I was hoping that by June I could write about how the economy is recovering and things are looking up all over the world but I am not sure we are there yet. Every article I read seems to have a different take on the economy but I do think we have touched the bottom and from here there is no place to go but up. I am so confident of this that I am crossing my fingers and toes!
Last week I attended the annual conference organized by TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) of which I am a charter member. Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, business leaders and students gathered for a couple of days to attend panel discussions on hot topics ranging from cloud computing to social entrepreneurship. My favorite part of the conference was the banquet where Tom Ashbrook, of NPR fame, conducted a fireside chat with Jonathan Bush, founder & CEO of Athena Health. The young CEO was funny beyond words and narrated incidents from his entrepreneurship journey that had us laughing all the way. If only building a company involved so much laughing there would be many more entrepreneurs! As for Tom Ashbrook anyone who has heard him on NPR knows he is amazingly articulate, but what one finds in person is that he is extremely personable too. I grabbed the chance to chat with him after the event and was thrilled beyond words when he spoke to me in Telugu, my mother tongue! Tom was always my favorite reporter but after that chat with him, I now think of him as a friend.
In the non-profit world, the organization I am involved with, Vision Aid, is getting ready for its annual event so I am immersed in the world of flyers, brochure designs etc. We were very lucky to find an excellent designer who is designing all our marketing materials for free. Through Vision Aid I have met several such people who strengthen my belief that in spite of all the things we read about everyday, the world is a good place with people who care about each other.
