[Matatus are mini-vans used for public transport across the African continent. While they are supposed to seat 10-14 passengers, they can have as many as 30 passengers crammed in alongside some goats, hens, or even a cow. Their simple motto of “there’s always room for one more” can be applied to many facets of life.]
Monthly Archives: February 2015
Frame Changers #124: Concepts Across Cultures
[Concepts don’t always travel across cultures. While “personal technology” in the western world typically refers to electronic gadgets like smartphones and wearable devices, it might have a very different interpretation and connotation in another culture.]
Frame Changers #123: From Reflection to Strategy and Execution
[Reflection on the venture, business strategy, implementation approach, and partnerships is extremely important when working in different cultural contexts. However, questioning and doubting yourself every step of the way is unproductive…ventures advance forward when reflection informs strategy and execution… with a certain level of professionalism.]
Frame Changers #122: Whose Duty Is It, Anyway?
Frame Changers #121:Disruptive Innovation
[Disruptive innovation is about creating new markets and value networks while obsoleting old and less-efficient ways of solving problems. However, disruptive innovations can unsettle people and their livelihoods when they are first introduced.]
Frame Changers #120: THON Forever
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly referred to as THON, is a three-day Dance Marathon that raises money to fight pediatric cancer. With 15,000 volunteers working around the year, it is the largest student run philanthropy in the world.
Over half of HESE students participate in THON and several of them have the honor of dancing for the 46 hours. This one is for all of you:
For the Kids, For the Fight
Hold on tight, Dance all night
24 hours in a HESE day and 22 more at THON
Every step, every move, every moment
Empower the dreamers, let hope live on
Every ray contributes to a brave new dawn
Of empathy, love and passion, be the paragon
Dance with your feet, your heart, your soul
Never ever give up, stay poised and egg on
The darkest hour melts into a brave new dawn
I will dance on Monday night, pass me the baton
cuz THON will be gone; HESE tribe will be back
Designing test strips & greenhouses to feed on
Only innovators and executors bring a brave new dawn
For the Kids, For the Fight
Collaborate, Innovate, Get Stuff Done
But, only for this weekend,
Raise the song, Raise the song
Hold on tight, Dance all night
Frame Changers #119: Universal Human Connection
Frame Changers #118: The High-Tech Herder
Frame Changers #117: Science and Technology Gap in Politics
[Besides some notable exceptions like China, few political leaders around the world have education in the STEM fields or truly respect science and technology and leverage them to inform public policy. The situation is aggravated for developing countries which lack robust regulation systems (EPA, FDA, etc) or entities for advancing science and innovation (NSF, NIH, etc). Here’s an interview with an Indian politician expressing his skepticism for cloud computing.]