to learn the basics of solving real-world problems in relation to energy, medicine, nanotechnology and sustainability. All of these play a major part in our lives, and advances in these fields make the world a better place. In any industry that contributes to daily life, the job market for professional chemical engineers is strong and robust, with qualification in the field opening doors to a wide range of exciting professional opportunities in industry and academia.

At the Auburn University Department of Chemical Engineering, students are taught the fundamentals of taking products and compounds, and transforming them into usable, safe and sustainable products for home and industrial use. In a field that stretches from chemistry, to physics, to math, to biology, to the economics behind it all, the Department of Chemical Engineering gives students a 360-degree experience. Their classroom lessons go hand-in-hand with research and faculty mentoring, providing students with individualised support and a fully-immersive learning environment.

The possibilities are endless and the personal development that each student experiences in their life at Auburn University is an added bonus. Apples Tim Cook, CEO of the worlds biggest and fastest-developing tech company, describes his alma mater as one big, happy family, crediting Auburn University for his own development as a person.

Source: Auburn University

The Auburn Family dynamic is not only a saying the university and its departments are dedicated to more than just academic development, with personal milestones being equally as crucial. Through support and collaboration, students and faculty members come together to ensure mutual success. Always keen to offer opportunities to the next great minds of a generation, the Department of Chemical Engineering offers several scholarships to students at different stages of their academic careers.

Students at Auburn get to learn the processes of creating goods and products that are essential for sustaining global well-being. They have access to a faculty that is young, dynamic, and growing with a broad expertise in energy systems; biology engineering; systems engineering; and advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Knowledge in these areas contributes to the global fight for sustainability, enabling innovation for present and future generations. The faculty actively conducts research across several fields that contribute to global well-being. They work with their students to achieve their academic and professional goals.

With our departments combined knowledge and experience, we offer students a well-rounded education and prepare them to be among the best in their field upon graduation, says department chair, Dr. Mario Eden.

In 2020 alone: Assistant professor, Robert Pantazes will further his research in therapeutic proteins and was awarded US$1.75million from the National Institutes of Health to this end;

Assistant professor Bryan Beckingham was the first faculty member from the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering to receive an award through the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Sciences Early Career Research Programme. He was awarded US$750,000 to support his research on multi-solute transport behaviour within ion-containing polymer membranes;

Faculty members Robert Ashurst, Virginia Davis and Maria Soledad Peresin advanced biosensors with grant funding from the State of Alabama;

In collaboration with the Auburn University MRI Research Centre, Tareq Anani, Barry Yeh, and Allan David developed a technology that reduced the toxicity of MRI contrast agents;

Auburn University doctoral candidate in chemical engineering, Richard Cullum, was a part of the R&D team that brought a COVID-19 test from development to clinic in less than two weeks.

Being a part of the Auburn family means being a part of a supportive, collaborative group of faculty members and students who are equally as passionate about bringing forth change and helping each other progress in the process. With accomplishments like these, its hard not to be inspired to contribute.

Do you know the difference between these six major engineering degrees?

English Language with Auburn University at Montgomery: Your path to a leading US University

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How the Auburn family develops heroes through chemical engineering - Study International News

WAVERLEY,NS, Nov. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --In these challenging times, it is easy to feel frustrated and experience tension when other people are not doing what they should be doing, such as wearing masks, speaking respectfully at work and acting responsibly in public. This book allows the reader to build leadership, parenting and personal development skills by using Logosynthesis to change patterns of reacting to feel better. The author introduces Logosynthesis, a structured model for self-coaching and guided change to support healing and development. The process allows users to experience a sense of calm, clarity and confidence to feel relief and to create a more supportive space for others.

In her new book, "Thriving In Our Times: From Reactions To Action Using Logosynthesis" (published by The Healthy Living Plan Inc.), Caswell describes how she learned to appreciate the value of resolving what bothered her before taking action. Given a unique opportunity to learn from its founder, Dr. Willem Lammers, she mastered the method by applying it in her everyday life, by training with an international group of coaches, counselors and therapists and by coaching others. She is a certified Practitioner and Instructor in Logosynthesis.

