David Akinin's Blog

The most watched videos on Youtube!

2011-12-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

When we watch a video on Youtube, we always attribute value to it, in part, by how many people have watched it. So today, I asked myself... What are the top watched videos on Youtube.

Here's what I found (and yes, some have been watched double the amount of America's population)...

Justin Bieber - Baby ft. Ludacris

671,801,357 views

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor ft. Pitbull 445,118,543 views

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance 432,510,660 views
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)427,849,363 views
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna 411,342,056 views
Charlie bit my finger - again !394,923,519 views

Link to see it for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/charts/videos_views?t=a

A post in Italian to restart my engines...

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in a while. I was busy throughout the summer, working at Credit Suisse in Debt Capital Markets for Latin America, and haven't written since.

The summer experience was outstanding, the knowledge acquired was growing, and in retrospect how I see things now is very refreshing. In the midst of the global debt crisis, I got to work at one of the top banks and be exposed to the most critical problems our world was facing. I learned first hand from some of the most capable individuals I've ever worked with, and I got a good taste of NYC. In fact, these are all topics for another post!

Today, or oggi as one would say in Italian, I want to share a thought in that new language- one I've been learning for the past two years. Italian is my fifth language, and surprisingly the one I've been using the most in random occasions when I travel. If there's one thing I could convince any one of you to pursue, it would be the learning of new languages.

Avete mai pensato?

Avete mai pensato a quanto diverso sarebbe il mondo se tutti gli imprenditori avessero un impatto sociale positivo? Viviamo in un mondo con molti problemi. Ogni giorno nascono più persone, e il motivo per cui gli altri muoiono anche aumenta. I ricchi diventano più ricchi, e i poveri continuano a essere poveri.

Voglio cambiare il mondo in cui viviamo. Voglio cambiare il corso della civiltà. Voglio che le imprese facciano bene. Voglio vedere l'imprenditorialità sociale. Voglio che la gente voglia quello che voglio, e anche di più.

E’ un cambiamento che non accadrà da solo. Abbiamo bisogno di un cambiamento di mentalità. La gente deve "lasciarsi andare". I politici devono riconfigurare i loro circuiti. Il popolo, Noi, dobbiamo iniziare a diffondere la parola.

RISE-Pak in the news!

2011-06-08T05:05:00.001-07:00

The recent conference and international competition we organized at the University of Chicago, Road to Innovative Social Entrepreneurship - Pakistan (www.rise-pak.com), just got some exposure in 5 or 6 Pakistani newspapers, which other than being gratifying recognition of our work, is a great furthering of the conversation we started both about humanitarian work in Pakistan and Social Entrepreneurship by the global community.

Here is the article by Ethan Casey in Dawn:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/07/rising-to-the-challenge.html

Crunching the numbers: How many people have ever lived?

2011-05-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Adapted from an excerpt by Jonathan Good

What percentage of people who have ever lived are alive today? We know that sometime this year the world population will tick past 7 billion [1]. We know that there are a whole billion more of us than there were in 1999, as if a new China has appeared out of nowhere. The UN forecasts that the world population is expected to rise further, and further, to a whopping 10.1 billion in 2100 [2]. But what about the past? How many humans have walked on this beautiful planet of ours? And what fraction of people who have ever lived are alive today?

The evolution of humanity is a story of humble beginnings. Humans evolved on the plains of Africa an amazing 200,000 years ago [3] but the population for most of human history has been very, very small (for a flavor of the ‘early years’ see Werner Hertzog’s new movie [4]). Estimates suggest that it took 190,000 years for the population to reach 4 million (in a modern context that’s the number of people who ride the NYC subway each morning!). It wasn’t until the dawn of the industrial era in 1800 that our global population hit a seventh of what it is now, inching towards 1 billion. It’s rocketed ever since:

So what happened? Why did the world’s population start growing so quickly, so suddenly?

The world population is driven not only by more people having more children, but also the fact that we’re living longer. In fact, despite the fact that birth rates have been falling in recent decades, the population has continued to rise as those already on the planet lead longer, healthier lives, thanks to modern medicine and improved nutrition introduced in the centuries following 1800. World population growth is essentially birth rate minus death rate - thus, as life expectancy rises, death rates decrease, and the population will continue to rise.

So back to our original question. To estimate the number of people who have ever lived, we examined the average life span throughout human history in conjunction with world population levels. Until very recently life expectancy at birth hovered between 20 and 35 years, but in the past century it has risen to 67 years (it is highest in Monaco, at about 89 years, and lowest in Angola, where people live on average to be just 39 years old) [6].

All this means that in the 200,000 years since Homo Sapiens took her first steps across the African plains, just 57 billion people have ever lived. Astonishingly that means over 12% of all the people ever born are walking the planet at this very moment. Or to put it another way: one in eight people who have ever been born are alive today.

Footnotes

1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/14/population-explosion-seven-billion
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/world/04population.html
3. Smithsonian [http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolution-timeline-interactive]
4. For an amazing 3D experience of this check out the new Werner Hertzog movie "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
5. We use the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs numbers where available, otherwise from McEvedy & Jones (1978). For a full set of world population estimates see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population_estimates
6. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
7. Data from 1950 on from Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, 2007. Earlier data is sourced from wikipedia and “Medics, monarchs and mortality, 1600-1800: Origins of the knowledge-driven health transition in Europe” by S. Ryan Johansson. Neolithic assumption is that one quarter of humans lived to 40, one quarter to 20 and one half died as infants.

14th World Business Dialogue in Cologne, Germany

2011-05-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of being invited to attend, as a Venezuelan and University of Chicago representative, the 14th World Business Dialogue which took place on March of 2011 in Cologne, Germany.

Along with Pedro Sanchez de Lozada and Guimar Vaca Sittic, close friends and usual partners in trips, I was exposed to innovative ideas, complex issues, dynamic personalities and emerging markets from all over the world. We were passionate about the programming because it kept us motivated to dialogue about and understand complexity.

With Keynote Speaker and Joseph Ajao

The Forum dealt with complexity as its main topic, yet it touched upon all fields, regions and issues.

Speaking with 2nd Monzambique President at Go Africa! Panel

Watch video of question at:

http://www.vimeo.com/22737635

Last question of panel: 1:44:30

Exciting was not the conference on its own, but the diversity of its attendees, the excitement of a new city and its culture, and the development of our careers from that point-on.

Rihards Garacs, Marcello Schermer and David Akinin

At the Dialogue, I made lasting friendships, promoted www.rise-pak.com, met Ricardo Amador with whom I later won Third Place at the Loyola Business Case Competition pitching an idea about housing in Rio de Janeiro based on recycled paper, and culminated with a memorable road trip.

Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, David Akinin, Guimar Vaca Sittic

(View of Cologne)

Santiago Lizaso, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada and I rented a car and drove through Belgium, Netherlands and Germany for the following week, experiencing everything from Moules Frittes to the Berlin Wall.

In Brussels with the Road-Trip Crew

We must grasp the opportunities life puts in front of us. They shape us then, and much more later on as we reflect on our learnings, relationships, failures and achievement. L'chaim!

Paris

2011-03-07T02:40:00.001-08:00

Paris,

Ciudad de miles de colores,
De profundos y eternos amores.
Capital mundial de la gastronomiía,
Punto G de cualquier panadería.
Tierra de exquisitos sabores,
De comidas con eternos sabores.
Reina de la arquitectura,
Coronada por su grandeza que perdura.

Counting on friends, when distance is a factor

2011-03-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

My grandmothers, larga vida tengan, are two of my greatest inspirations and role models today. Each of their life stories and values have made of me, and of my passions, what I am today... Simi Levy de Akinin and Lucy Garzón de Benarroch; two of the most beautiful, intelligent, traditional, creative and unique women on earth.

Today, March 3rd is Simi's birthday. Mi Abuela, with whom I often talk, lives in Venezuela, away from most of the family (the majority of which resides in Miami, Florida). In less than a few hours, I managed to get two of my best friends in Venezuela, Moises Benzaquen and Kevin Hassan, to go buy some of the most beautiful flowers they could find, and personally deliver them to her in celebration of her 88th birthday! They did it, and in style. It's incredible, how despite distance and time past, our friendship was enough of a reason for them to lighten my grandmother's day...

I don't know many people who have the luck to have grandmothers like mine, but much less friends like them, who selflessly did not only an amazing kavod to our friendship, but a mitzvah in honoring my grandmother.

Recognizing that my life flipped 180 degrees after moving to America in 2003, not only did I gain a different and dependent perspective of family ties and unity, but I matured in a way that I wish I would have done in earlier years.

I sought to learn more about my origins, my ancestors- their traditions, careers, lifestyles, values... My grandfather, David Akinin Serfaty, had passed away a few months after my barmitzvah, a little over a month before we moved to the States. The amount of questions I would have asked him, conversations I dream of having years after his passing, saddened me, and made me realize how lucky others are who have the opportunity to, at my age, enjoy first-hand the memories and sage of their grandfathers. My other grandfather, Abraham Benarroch Bentata, with whom I had the opportunity to share a lot more, passed away in the summer of 2008, right before I moved away to Chicago in pursuit of a college education. Nevertheless, I still dream and have thirst for time, time lost and past, to learn more and share with him...

I don't know if I'm doing a good job, but I seek to learn and stay connected with my grandmothers every day... every day more. There's so much I want to know and share; I fear I'll have the same feeling of "I should have asked more" one day.

Economia 101: Circulación del Dinero

2011-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Un amigo compartió conmigo esta historia, y la quiero hacer llegar a todos ustedes, para dar una perspectiva sobre como la crisis económica se soluciona.

Es agosto, en una pequeña ciudad de la costa, en plena temporada; cae una lluvia torrencial y hace varios días que la ciudad parece desierta.

Hace rato que la crisis viene azotando este lugar, todos tienen deudas y viven a base de créditos.

Por fortuna, llega un ruso mafioso forrado de guita y entra en el único pequeño hotel del lugar. Pide una habitación. Pone un billete de 100 dólares en la mesa de la recepcionista y se va a ver las habitaciones.

El jefe del hotel agarra el billete y sale corriendo a pagar sus deudas con el carnicero.

Éste toma el billete y corre a pagar su deuda con el criador de cerdos.

A su turno éste sale corriendo para pagar lo que le debe al molino proveedor de alimentos para animales.

El dueño del molino toma el billete al vuelo y corre a liquidar su deuda con María, la prostituta a la que hace tiempo que no le paga. En tiempos de crisis, hasta ella ofrece servicios a crédito.

La prostituta con el billete en mano sale para el pequeño hotel donde había traído a sus clientes las últimas veces y que todavía no había pagado y le entrega el billete al dueño del hotel.

En este momento baja el ruso, que acaba de echar un vistazo a las habitaciones, dice que no le convence ninguna, toma el billete y se va.

Nadie ha ganado un centavo, pero ahora toda la ciudad vive sin deudas y mira el futuro con confianza!

MORALEJA: ¡¡¡SI EL DINERO CIRCULA SE ACABA LA CRISIS!!!

The Road to Innovative Social Entrepreneurship International Competition!

2011-01-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

The humble roots of the RISE competition can be traced back to a shared desire to assist Pakistani flood relief efforts in an attempt to lessen the immediate and long-term devastations of one of the largest natural disasters in recent history.

I was introduced to Aliya Bagewadi by a mutual friend who was aware that we both had a joint desire to take action to not only bring light to the tragic aftermath of the Pakistani floods, but to give the young social entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow, found on college campuses around the world, an opportunity to help be part of the recovery process in the region.

My experience with social entrepreneurship and philanthropic efforts coupled with Aliya’s intense involvement in social justice initiatives and humanitarian efforts made for an ideal partnership to help making our idea-- an annual social entrepreneurship competition- a reality. After our initial meeting, we decided we would give the competition a go.

After meeting with several professors, entrepreneurs, NGO personnel in Pakistan and recruiting a passionate Executive Board consisting of University of Chicago undergraduates, we managed to organize a unique and comprehensive annual competition which we named the Road to Innovative Social Entrepreneurship- or, RISE. The board is made up of some of the greatest, most outstanding and dedicated individuals on our campus today... more info on the stars will be posted on our site later this week.

RISE operates under the overarching belief that every college student has the tremendous potential to use his/her skills and knowledge to benefit the greater good. It is only a matter of rising to the challenge.

We hear humanity calling. Will you help us answer it?

REGISTER YOUR TEAM NOW TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION at http://rise-pak.com/apply/

VISIT THE COMPETITION'S WEBSITE AT http://rise-pak.com

If you have any questions regarding the competition, contact me at david@akinin.com

Facebook, Twitter: tools for Social Revolutions.

2011-01-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

After being wildly credited as the channel through which young rebels were able to organize the social uprising that recently put an end to Tunisia’s 23-year-old government, Facebook may be now facilitating another “spontaneous” social movement in Egypt.

Amid growing social and political turmoil in African countries like Algeria and Yemen, 85,000 people pledged on Facebook to attend a nationwide anti-government protest in Egypt today, January 25. The protest is obviously running on the “spirit” of the recent events in neighboring nation Tunisia. Activists from the 6th of April Youth Movement and Egypt’s Kifaya movement are behind this and other Facebook and Twitter invites.

Ironically, today’s protests will coincide with a national holiday that honors the police forces — instrumental in having kept President Muhammad Mubarak in office since 1981.

