Tokyo to Austin

Looking forward to seeing frnds frm Tokyo for Conf in Austin nxt wk http://www.emc2009.org/

City College of San Francisco, Branding Workshop

Getting ready for a branding workshop nxt wk ccsf http://www.ccsf.edu

In Response to MJ’s blog on Eco-Chic.

Eco-chic can meaning driving a Prius to oen party and your Mercedes to another; depending on who is there and what the party is for? A prius for the Green Ball, but a Mercedes for the Investment Bankers Ball!

What many buyers don’t realize is marketing of the Prius pitches to only the “use” cycle of the product (car). Only a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) would really determine if the raw materials and products (manufacturing process) use to assemble the car, their manufacturing processes and the eventual “dsiposal” of the car are really “environmentally friendly”. Perhaps this LCA exists somewhere, but to do so in full would require a huge fee to an LCA consultant. 

Americans need to start realizing the entire life of products and small changes the average person (not only the wealthy who can build sustainable homes and drive Priuses vs. Pontiacs) can put into effect; what might some of these be? Ideas? And, why would the average person make such changes?

MJK

You’re absolutely right. A full Life Cycle Assessment is the only way we can determine if something is truly “green”. (Paper vs plastic???). The challenges of doing a full LCA on everything is daunting to say the least, if not totally out of our budgets (especially in this economy). But a movement towards awareness starts with everyone. And as we gain more awareness and acceptance we can continue to evaluate our choices and make adjustments as we go. When the “movement” reaches critical mass, then government has to respond to the people. And legislation and action can take place.

Short of this, the concept of “cradle to cradle” not just “cradle to grave” hopefully will give us a renewed perspective on how we use things and dispose of things, and spawn new ideas and industries to recycle, repurpose and reuse things on a daily basis.

Being “eco-chic” is not the answer to our global woes. But it is a signal that our “enlightened consciousness” has to permeate all our human activities. And when that happens, we will then ready to take the next step of altering lifestyles and taking actions to make meaningful changes that will move us towards a sustainable world.

TiECON: The New Face of Entrepreneurship

What struck me about the recent TiECON event (this was my 3rd year attending) is that it has gone far beyond the “techno-engineering-entrepreneur meet venture-capital-monies” event and is attempting to address social, cultural, economic and “health and well being” issues. Sure, there are the hundreds of entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world (or at least make themselves very rich), but there were others that were truly interested in social networks and communities as not just a “web 2.0” phenomenon, but a means to connect with others, to share experiences and to enrich lives.

At first it seemed odd to me that one of the keynote speakers, Robert Ingram, Chairman and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline was discussing the healthcare system in our nation and how 45% of the total U.S. population has a chronic disease. Does this matter to the next “Bill Gates” whose well-guarded software code is on the line for a hefty round of VC funding? Well, considering 45% is almost one out of every two people, I think it should matter. In fact, isn’t that what really matters? Quality of life? Our health and well being? Our friends, family, community?

For sure TiECON embodies the spirit of Silicon Valley: The “think-out-of-the-box” entrepreneur. The “go beyond” attitude. The ‘next great thing”. But taking Silicon Valley to the next level of personal and social responsibility, community and environmental sustainability as well as global economic leadership is the bigger picture and the greater opportunity.

Enlightened TiECON founders brought the likes of yogi Sadhguru, Founder of the Isha Foundation to talk about “inner wellbeing” and “self-awareness” as a critical core of effective leadership. Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay, spoke not only about the visions and strategies that made eBay the number one ecommerce site on the internet today, but about eBay’s social responsibility and commitment to positive changes in the world through its philanthropic endeavors.

And what about Nobuyuki Idei, the deposed Chairman and CEO of Sony, who for the past 20 years guided the consumer electronics company to become a $70B global giant? He continues to invest in the future with his new company, Quantum Leap, guiding budding entrepreneurs and the next generation CEOs. His philosophy of “soft alliances” suggests that building relationships for the long term is the only way to sustain business.

Which brings us to Anshul Samar, the 13 year old CEO and founder of Elementeo, the creator of, a board game that teaches science and chemistry in a fun and challenging way. Watching Ansul pitch his company demonstrates that the vision and hope for the future lies in our youth. Their vision is more about “understanding the world around us in order to create a better life for all” than about “going IPO and creating wealth for the shareholders”. We must nurture and encourage this valuable commodity and continue to create an environment that is healthy, stimulating and supportive.

TiECON exemplifies the “best of the best” of the Silicon Valley brain trust. Let’s hope the “New Face of Entrepreneurship” is an enlightened leader that values long term sustainability and the health and well-being of our global community. I look forward to the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovations that will lead us to this vision of the “world 2.0”.