"As I reflect on my life choices, I can now observe that my patterns of behavior are based on my beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. These patterns have served me well. Work hard. Help others. Stick with it. Yet I can also observe where these patterns have become rigid and overused," Caswell says. "When I experience change and uncertainty, it can be difficult to see other ways of doing things. My automatic responses can feel intense and distressing, for myself and for those around me. Logosynthesis allows me to clear my path to move forward with greater ease and clarity."

"Thriving In Our Times: From Reactions To Action Using Logosynthesis" By Cathy Caswell Paperback | 5.25 x 8 in | 250 pages | ISBN 978-0-9950215-1-8. E-Book | 250 pages | ISBN 978-0-9950215-2-5. Available at Amazon and your favorite book retailer (Distribution through Ingram Content Group)

About the Author: Cathy Caswell, president of The Healthy Living Plan Inc., holds a Masters of Business Administration and is a certified Practitioner and Instructor in Logosynthesis. Her family, her successful corporate career in the food industry and her volunteer leadership in the community allows her to appreciate the many benefits of Logosynthesis to support everyday living.

About Logosynthesis: Founded by Dr. Willem Lammers, a Swiss-Dutch psychologist, it is a model for self-coaching and guided change using the power of words and sentences to change energy fields.

High resolution photos available at this website. Press kit available here.

EDITORS: For review copies (pdf/ebooks) or interview requests, contact: Cathy Caswell Tel: 1-902-402-7614 Email: [emailprotected] (When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.) The Healthy Living Plan Inc. | 1500 Waverley Rd, Waverley, NS | 902.402.7614

SOURCE The Healthy Living Plan Inc

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Author Cathy Caswell Guides Readers on How to Thrive Using Logosynthesis - PRNewswire

We are inching closer to winter, and life is still so challenging for far too many fellow Coloradans. COVID-19 and its many side effects, along with the politicization of everything, is taking a toll on all of us, as we seek to invoke our inner strength to stay optimistic, despite all odds.

There are times during the year that God uplifts us, giving us holidays, opportunities for holiness and inspiration, lifting us out of our daily grime, and into a more spiritual plane. Yet, there are times, like right now, where there are no Jewish holidays, and its Gods way of saying my dear daughters and sons, I want you to pull yourselves up by your bootstraps and get to work, on your own.

While the infused inspiration is a nice touch on occasion, the inspiration weve garnered through personal development and the grilling work of character refinement, is way more valuable. In a sense, we have the upper hand on this path.

With our local ski slopes opening soon, its like God is reminding us to head into nature, meditate on lifes blessings, and take time each day, on our own, to connect spiritually. COVID-19 hasnt allowed us to congregate, and celebrate, together as we are used to, so we are heartened to dig deep into our soul reservoirs to find meaning and connection within. This is why living immersed in natural beauty is so conducive to spiritual awareness.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, its an opportune time to get back on the God train. I remember reading the incredible 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation by President George Washington in which he stated Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness . and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Its a great time to refresh, renew, and regenerate. Lets find our inner spirit, whenever possible at the Chabad Jewish Centers many winter programs, and when joining in person isnt possible, in nature, bonding with God on the slopes!

Rabbi Dovid Mintz directs Vail Chabad Jewish Center. He and his family live in Vail since 2006. He can be reached at info@JewishVail.com.

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Mintz: A time to refresh, renew and regenerate - Vail Daily News

HAVRE DE GRACE Ashley Addiction Treatment (Ashley), one of the worlds most recognized and respected names in the substance use disorder treatment industry, announced today that Alex Denstman, senior vice president and chief growth officer, and Greg Hobelmann, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical and clinical officer, will assume the roles of joint CEO replacing Dave Nassef effective March 1.

The decision to transition Ashley to a dual-executive leadership model is the culmination of hundreds of hours of strategic planning over the last year with Ashleys top decision-makers and advisors. With guidance from Nassef and Ashleys board of directors, Denstman and Hobelmann will spend the next four months transitioning to their new positions. Ultimately, Nassef will take on the role of senior advisor and envoy for the organization.