According to independent Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egyptian activists are demanding, among many issues, the dismissal of the Minister of Interior, who is blamed for a myriad of human rights violations, and the limitation of presidency up to two terms.

For today’s protests in Egypt, the main Facebook page explicitly points to four meeting places around Cairo. Egyptian activist Khaled Kamel worries that this might have been a mistake: “Because of that, security is going to be prepared,” he told Time magazine. Moreover, mass demonstrations without prior authorization are banned in Egypt; anyone protesting today could be arrested.

Organizing social movements through Facebook makes it too easy for certain governments to track down protests, and thus be better prepared. And yet, it seems that if this protest happens at all, it will already be a huge success for the people of Egypt, and perhaps a wake-up call for authoritarian governments everywhere; social media can help give oppressed people a voice and a tool to come together.

What do you think is going to happen in Egypt? Will people show up? How instrumental do you think Facebook is in helping out with social protests?

Follow the updates on twitter!

--Credit for news: selftest.com

Studying in Paris for the Quarter!

2011-01-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Paris. Je suis là.
Je suis arrivé hier, et ne peut pas obtenir assez de votre air, vos sites, vos gens.
Nous avons trois mois pour connaître l'un à l'autre et tomber amoureux.
J'espère que vous êtes prêt, parce que je viens de finir le déballage.

The Power of Words in Times of War

2011-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

To fight with words instead of weapons, to resist with truth instead of rocks is to instill civility in the emancipatory process and to question that of the oppressor.

TEDxUChicago - The Student Contest

2010-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

The TEDxUChicago conference is looking to showcase one student speaker from the Greater Chicago area! This is your opportunity to nominate yourself as a speaker and be chosen to showcase your work, ideas, inspirations and viewpoints on this year’s theme “Reinventing the Life of the Mind”.

Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, a researcher or a philosopher, a leader or a follower, you have something interesting to say—an idea worth spreading. This is your chance to enter and give an 18-minute (maximum TED talk time) speech to the world!

Timeline

Competition Kickoff
On November 22nd any student will be able to submit their proposal on our website: tedxuchicago.com/contest
Proposal Submission Deadline
Register your proposal by January 5, 2011 at 11:59pm Submit proposal here.
Q&A As questions come in, we will post them here for other participants to read. In the meantime if you have any questions please submit them toakinin@tedxuchicago.com.
Proposal Feedback Delivered and Finalists AnnouncedAll speakers will receive comprehensive feedback on their proposal. Five finalists will be announced to present in the final round on March 15th 2011.
Final Round Each person will present to a panel of industry experts from business, technology and public and social service sectors / professors, entrepreneurs. Finalists will be given more in-depth information as they’re chosen.

Questions?

Contact: David Akinin, akinin@tedxuchicago.com

My Own Earth Clock!

2010-11-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

The World Statistics Clock

2010-11-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

We always hear: "every second there's another abortion around the world", or "every 10 seconds a car is manufactured."

Stop! Stop reading statistics, or trying to put it all in one frame and check this World Statistics Clock out! http://www.peterrussell.com/Odds/WorldClock.php

Recently I came upon the World Statistics Clock by Peter Russell, and I must admit that I sat there, staring at the screen for 10 minutes trying to grasp everything that the click conveyed. Check it out, and let me know what you think...! I was blown away.

Simplypostcards.net - Sending Custom Physical Postcards from your Phone!

2010-11-17T01:33:00.000-08:00

A team I'm working with created an app that allows one to take a picture, flip it, write a message, input my address, the recipient's address, press send, and sit back to wait for a "thank you for the beautiful postcard" message!

How many times do we find ourselves "too lazy" to go to the closest pharmacy to purchase a postcard? Then when we actually have it, getting a stamp and dropping it in the mail is another hassle. Time is of essence, and for one of the most important things in our interpersonal relations- thanking people, showing them our appreciation or reminding them how much we care, we seldom seem to find time.

www.simplypostcards.net took care of it for us. The app is now available for download with apple products (iPhones, iPad, iTouch, etc). If you own one of these devices and don't have the app, you're missing out!

As a courtesy, Simply Postcards provided me with a code for my friends to get a total of 6 free trial postcards.... that's how much they trust you'll love the product. Once you download the app, go to Account or Settings, and redeem code: "david5". If you're having trouble making it work shoot me an email at david@akinin.com! No worries, there is no purchase necessary or credit card!

TOUR THE APP:

Understanding Synergies and Efficiencies in Mergers through MLT

2010-10-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago I submitted my final application to what I thought would be a leadership development program that would equip me with the skills to address professionally my next career steps. Little did I know that Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) would give me a new network of peers and professionals, an inspiring coach (Bridget McCurtis) that’s on my tail about my professional development, dreams and career steps, and most importantly the tools to grow professionally. You get out of a program what you put into it, and MLT is the quintessence of that idea.

For the past couple of weeks I have been working with Francisco Guzman, Stanford University, and Sebastian Sinisterra, Emory University, two peers from the MLT Program on an investment banking case study competition for Credit Suisse. The idea is to propose a plausible merger for a top industry pharmaceutical, Merck & Co. How you do envision it, what you pitch and in what respects, are all great measures of how effective your proposal turns out.

One very rewarding graph we’ve included in our presentation derives from the ideas of valuation, cost-cutting and synergic efficiencies. See below.

More to come on our progress through this competition in November!

Shoes4Africa still making front pages

2010-10-18T22:54:00.001-07:00

The online and print magazine, TennInk, is still recognizing our Shoes4Africa work, after 4 years of its inception, and two years since the final shipment.

I wrote an article over a year ago to share the story behind Shoes4Africa DBA Help4Africa's inception, the burdens we overcame and the accomplishments we achieved. The article, featured on their website, teenink.com can be found at
http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/community_service/article/27859/Shoes-for-Africa/

Some months back I was awarded for the "Best Article", and my writing contribution was published in their print version as well, which is distributed to thousands of students across the United States. Today, after so long, I am happy to see that the impact went beyond the direct community we dealt with; the article is featured thanks to the readership that rates the pieces in the front page of Hottest Topics:
http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/

I propose a cyber-toast to projects, to starting things, to being a change-maker, entrepreneurially and intrapreneurially spirited, to life!

Leadership at Google and Beyond

2010-08-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Leadership is about finding a new direction, not simply putting oneself at the front of the herd that’s heading toward the cliff. In the past two years, through its hosts, mentors, speakers and participants, the BOLD Program has taught me how to live by the preceding definition of leadership. I am the product of a mélange of experiences, learnings and serendipitous events at Google.

My return to the BOLD program this summer gave me considerable advantage over my previous summer, as I walked in knowing the company, the culture, and was ready to work, filled with energies that had been inspired by a year of the Ambassador program. The inspiration from individuals at every level- Rosenberg to Roe to Dinsmore, product to sales to hr, gave me the thirst to seek ownership of my projects, and represent Google’s core values as the face of all my exertion by going far and beyond.

