strong-women

Strong Women

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My heart raced with anticipation as our bus pulled in to the Chitwan region of Nepal. The air filled with dust from the dry dirt-covered roads, the sides of which were dotted with thatched roof mangers giving shelter to tethered water buffalo,…
poverty-empowered

From Poverty to Empowered – Even with a Snowball’s Chance in Houston

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Among our growing list of A1 partners in social innovation (by disruption) is Neighborhood Centers Inc., a non-profit human services agency serving the greater Houston, Texas area. The agency has been a witness to radical change in the…
thank-you

Grateful for Team Spartina

This Thanksgiving, Team Spartina is grateful to our countless colleagues, friends, and family members who have supported us in launching our own business. We are especially grateful to each other - leading lives of innovation and entrepreneurship…
Dave-on-horse-fav

Learning to Lead with Heart

Dave Siebs @shellback695 A little over two months ago, I woke up in the ICU at Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto California.  I was completely immobilized, and trying to absorb details about my injuries that were coming…
making-the-pivot

Making the Pivot: Meet Carmen, Deb & Whitney of the #BIF9 Summit

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Carmen Medina, Deb Mills-Scofield, and Whitney Johnson share at least two things in common. For one, all three will take the stage at this year’s #BIF9 Summit hosted by the Business Innovation Factory (BIF) in Providence, RI September…
spartina-all-in-a-name

Spartina: It’s All in a Name

As we’ve all experienced, the process of naming something we care deeply about, whether an infant, product, pet, or business, is not always an easy task.  Part art, part science, the ideal business name concurrently conveys values, experience,…
bring-all-your-hats

Bring all your hats to work with you every day

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Too often we define ourselves or are defined by the job titles typed on our business cards and undervalue the vast experiences and knowledge that we bring to the table formed through our travels, hobbies, family, and education. Knowingly or…