Dave has been instrumental within the Ashley organization for nearly two decades, and we would not be where we are today without his unwavering commitment and visionary leadership, said Jim Denvir, chair, board of directors. Were incredibly grateful that he stepped into the role of president and CEO when he did and thank him for everything he has contributed that has helped countless patients and propelled Ashley forward. Dave and the boards decision to expand Alex and Gregs roles and transition them into our next generation of leaders came with significant preparation and planning, and we are confident that their enthusiasm and capabilities will take Ashley into its next phase of growth and innovation.

Ashleys powerful legacy of treating each patient with dignity and respect together with its innovative clinical advancements have placed it at the forefront of the addiction and substance use disorder treatment industry. Under Nassefs leadership, Ashley has maintained its position among the worlds leading treatment facilities.

Looking back on my time at Ashley, I am so proud of everything we have accomplished, said Nassef. Ashley was founded 38 years ago on a co-leadership structure with a mission to be the leader in patient care. With that in mind, our goal was to find a long-term solution without sacrificing both the necessary clinical and business expertise thats required for this unique role or Ashleys core values. We are fortunate to have two outstanding executives with complimentary skillsets and proven track records of success within the organization who embody Ashleys legacy and timeless mission to save lives and impact our community. I cant think of a better match to lead Ashley into the future and ensure its longevity as one of the nations leading nonprofit organizations.

Denstman and Hobelmann combined bring nearly two decades of experience in the addiction and substance use disorder treatment industry. As individuals who have fought their own personal battles with substance use disorder, and since, found long-term recovery, they remain dedicated to helping others through their life-long mission to destigmatize addiction and mental health disorders by shining a light on this debilitating disease.

Both Greg and Alex have witnessed first-hand the process of recovery and remain devoted to their own personal journeys of recovery, continued Nassef. Their experiences have only bolstered their commitment to revolutionizing the treatment of substance use disorders and to destigmatizing this disease. Under their leadership, we are confident that they will continue to lead the industry in research and innovation in partnership with leading healthcare systems and universities.

Denstman joined Ashley in 2009 as a case manager and quickly moved through the ranks advancing to an outward-facing role where he continued to enhance the organizations mission to reach those in need. His drive and enthusiasm were quickly recognized among senior leadership, and soon after, he was promoted to a business development role where he more than doubled Ashleys provider relationships and is credited with establishing partnerships with major commercial payers. With a demonstrated ability to spearhead and implement state-of-the-art programs, Denstman has been effective in improving Ashleys approach to treatmenta major contributor to its success today.

When the initial outbreak of COVID-19 struck, Denstman was instrumental in the conception and implementation of Ashleys Incident Command Center, an emergency protocol system to structure processes and provide guidance for managing threats, planned events and emergency incidents. The result was Ashleys first-ever virtual counseling and telehealth services and five-day stabilization program to mitigate risk of exposure. Because of his swift action, Denstman was able to maintain a sense of safety and security among patients and staff in a way that fostered Ashleys healing environment. In addition, he helped establish the organizations Recovery Ready Workplace program to equip small and mid-sized businesses with education and resources to identify substance use disorder among employees and offer complimentary confidential assessments and treatment program referrals. With as many as one in 10 people thought to be struggling with substance use disorder, the program accelerates a much-needed solution to identify addiction among workers and help them find long-term healing and recovery.

Im humbled and grateful for the trust that Dave and the board have placed in me and Greg to continue carrying out Ashleys long-standing message of recovery and hope, said Denstman. Addiction does not stand still. As patient needs change and new challenges surface, we are not only committed to adapting to the changing conditions but to anticipate them. Having a partner like Greg, who is an accomplished clinician and researcher with a depth of experience in treating substance abuse, gives me even more confidence that together we will reach and effectively treat more people in need for many years to come.

Hobelmann, who first joined Ashley in 2009, is an award-winning clinician with 23 years of medical experience. He has dedicated his lifes work to improving patient outcomes and helping others find recovery through cutting-edge research and advanced methodologies. Prior to Ashley, Hobelmann was board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine and served as chief resident in both the anesthesia and psychiatric departments at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He currently maintains his certification in psychiatry and addiction medicine and holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Were facing a healthcare industry that is continuing to grow more complex every day, said Hobelmann. Alex is an accomplished business leader with a shrewd understanding of the payer-provider relationship. He has delivered innovative care and cost models with numerous providers allowing Ashleys services to become affordable and accessible to more people than ever before. Im honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside him in this capacity and continue leading the distinguished clinical work that Ashley is known for.