Working with the dynamic DSO Consumer Packaged Goods vertical, under Catherine Roe gave me the ability to pitch to clients and be creative in the work I do. I have had the opportunity to do amazing work, be creative, pitch ideas and work hand in hand with the team. For example, an opportunity surged to help the Kraft management team design a full day of learnings and activities for their newly established innovation team, and I raised my hand, spoke-out my interest and jumped straight to the task. This was my opportunity to pitch Google products to Kraft management, while helping them fulfill their adventurous request. This was something that was out of the marketing scope of my internship, but it was new and exciting.

I helped put together a full day event, whereby the participants would visit different small to medium size companies and learn from their case studies to inspire ideas internally. I designed and created an interactive, digital Google map to provide guidance for the Kraft Pub Crawl organized by Google. The map is an interactive interface. The user is able to rate the locales, take notes on the icon's description box about his/her experience, draw lines connecting places and even set routes and directions. I went even farther. I held a tutorial for a VP at Kraft about Cloud Computing, and how we could implement Google Docs, Forms and even Sites for the Crawl, to not only inspire collaboration and communication, but also augment tech-savyness amongst what they hoped to be an innovative team. The list is long- I created iGoogle Marketing Dashboards to help them understand search and prepared a Walmart / Kraft strategy report.

The results were incredible. “Cloud Computing” was the new buzz-word inside of Kraft, they felt at the top of the tech-world knowing that they were implementing this new fashion. Collaboration and communication were unique, and idea sharing was exponential. The Senior VP of Marketing at Kraft emailed Dennis Woodside to thank him for my leadership in the project, and my team applauded my accomplishment as I ameliorated their relationship with Kraft and opened doors that had been locked for some time. Just this past week, I was approached by Hunter PR and Kraft to organize a similar event in New York.

Taking complete ownership of this project showed my ability as a leader and a doer. I was able to help an external team grow stronger, while simultaneously having them adopt Google products and act Googley, by collaborating, thinking of the bigger picture and being open and accessible to the world. This year I return to the University of Chicago as a Google Ambassador for the second time. This summer has taught me many things. Just like I was able to navigate effectively and make things happen at Kraft, I look forward to planting the seeds of Google products in similar ways- from the student who wants to keep his documents online to the school administration that aims to cut costs and integrate email, calendar and other online applications by Going Google. As a leader, I am always in search of a new direction. BOLD has given me mine.

How do you create as many options as you can? A conversation with Lazlo Bock, VP at Google

2010-08-14T19:14:00.002-07:00

The following is an excerpt or agglomeration of ideas from a conversation with Lazlo Bock, VP of People Operations at Google, Inc.

The most important thing in your career is to pick your industry carefully. The industry you choose determines how many opportunities you can create for yourself. Following Jonathan Rosenberg’s ideas (another blog post pending on his talk), we all want to catch waves, find industries where there are tons of waves, and find a big one to ride. Technology is ours.

A lot of people say they want to work for nonprofits, since they have passions for things of charitable value. Do it, I’m not saying not to, but chose your priorities in life. You can have a very big scope of impact without staying always in solely nonprofit. As Vice President of People Operations, Lazlo Bock has the power to give millions of dollars in scholarships to touch people.

Pick your company right. “When I was in consulting at McKinsey, I would flip through thick resume books and take out the ones that had impressive companies on their resumes like Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and focus mainly on those candidates.” When you’re getting started in your career a big company is better. It doesn’t matter what job you have, but the fact that you’re there. Once in, you can find more opportunities for yourself that are better fits given the huge waves of opportunities flowing through everyday.

It doesn’t matter so much what you do, but whom you’re with and what opportunities you create for yourself.

The next important thing is about how you manage yourself. I see careers as managed in ten-year pockets. The first 10 are very experimental, jump from pond to pond, and try companies out, roles, and grad schools. Now, once you hit the 10-year mark you better settle, and excel! It’s like declaring a major. You don’t want to say “I could have gotten there” one day. Become known for that major you choose, the best at it, the expert in the field- have the potential to have real impact and establish yourself.

The other notion about how to manage yourself and your career goes back to an interview Lazlo had at Pepsi. “What are your three core values?” was the question that he got asked. Lazlo fumbled it, but was interested enough to ask Rusty (cool name for a Pepsi exec, ha?) what where his. There’s one that stuck with Lazlo over the years: always go above and beyond, because then they have no choice but to reward you.

One of the things I have been frustrated about is the quality of leaders around me. At McKinsey, they had this thing called obligation of descent. If you disagree, you are obliged to disagree, to stand up and fight back. Leaders should be inspirational, well-versed and truthful. “As a leader I put my money where my mouth is, and strive to build leaders like I envisioned,” he concluded.

Don’t be disappointed in your career at managers, don’t judge too harshly. Leaders are human. You will go from one manager to the next, but focus on the work you do because that is what matters.

Google's Zero Moment of Truth

2010-06-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

This summer I am interning (Google BOLD) at Google in Chicago, working in the Consumer Packaged Goods under Catherine Roe. I am just getting started, and I am truly excited about what I'll be putting my efforts to over the next couple of months, and the quality of people in my team, especially those guiding me. The following is a blog post from the CPG blog about the Zero Moment of Truth that I really enjoyed. Lets make the case for online marketing's influence on consumer decisions.

I recall my father, Ysaac Akinin, saying once: "products on the shelves, most likely, don't get a second chance to a first impression." The depth of this statement in the areas of marketing, product diffusion and adoption and general merchandising is unique. Keep this phrase in mind as I go over a consumer's Moment of Truth.

The term "First Moment of Truth" (commonly called FMOT) was coined by Procter & Gamble in 2005 to define the first interaction between a shopper and a product on a store's shelf. This moment was considered one of the most important marketing opportunities for a brand, as P&G asserted -- and others believed -- that shoppers make up their mind about a product in the first few seconds after they encounter that product for the first time. While this first moment of truth is still important, the rise of full internet adoption and increased search engine use often lead to many brand interactions taking place between a consumer and a brand before that consumer ever sees a product on a shelf. This phenomena is what we are calling the "Zero Moment of Truth", or ZMOT.

We've pulled together some data which supports this new phenomenon.

Data from IRI's latest Economic Longtitude 2009 study shows that 83% of shoppers make their purchase decisions prior to entering a store:

We've seen an increase in searches, over time, for Food & Drink, and Beauty & Personal Care:

Google Insights for Search


	Gadgets powered by Google

SKU proliferation in the marketplace and more complex product ingredients, additives and benefits (i.e. anti-wrinkle, probiotics, acai, stevia) have given consumers more reason to turn to search engines to help them in the decision-making process.

P&G and other companies have started to re-evaluate a brand's true First Moment of Truth. For example, Peter Hoyt, Executive Director of In-Store Marketing Institute, talks about P&G's shift to focus on the notion of "Store Back" -- equivalent to what we are calling the Zero Moment of Truth.

What does ZMOT mean for marketers? It means that marketers need to button up their pull marketing strategies, not only the push strategies, and find ways to connect the two. Marketers need to ensure that a consumer has a consistent and positive experience -- from the Zero Moment of Truth to the point of purchase and beyond -- by getting in front of a consumer with the right brand message early in the process of discovery, and staying there along the way.
(credit: Jenny Liu) This is potentially the second chance to a first impression!

BizInk: The Latin American Challenge in Medellin, Colombia

2010-06-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to make some time and write about our amazing experience in Medellin, Colombia. I'm late in writing it, perhaps, because I couldn't find the time I thought this incredible trip required for me to sit down and in retrospect give a full recount.

To begin, we are honored to be the first students in the history of the University of Chicago to obtain the Dean's Fund for Student Life Award twice in the same year.

Our team: Alberto Da Costa, Guimar Vaca Sittic, David Akinin, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada

Although I arrived earlier with my father, Ysaac, older brother Abraham, and Pedro, our week started on Sunday May 16th, when Alberto and Guimar got to Medellin. Now before I even jump in to the details of the competition, I must say that Medellin, Colombia is a beautiful city, filled with lovely, friendly people- something I had never seen before.

Abraham Akinin, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, David Akinin, Ysaac Akinin

More than a recount of the competition (which I can talk about at another time and place), this post deserves to highlight Medellin's hospitality above all. My father came along for the trip because he wanted to meet Humberto Fernandez and Margarita Fernandez (unrelated, by the way) to push for the sale of a soymilk production plant for El Programa Para La Ayuda A La Ninez. However, instead of it seeming that he went to sell something to them or start a business with them, it appeared as if they expected their family. We hadn't stepped in Colombian land, and there they were- Humberto, his wife Carmen Beatriz and Margarita, in the airport waiting for us. Behind them, another gentleman, William- a friend's uncle, who had non-egoistically given us accommodations and transportation for the whole trip, as well as his unconditional friendship.

We stayed in a finca in Lomas del Escobero. Stables, the view, the service, the Zorro-style decorations- it was our mansion for a week. The air we breathed those days, the sights we saw every morning and the foods we enjoyed, marked our every second.

Lomas del Escobero

David Akinin and William

The competition was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but I decided to go earlier to become familiar with the people, the place and plan a solid strategy for the rest of the week. The two following days were a mix of sightseeing and meetings with different companies that were going to participate in the challenges. I met with executives of Bancolombia, the VP of Marketing of Suramericana (insurance company) and a Director of Enlace Operative, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, among other businesspeople affiliated with the companies we were to research a few days later. These meetings gave us a better understanding on how business was handled in Medellin.

Guimar recounts: "We were all very excited when the first day arrived. After meeting all our competitors that came from around the world, we sat down to listen the challenge presentation by a company called conTREEbute. This environmental, green, for-profit company showed their case and their actual problems to penetrate into the Colombian market."

Winners of conTREEbute Challenge

We prepared case study responses to live problems of countless companies including conTREEbute, colombiaMODA, Everfit, Levi's, Enlane Operativo and Suramericana. We were faced with expansion, outsourcing, financing, innovating, marketing and consulting challenges. Our team opted by implementing a plan with guerrilla marketing strategies that would have high reach to people and at the same time be cost-effective for the company taking into account the limited budget they had given us at the beginning, for campaigns liek Levi's. In some cases we accuded to executives in the area, like Joe Siegelman, founder of Office Tiger, and today Petro Tiger. Our presentations consisted of different schemes that would allow the companies to grow at a fast rate and at the same time not loose control of their financial statements.

EAFIT Organizers and BizInk participants

The final challenge presented consisted in developing different collection methods for micro-insurance premiums and potential channels of distribution that would help the company adopt these cost-effective strategies and provide a personalized service. I researched all night FACECOLDA, the academic journal of the insurance industry, at the EAFIT library. In addition, we met throughout the week with several employees of the company, and the founder of Banco de la Mujer, today Banca Mia- Margarita Fernandez.

Although we had won most of the challenges, the peer review challenge was something that hampered our chances from the very beginning and something we could not recuperate during the following days. At the awards ceremony I was awarded the "Best Prepared" Individual Award for the International Challenge and our team awarded the 2nd place internationally.We learned the importance of putting networking to practice when one is in a new environment. We met people, we worked under stress, early in the mornings until late at night.

Team holding check at Finca: Akinin, Sanchez de Lozada, Da Costa, Vaca Sittic

Humberto and Carmen Beatriz treated us better than one would expect to be treated by their family. In a letter to them I wrote as I departed: "You welcomed us the 15 and until the last minute of the 23rd of May, you were with us sharing, guiding and difussing happiness. Although for you it is the everyday land, for us, Medellin was 'wonderland' and 'the land of gold, milk and honey' of Latin America."

Dinner with Humberto and Carmen Beatriz Fernandez

We left Medellin with a considerable addition of friends to our facebook and blackberry lists, pictures in our cameras, memorabilia in our bags... but beyond all those material gains, we returned with a bond amongst us stronger than ever, an unforgettable experience that will bind us and our careers forever to that beautiful city and its people.

The Tiger and the Team

David Akinin, Ysaac Akinin, Abraham Akinin

University of Chicago Humanitarian Award and Maroon Key Society Induction

2010-05-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

Last week, I had the honor of being recognized by the University of Chicago with:

The Humanitarian Award
The Humanitarian Award is presented to students who have lived a life of honesty, integrity, and responsibility, with a demonstrated commitment to the welfare of the greater community.

The Maroon Key Society
The College's honorary society, members serve as advisors to the Dean of the College and the Dean of Students in the College. Nominees must be second or third year students in the College who have been especially active in cocurricular activities, who have good communication skills, and whose academic performance has been strong with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0.

I could not have done this without the inspiration of those around me and the countless experiences that have shaped who I am, what I do, and why.

For more information about college awards, visit: https://studentactivities.uchicago.edu/involved/sla10.shtml

Canaryville Little League: The Reshaping of a Community Organization

2010-05-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Many communities have that one or two organizations that bring their people together several times a year for events, sports and whathaveyou. In the inner-city of Chicago, the community of Canaryville, has its baseball little league, an organization that has been up an running since the 1950s.

Johnny Kozlar and David Akinin

1955- Canaryville Little League, the beginning.

In the past years, as it came to my attention last summer through my friend Johnny Kozlar, the management of the organization had been decaying, it was much less transparent and the general experience of those who actively participated wasn't the same.