Throughout his time at Ashley, Hobelmann has implemented many ground-breaking programs and established an ongoing partnership with Johns Hopkins Hospital and its schools of medicine to address the opioid epidemic using the most up-to-date evidence-based treatments. His published studies address the complex problems that arise in early recovery, chronic pain management and ways to improve patient outcomes through removal of barriers to treatment. In 2019, he created Ashleys Model of Care group to ensure patients receive the most up-to-date treatment. He also created a personal development program for staff, which provides continuing education on the latest findings in addiction treatment and harm reduction, so that the highest quality of care is available to everyone who walks through Ashleys doors.

Denvir said, Greg embodies Ashleys driving principle, everything for recovery, and through his work, has enabled Ashley to be a powerful force in the recovery community. He consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to break new ground in the addiction treatment and recovery world and improve patient outcomes. Were fortunate to have two extremely talented experts with a deep passion for treatment and a commitment to Ashley join each other at the helm of the organization. There is no better individual or pair of leaders equipped to lead Ashley and ensure that the organization will have consistent leadership for decades to come.

Denstman and Hobelmanns drive to help those in need has also translated to key roles outside the walls of Ashley. As a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), Denstman provides training resources and participates in executive roundtables on complex issues facing the industry. As a board member of the D.C. Maryland Virginia Professional Liaisons Association, he assists in promoting collaboration and ethics within the behavioral healthcare field. Additionally, he is an active member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce, among a group of executives at Ashley dedicated to fostering racial equality and inclusion and holds an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

In addition to his role at Ashley, Hobelmann serves as a part-time faculty member in Johns Hopkins Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department and is a board member of NAATP. Previously, he served on the advisory committee for the New Day Campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma of addiction and mental health disorders through art. He is also an active speaker and lecturer who educates peers on new findings and the importance of comprehensive pain management.

As a nonprofit addiction and substance use disorder treatment provider, Ashleys bottom line is always the health and recovery of its patients. Over the last year, it has diversified its treatment portfolio by establishing several new clinical programs and strategic collaborations to better fit individual needs and expand the number of patients it serves. Some of the more notable programs implemented recently include: Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), which bridges the gap between outpatient and inpatient services to provide better options for those transitioning between programs or unable to commit to a full-time inpatient schedule; Womens Extended Care Program and Residence that focuses on long-term, gender-specialized treatment for women; and the relocation and expansion of its outpatient treatment center in Bel Air.

To learn more about Ashley or to view the extensive list of services it provides to those who suffer from a substance use disorder, please visit ashleytreatment.org.

Originally posted here:
Ashley Addiction Treatment Appoints Joint CEOs | The Bargaineer - Cecil Daily

In many efforts to alleviate societal issues and address the issue of poverty, many schools, businesses, nonprofits and faith-based institutions often engage in work that oftentimes overlaps without intentional collaboration that creates shared value.

This begs the question: Why is it so hard for organizations to connect and build sustainable relationships for and with vulnerable populations? Why do we continue to silo ourselves?

The unintended consequence of creating silos is that wider gaps are created in the lives of vulnerable populations especially Black and brown populations. Who is standing in the gaps to build the relational capacity for effective community engagement among schools, businesses and nonprofits to create a supportive ecosystem for vulnerable populations, especially our youth, to thrive?

Founded in 2010, ProAct Indys mission is to stand in the gap for vulnerable populations while empowering youth to actively transform their communities.

Leveraging social capital, we specialize in intentionally bringing together organizations in the city helping groups cross social, racial, and economic boundaries. We arrange social justice training workshops and service projects, allowing businesses and community members to learn and serve alongside vulnerable youth.

ProAct began not to create another dot on the map of nonprofit organizations doing great work, but rather to intentionally create an efficient system to connect the dots already existing on the map to help sustain and amplify youth voice and action. We seek to redefine and set the standard of what community service is as we define community service as intentionally building and creating meaningful relationships.