The Old Field

Johnny and I, along with some other peers at the University of Chicago- Dyia Aboasha and Rob Serpico, immediately decided to get involved and bring in our experience, ambition and spirit to start the organization anew, leave behind a transparent, efficient and organized model for this and potentially other communities to follow.

Johnny Kozlar, David Akinin and Dyia Aboasha

Mark Baker helped us create our official website, www.canaryvillelittleleague.org. We met with the St. Gabriel's Athletic Association and the Parish to get their approval back in 2009. We presented them with our plan of management, an ambitious plan to renovate the entire little league stadium, and our qualifications. Months went by and we saw ourselves holding biweekly sign-up days at the Boyce Park building in Canaryville, aggressively fundraising in the surrounding neighborhoods, including Hyde Park where the University of Chicago is based and reaching out to the entire community to come out, support and sign their kids up.

St. Gabriel's Board and University of Chicago Contingent

The beginning was tough- the community was a bit skeptical of our potential- as any community would be with outsiders who propose to renovate their estate and manage an organization free of cost. I remember our first sign up day, when the first parent walked in... The parent was eager to sign his son up for the Little League, as he'd be off the playstation for a change. He said "I'm happy someone is doing this, we didn't think there'd a be a little league this year". Immediately, I felt pride for what we were doing; the thankfulness in each of the 250+ parents who walked in to sign up their kids in a two month period, is the highest form of payment I could ever receive.

Meeting with Coaches at Boyce Park

Many parents approached us about not being able to afford the participation and uniform fee we were charging, and despite our fundraising (a $35,000 campaign which was mainly for the field rennovation), our Excel spreadsheets indicated that we could not sponsor as many players, as the need expressed. In turn, we developed a system whereby anyone who signed up would get 10 raffle tickets to sell. The system was simple- they'd keep the revenue from the ticket sales, which in fact covered exactly the league's fees, and they just had to return the tickets to us. Basically, we are probably one of the few leagues were any player can play for free if they so desire!

Hands-on! (David, Johnny, Dyia)

Uniforms, we ordered from Texas, the Cool Breeze technology- official MLB apparel. We held our uniform pick up days, and till this day we're dealing with exchanges here and there, but couldn't be happier about our choice.

In the meantime, we had hired all the contractors that'd renovate our field, mainly from the local neighborhoods in order to put back the money we raised to those business, but some from other states, as we were after quality and expertise at large.

David Akinin and Johnny Kozlar, Renovation Underway

Renovation in Process

Among the many fundraisers we've held and plan on holding throughout the summer, we had concert nights, car wash weekends, Elvis Night, and many more.

Grass Delivery

Inflield Red Dirt

Despite the differences, the bumps along the road, the hours of planning and arguments, the experience has been one that has shaped me and my peers infinitely. It has brought us strongly together, helped us grow in many respects and increased our pool of values and appreciation for community needs in a manner that will remain unique.

Stocking up the Concession Stand

First Game 2010

Opening day was Sunday May 2nd 2010. It kicked off with a community parade, where nearly 700 people walked the streets in a way that I've never seen any other community do before. The route kicked off from Boyce Park where our operations had started, and arrived at 455 W 45th Street, where the new Canaryville Little League baseball field awaited its new owners, the community of Canaryville. If it wasn't for the help and unity of the entire community, none of this would have ever been accomplished.

We had a beautiful kick off ceremony, in which over 300 helium balloons signaling the US Flag colors were let go by all the innaugurating players, as hundreds of parents clapped and cheered.

Girl's Red Sox Team

Canaryville's Phillies

Girls Minors' First Game

T-Ballers

I picked up the microphone and said "Let the Games Begin", and Kozlar responded "Play Ball!"

Opening Night

Boys Major League- Cubs Team

Dyia Aboasha, David Akinin and John Kozlar

We did it!

Voting Today, Chicago Maroon endorses Akinin's Candidacy!

2010-04-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

Polls open at 9 AM at sg.uchicago.edu

The following is an excerpt from the Chicago Maroon Newspaper's April 20th Editorial:

Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees

For the office of undergraduate liaison to the board of trustees, the Maroon endorses second-year David Akinin. Akinin, who ran for the same position last year, showed a thorough understanding of the liaison’s somewhat limited role and demonstrated a keen interest in SG affairs. Akinin has been active on a number of SG committees and has considerable knowledge of issues pertinent to the student body. The Maroon was impressed by Akinin’s ability to convey his ideas, and we expect that he will be a passionate and articulate voice for student concerns.

My Candidacy as Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees

2010-04-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of the University Community,

I am running for the position of Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees, and I welcome you to participate actively in these year's elections by voting on April 20th-22nd at sg.uchicago.edu.

I’m an economics and international relations major in the college, raised in Venezuela, but moved to Miami in 2003, where I served as President of Krop's Student Government and Liaison to the School Board. I am running for Liaison to the Board with a passion for progress and fair representation. I have actively participated in SG and the Chicago Coalition of Colleges- served on two vital funding committees that benefit the way our RSOs pursue their interests on campus- the Uncommon Fund and Annual Allocations, as well as CORSO, which approves new RSOs on campus.

The Liaison is appointed to bring our voice to the Board of Trustees. Other than meeting with Administrators and Student Government, the Liaison is required to attend the Board’s quarterly meetings. Since the Trustees have busy schedules, by the time they come to the meetings, discussions on issues have already occurred and thoughts been shaped. What’s worth having a voice, if we will only be heard when the conversations have already taken place?

When elected, I will bring us to the discussions early on, and I will create a website through which issues will be available to everyone in the University community so as to include them in the process. I’ve already met with Andrew Alper, the recently appointed chairman to the Board and he’s willing to work with us. My platform: A voice, a website, transparency, support for increasing financial aid (UNDERGRAD and GRADUATE FUNDING) and diminishing budget cuts, encourage tactful expansion and strengthen relations with Hyde Park. I plan on increasing communication channels by tapping into our most impactful resource- Advisers. Through them, I'll send out surveys that target specific issues on campus to fairly represent the opinion of our student body.

I understand this may be a one man role, but nonetheless it is not a one man show. As early as elected, I'd start working on establishing relations with committee members, the slate and administration. I believe in expanding the role of the Liaison rather than aiming for a vote, yet first we must increase our impact where we have been given a chance to speak!

I hope to be able to work with the Chicago Maroon to publish an article once a quarter briefing my fellow students on my endeavors. I am for a wider recognition of SG presence and as such will push endeavors to get more access to students, by having elected officers present at big events, surveys through advisors, and much more.

Please message me to learn more about my campaign!