Brief history and program model

Since inception, ProAct has evolved several times to meet the needs of our community in response to the demand of our programs and services. ProAct began in 2010 by engaging small groups of Indianapolis youth from apartment communities in community service every Saturday, supporting various nonprofits with consistent volunteer support. In 2014, we began to work with schools by offering an afterschool club with cohorts of youth who learn and serve together. This prompted the creation of a formal program curriculum teaching youth about the root causes of the social issues they address through service each month.

In 2015, we saw an opportunity to offer the same type of engagement to businesses who pay ProAct to plan, train and manage service days their employees participate in. Not only did we provide a benefit to the business community, but the profits we gained through our corporate programs supported our youth cohorts year after year, making our program free to youth and their families.

In 2017-2018, between youth and corporate programs, ProAct grew from engaging just over 2,000 people in service to over 10,000 people in one years time, serving 10 schools, 17 businesses, and 115 nonprofits. Such quick growth was not easy to manage operationally and we learned valuable lessons as we scaled up that prompted us to scale back our programs in 2019 to refine our innovative program model to be more sustainable and intentional.

That brings us to today.

We have taken what has worked well in the past and have created a completely integrated framework for community engagement connecting schools, corporations, and nonprofits through our Proactive Community Model.

This model is sustained over the course of many months, years and gives youth consistent, caring adults who mentor and teach them valuable 21st century skills, equips young professionals within partnering companies with personal development opportunities, provides companies with a complete community engagement solution for their employees, and gives nonprofit volunteer managers consistent support around meaningful volunteer engagement.

We humbly believe that our experience and our sensitivity to the needs of our youth and our community have brought us to a position where we can continue our impact in even more innovative ways than ever before. Working alongside our youth and community partners, ProAct has become an instrumental partner in tackling some of the citys most critical problems.

Next week at our Close the Gap: 10 Year Celebration & Awards Program, ProAct celebrates a decade of experience providing quality programs and services to meet the needs of our community.

Derrin Slack is a speaker, training facilitator, consultant, Founder of ProAct Indy and contributor for the Indianapolis Recorder. Contact him atderrin@proactindy.org

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Creating proactive communities: What is a proactive community? (Part II) - Indianapolis Recorder

By Vinnie Lauria6 minute Read

One of the best things that leaders of a young company can do, with the pandemic and shutdowns continuing to disrupt everything, is . . . read books. Why? Because when crucial interactions are distorted by being forced online, you need more than tips for looking good in a videoconference. When uncertain times threaten a firms survival, you need more than emergency moves. Its time to focus on fundamentals.

At our venture capital firm over the past few months, weve sent surveys to our founders asking where theyre facing challenges and could use help. Then we reached out through our networks for suggestions of books in areas of need.

The most requested area for help was around culture during work-from-home. Its clear that a strong, healthy cultureone that truly taps what each person can offerwill carry you through the storm. Grasping some basic principles of human interaction can enable you to sell, hire, negotiate, and collaborate better whether you are on Zoom or together in an office. And fundamentals that will work in situations such as these are best laid out clearly and concisely in books written by world-class experts.

Out of a list of about 30and after a good bit of readingI now have six books, one for each major issue, which Im recommending to all our startups.

These books are practical, hands-on tools that any operating business leader can use to grow their business in the current environment, focusing on six fundamentals: culture, objectives and key results (OKRs), management, sales, hiring, and negotiations.

Culture: Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock

Culture still eats strategy for lunch. It is the behavioral force field that shapes everything a company does. In todays environment, where teams arent socializing and connecting the same way, this force field is weakened. Work Rules! is just the book to read for expanding your arsenal of tools and processes to reinforce culture. Written by the former head of people operations at Google, its an inside tour of that companys renowned culture. Although you cant (and probably shouldnt) replicate every practice Google uses, the thinking behind them is transferable.

For example, Google invests great effort and precision in personal development while sewing it into the fabric of company culture. This creates a culture teeming with grassroots energy, far more so than if you were to impose arbitrary standards and get rid of the people who dont measure up. You may find the seeds of dozens of useful ideas in Work Rules! After all, if there were just one secret to culture, nobody would need a booka slogan would do the trick.

OKRs: Measure What Matters, by John Doerr

OKRs (objectives and key results) are the goal-setting and progress-measuring tools that many companies try to use but few know how to use well. When I polled the founder/CEOs in our portfolio on what theyd most like to learn about, OKRs ranked highly. And while John Doerr is best known for his track record as an investor at Kleiner Perkins, he is also a sensei in the art of OKRs. Doerr learned about OKRs from their inventor, Andy Grove, at Intel in the 1970s. Later he introduced them to Google alongside Kleiners investment, where a new twist was added: Make every objective a real stretch. If you only get 70% of the way to the goal, youll still have accomplished plenty.

And speaking of the man who invented OKRs . . .

Management: High Output Management, by Andy Grove

People are not machines, and they cant be treated like robots in an assembly line. And yet Grove, the legendary engineer turned CEO, built Intel into a Silicon Valley powerhouse with a management approach rooted in industrial mass production methods. He did it by applying mechanistic, production-oriented thinking to the overall planning and guidance of the companys operationswhich in fact ought to run like a well-oiled machinewhile dealing with the companys people from a viewpoint that recognizes how individuals and teams need to work. There is probably no single book that deserves to be called the bible of managing tech companies. But if pressed to name one, I know a lot of folks in the Valley who would choose High Output Management.

Sales: Pitch Anything, by Oren Klaff

Pitch Anything is focused on the precious minutes youre granted for selling a deal of any kind to a prospective client, investor, or even a team member. It explains concepts such as telling simple stories to intrigue your prospects primitive crocodile part of the brain. This becomes very important over a video call, when youre fighting for attention against peoples tendencies to drift off and surf the web.

Oren Klaff also teaches the concept of framing to control the sales encounter. His framing techniques include power and prizing, where you adopt a mindset and tactics that frame you as the alphayou have valuable goods to offer. Theres a nice cheat-sheet summary of Pitch Anything on the web.

Hiring: Topgrading, by Bradford Smart

Topgrading has been a traditional favorite of recruiters and HR, and in todays pandemic, hiring becomes trickier when candidates cant be brought on-site for up-close inspection and in-person interviews. This book was first written when the majority of interviews were conducted over landline phones, making video calls a step up. Topgrading has guidelines for asking great interview questions that draw out revealing truths, not pro-forma evasions. These behavioral-based questions translate very well for us VCs during our due diligence in todays environment, where years of practice of reading body language and physical cues are lost over a Zoom call. One question Ive used that can really jolt a deeper conversation: What is the biggest misperception others have of you?

Topgrading also gives you an array of techniques for identifying and growing A players. Its not just about hiring, but understanding where individuals in your organization need to be in one year and how to measure that growth.

Negotiations: Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss

Right off the bat, this books title tells you a lot. Author Chris Voss worked for the FBI in hostage situationsthe kind where an armed suspect is inside a building, holding innocent people as bargaining chips, and his job was to talk the bad guy out of there without losing any lives. Voss typically had to do this by phone, unable to see who he was negotiating with. Chances are that what worked for him while flying blind, under incredibly high-stakes pressure, will work well in your next video call.

Many of his negotiating methods may look counterintuitive. For example, dont come on like a hard bargainer; listen and empathize. Use tactics of mirroring the other person (repeating their last few words) and labeling (describe their emotions back to them). Instead of trying to get to yes, get your adversary saying no. (Done properly, this actually works.) And never, never split the difference.

Reading, of course, isnt the same as doing. But it can inform and inspire what we do and how we do it. So I would urge you to find out how these books might help you come through our lockdown times while building yourself, and your team, into fundamentally stronger players for the years ahead.

Vinnie Lauria is a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned investor. He is a managing partner at Golden Gate Ventures, a Singapore-based VC fund.

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6 must-read books for startup leaders navigating the pandemic - Fast Company

Apply now to be a part of the University of Arkansas delegation for the 33rd annual Southwest Black Student Leadership Conference. The 33rd Annual Southwest Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC), hosted at Texas A&M University, will be held virtually Friday and Saturday, Jan.22-23, 2021.

This theme of the conference this year is "The Evolution: From Ambition to Fruition."The goal of this year's Conference is to provide a "platform for today's young Black leaders that'll strengthen the Black community, endorse professional development, and enhance personal growth to sustain a unified race."