Below an interview with the Maroon from my initial candidacy (last year):

Addition [4/20]: For a current interview visit www.chicagomaroon.com

What do you think the role of the liaison is when it comes to political disputes of the University (such as the union contract, or divestment from Darfur in previous years)?
I think the Liaison is elected to represent the Interests of the Student Body to the Board. If there’s a considerable amount of Students Petitioning for a specific issue, that has the potential of affecting student and/or campus life, is it the Liaison’s responsibility to be completely effective in conveying their purpose. It is part of the Liaison’s role to guide the students through their ways of expressing discontent or desire for change. Even if the Liaison was unsupportive of a certain issue, his function would be to make himself available and representative of all students for equal.

Do you support adding a voting student member to the board of trustees?
No. I believe that we (the students) were given the opportunity to sit on the Board to brief and shape policy, issues and agendas. It takes more than two decades of age to understand the complexities of every action and policy they implement, and therefore, it should be left to the Trustees to make the ‘executive decisions’. I think that instead of focusing our manpower in pushing the board to give us a vote, students could be bringing about much greater change by spending time understanding our community and campus, their interaction, and the economic drift that changes it on a daily basis

What organizations have you been involved in on campus?
Sit on the Annual Allocations Committee (Student Gov), President at Chabad; Student Rep. for the Coalition of Chicago Colleges; Info Primary for MUNUC; Assistant Chair for ChoMUN; Treasurer of Jewish Action; Rep. for PSAC; Board Member of the Uncommon Fund, Member of the Gilbert F. White Leadership Program; Student Government Proxy, Entrepreneurship Club, Inter-House Council

What types of events do you think you could provide as liaison to give students more access to the board of trustees?
I’ve attended this year’s open forums with the President and some Vice-Presidents of our University, as well as a Brown Bag lunch with the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Andrew Alper. I would definitely keep these types of events coming. To give students the opportunity to first-hand interact with their administrators and trustees is a much stronger cause than attempting to gather data to represent them. In addition, I would hold office hours once a week and publish them on a website that I have promised to make, where all issues and BOT plans would be published for Students to view, comment on and cyber-discuss. This position requires that one reaches out to students in every way possible, and as long as I am elected, the University community will see my efforts focused on reaching out extensively to the student body through online forms, blogs, emails, surveys, by coming up to them in campus to talk or survey them. I have proposed to utilize our academic advisors to distribute quarterly surveys for students to answer. This is the best way of reaching out to undergraduates if one truly seeks to be representative of the whole.
The position of Liaison is geared towards representing undergraduates at our institution, but seeing that Graduate students are not represented in this year’s election, I understand that the focus of the position changes to a great extent. We NEED to reach out more to each and EVERY one of our schools. People have things to say, ideas to implement and others to disagree about. Graduate funding is a huge issue In campus and we need to tackle it in our primary agenda. For this, I’d hold public meetings with Students at both the Graduate School and Undergraduate level to interact more firmly and share concerns.
A Liaison should tie together students and their Student Government and not just focus on the Board of Trustees. Most of this position is about establishing relations on behalf of the students with Trustees and administrators. It is through these relationships that the Liaison can truly make change, bring about progress and let students truly be interested in what’s going on at their University. Student Government doesn’t do a great job in portraying a presence in campus, and one of my goals is to do so. Let’s make SG popular, desirable, liked- a government for the students by the students.

Do you plan on studying abroad or take time off in the next year?
No. I will be matriculating at the University all three quarters in Chicago and giving my best to this position

What do you believe were the last liaisons' biggest successes and biggest failures in the last year? Where you feel they failed, what would you have done differently?
The Liaison did a great job with the immediate response to a sexual assault case that had developed in the University by developing the Working Group on the Sexual Assault Policy. It demonstrates the sort of action that a Liaison must take in such instances- gather a group of students representative of our UC and produce a document/argument that would be used appropriately by Trustees and administrators. The liaison had a great relationship with the Graduate Liaison, which strengthened their voice.
Nevertheless, there was much more work that could have been done- lobbying, representing, showing up. A great majority of our student body doesn’t know who our Liaison is; a great majority of them doesn’t know what a Liaison does. ‘Transparency’ the word everyone runs behind, is worthless if one isn’t going to be visible in the first place. I would have reached out to students more often than by email letting them know that there would be a brown bag lunch with x and y. If the position was all about setting up dates for lunches, we would be running to become facilitators, not liaisons.

Why should older students trust a second-year to understand the complex issues of our campus?
This is a job that requires building relationships, and I am looking forward to strengthen them over the years. I have dedicated this year to understanding our university, Student Government and our administration. Of the candidates, I am the most involved in campus and with Student Government, its funding bodies and the Chicago Coalition of Colleges. I understand how our funding bodies work and I’ve served in Annual Allocations and the Uncommon Fund this year, positions that few students, oftentimes seniors fill. I have the maturity and capacity it takes to establish relationships with Trustees and Administrators and expect to be taken seriously. I am the founder of Shoes4Africa, Inc. (DBA Help4Africa), a non-profit that sends shoes to impoverished communities in Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, www.World2Save.com and www.onejewonestory.com. I was the President of a High School in Miami that enrolls over 4,000 students, and the Liaison to the School Board of Miami-Dade. Students should feel assured that by electing me, they are putting someone on the job that cares about what will happen to this position next year, someone who will keep his word and be ready to be accountable- someone with a passion and a will.

Is there anything else that you feel is important for us to know about yourself or your candidacy?
I’m an economics and international relations major in the college, born in Venezuela, but lived for the past seven years in Miami. I am fluent in Spanish, French and Hebrew. Although I did not win the elections for Student Government at the beginning of the year, I was the only one of the non-elected candidates to attend all Student Government meetings, and even proxy for every one of my class’s representatives various times, including some from other classes. I understand bureaucratic systems, but better yet, I know this position is not about what you can do in the meetings, but outside of them.

Entrepreneurs International Challenge: Our London Adventure

2010-03-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

February 19th, we landed at London-Heathrow. This, in fact, was my first trip to Europe, and I was lucky enough to be going with three great friends from the University of Chicago: Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, Guimar Vaca Sittic and Rodrigo Blandon.

This trip, unlike others I plan to take some day, wasn't solely for the touristic purpose; we were taking ten days off from school to compete in the final round of the Entrepreneurs International Challenge at the London School of Economics.

Guimar, David, Rodrigo, Pedro

The final round of EPIC, www.lse-epic.com, consisted of 9 teams from Malaysia, India, UK, Netherlands, Canada, Argentina and USA. We were the American team: four Latinos from Venezuela, Chile, Argentina and El Salvador, respectively.

In any case, we landed on a Friday, and the competition wasn't until the following Monday. The excitement took us around, made of us better friends, had us experience new routes, meet new people, see new things, taste new flavors, and cheer louder and stronger than we ever had before. To us, the fact that we were already in London, funded by the Dean of Students, meant we were already winners.