If you are interested in attending this year's Conference, click on the link to apply. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. Dec.4.

If you are selected to attend, you will be required to attend a Pre-Conference Meeting in early January 2021. Only complete applications will be considered.

If you have any questions or need any additional information regarding the conference application and selection process, you can contact Adrain Smith, Director of Leadership & Diversity Initiatives at atsmith@uark.edu.

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Apply to Attend the 33rd Annual Southwest Black Student Leadership Conference - University of Arkansas Newswire

Although I dearly miss many aspects of life on Georgetown Universitys campus, hearing my fellow students brag about how much time they spent cooped up in Lauinger Library or how little sleep they got is not one of them.

While I am certainly guilty of acting like school is a competition over how much work one can get done before they pass out from exhaustion and sleep deprivation, we as a community must now come together to recognize how harmful this language really is. To do so, we must interrogate why we feel so compelled to brag about pushing ourselves to our breaking points.

Georgetown community members and administrators must acknowledge what harm this mindset, known as internalized capitalism, does to community members in order to foster an environment that values peoples humanity over their productivity.

Capitalism is a system that prioritizes profits over the well-being and dignity of people. While this statement may seem extreme, in reality, it is a truth universally internalized without many people even realizing it. While this system may not always be obvious to us because capitalism is so pervasive in American culture, we continuously act in a way that perpetuates this system.

In an interview with Vox, Malcolm Harris, an author who writes about how economics affects the behavior of young people, said young people have internalized the drive to produce as much as [they] can for as little as possible.

Capitalism is such a ubiquitous facet of American life that we have come to believe self-satisfaction comes mainly from ones life at work. What makes internalized capitalism so insidious is its tendency to make us question our own worth as people if we are not productive. Internalized capitalism fuels the stress culture at Georgetown with which so many of us take issue.

As students at Georgetown surrounded by high-achieving peers, we are expected and compelled to sacrifice our health and wellness to do well in classes, be leaders of clubs and do good for our wider community. While these are noble goals, internalized capitalism forces students to work until they are at their breaking point for all the wrong reasons. Instead of having the opportunity to intentionally invest our time in causes we care about, we are forced into an endless cycle of long nights and never-ending to-do lists.

We feel like we have to work so hard to achieve this unattainable expectation of what it means to be a student at Georgetown. Associating our place in this community with productivity is incredibly damaging, as students feel like they do not deserve rest until they have been productive enough.

As a community, we need to interrogate where our self-worth should come from and how that differs from how we actually determine our value as people. It should not take 10 hours in Lau and four hours of sleep a night for us to feel like we are valuable people. I worry that students have lost sight of their inherent value and dignity that comes with being human. While we should be proud of the work we accomplish and be willing to discuss with our peers when we fall short of our goals, our relative success should never define us.

If we allow this mindset to continue, students will view their shortcomings in academics or extracurriculars as personal failures, damaging their sense of self. Students need to actively remind themselves that their worth does not depend on their productivity.

Attitudes of internalized capitalism ultimately undermine one of Georgetowns core values, cura personalis, or care of the whole person. While students hear this phrase often from administrators, it is important for students to hear explicitly that their worth to Georgetown is inherent and unconditional, not dependent on the work they do while at Georgetown. From the moment students enter this community, they need to know that someone is looking out for them no matter how well they are doing in school.

To achieve this vision, administrators must encourage professors to be flexible with students and expand mental health resources so every student has the chance to build a healthy sense of self that does not depend on how much they can accomplish on any given day.

Completely rejecting internalized capitalism is a massive task that will require collective effort, but there are things we can do at individual and institutional levels to help alleviate the burdens of this harmful mindset. Being a student should be a rich and fulfilling experience, not one that causes constant stress and anxiety. We need to work toward formulating a culture that encourages curiosity and passion over being productive for productivitys sake.

The Georgetown experience should be so much more than a completed checklist; it should encourage growth and personal development that will ultimately make us better stewards of compassion, generosity and justice.

Erin Casey is a sophomore in the College.

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VIEWPOINT: Dismantle Internalized Capitalism - Georgetown University The Hoya