We saw the Big Ben, rode the London Eye, admired the view from the London Bridge, had Beer at the pubs, called out for the Queen from right outside the Buckingham Palace, stayed at cozy hostels, and I even experienced a beautiful Shabbat (different from what I had ever been to) in the heart of London.

Martin Kelly, IBM and David Akinin

London Eye and Big Ben, from London Bridge

The competition started on Monday. We were intimidated by some teams, but there was something inside of us, perhaps a strong bond we built over the weekend like we couldn't have at the University in two years, that reassured us, inspired us and made us feel like brothers.

It was very similar to the Apprentice, had four parts: a Sales Challenge, a Strategy Challenge, a Marketing Challenge and finally, the Social Enterprise Challenge.

Day 1, Sales Challenge we sold Mother's Day cards in the streets. Our strategy: focus on the London School of Economics strip. We sold to students, professors, staff. We didn't take no for an answer. We'd walk blocks with people until we made a sale. Persistence proved to champion: 168 Sterling Pounds.

Day 2, Strategy Challenge we presented a business venture based in El Salvador called Somos Soya (See blogpost about Entrepreneur Idol 2009). A soymilk production plant that would establish a breakfast supplement program for kids in public schools. We got full funding: 284,000 Sterling Pounds.

Day 3, Marketing Challenge 7digital.com came looking for ideas and we were eager to give them. They're in the process of launching a new and exciting product: "Locker Plus" and wanted marketing insight. We made a powerful presentation on Prezi.com, renamed the product, created a new image, gave Search Engine Optimization advice and pay-per-click marketing suggestions, and dressed up Guimar as a Cloud (see: cloud computing) and had him talk to London about getting on the Cloud... the judges voted for our proposal!

Day 4, Social Enterprise Challenge seeducation.com sponsored this event. We used Somos Soya, and added to it an additional Social Component- The Chutney Cooperative. As usual, we gave out soymilk samples, gave an in-depth, passionate presentation, supplemental materials and a business plan. But that wasn't it; we had to collect signatures in the streets (over 130), funding from random people who supported our project and win the vote of other competing teams ranking presentations.

Rodrigo, Pedro, Guimar, David

We won! We placed first in every challenge, accumulating a total of 40 out of 40 possible points-the first time a team got perfect scoring in the international challenge.

The team and Richard Farleigh

It was an "EPIC" experience for us all! We made friends around the world, celebrated at the Penthouse in London, made our country and university proud, but most importantly took home with us an experience that will mark our lives forever.

Cheers!

A weekend with the Guillens: White Sox Fest 2010

2010-01-31T03:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my brother Arie and I, were invited to spend the weekend with the Guillens at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, where the Sox Fest 2010 took place. When it comes to having a good time, I must admit it, it happens with the Guillens.

Arie Akinin and Ozzie Guillen

Arie had joined them a day earlier, so when I got to the hotel on Friday I asked him to meet me in the lobby and show me around a bit. Everywhere we went, people would say "there goes Ozzie's body guard, Arie"! I couldn't believe my ears, eyes... In less than a day he was almost as famous as Ozzie.

Arie with Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the White Sox and Bulls

Anyways, I greeted Ozzie and Ibis, his wife, and later on their kids, Ozzie Jr, Oney and Ozney. What an amazing family I must say- the love in the air, the spice in their speech, the comedy in their dialogue, the kindness in their home, all come out to light seconds after you meet them.

With the Guillen Family at Brazzaz

To sum the weekend in a blog post would be a very difficult post. From renting out night clubs and partying all night with Ozzie Guillen and Freddy Garcia, dining at the finest places, munching with the top players at the PH of the Palmer House... to a warm good-bye, this is definitely a weekend my brother Arie and I will not forget...

Minnie Minoso (First African American Player in 1951 in Chicago) and David Akinin

By the way, you should all be on the lookout for the acclaimed www.ozzietalks.com !

Ozzie Jr. Guillen, Arie Akinin, Oney Guillen
David Akinin, Freddy Garcia, Gledys Garcia

____, Freddy Garcia, Arie Akinin, Pitching Coach, Ozzie Guillen

The Tel Aviv Cluster

2010-01-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Jews are a famously accomplished group. They make up 0.2 percent of the world population, but 54 percent of the world chess champions, 27 percent of the Nobel physics laureates and 31 percent of the medicine laureates.

Jews make up 2 percent of the U.S. population, but 21 percent of the Ivy League student bodies, 26 percent of the Kennedy Center honorees, 37 percent of the Academy Award-winning directors, 38 percent of those on a recent Business Week list of leading philanthropists, 51 percent of the Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction.

In his book, “The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement,” Steven L. Pease lists some of the explanations people have given for this record of achievement. The Jewish faith encourages a belief in progress and personal accountability. It is learning-based, not rite-based.

Most Jews gave up or were forced to give up farming in the Middle Ages; their descendants have been living off of their wits ever since. They have often migrated, with a migrant’s ambition and drive. They have congregated around global crossroads and have benefited from the creative tension endemic in such places.

No single explanation can account for the record of Jewish achievement. The odd thing is that Israel has not traditionally been strongest where the Jews in the Diaspora were strongest. Instead of research and commerce, Israelis were forced to devote their energies to fighting and politics.

Milton Friedman used to joke that Israel disproved every Jewish stereotype. People used to think Jews were good cooks, good economic managers and bad soldiers; Israel proved them wrong.

But that has changed. Benjamin Netanyahu’s economic reforms, the arrival of a million Russian immigrants and the stagnation of the peace process have produced a historic shift. The most resourceful Israelis are going into technology and commerce, not politics. This has had a desultory effect on the nation’s public life, but an invigorating one on its economy.

Tel Aviv has become one of the world’s foremost entrepreneurial hot spots. Israel has more high-tech start-ups per capita than any other nation on earth, by far. It leads the world in civilian research-and-development spending per capita. It ranks second behind the U.S. in the number of companies listed on the Nasdaq. Israel, with seven million people, attracts as much venture capital as France and Germany combined.

As Dan Senor and Saul Singer write in “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle,” Israel now has a classic innovation cluster, a place where tech obsessives work in close proximity and feed off each other’s ideas.

Because of the strength of the economy, Israel has weathered the global recession reasonably well. The government did not have to bail out its banks or set off an explosion in short-term spending. Instead, it used the crisis to solidify the economy’s long-term future by investing in research and development and infrastructure, raising some consumption taxes, promising to cut other taxes in the medium to long term. Analysts at Barclays write that Israel is “the strongest recovery story” in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Israel’s technological success is the fruition of the Zionist dream. The country was not founded so stray settlers could sit among thousands of angry Palestinians in Hebron. It was founded so Jews would have a safe place to come together and create things for the world.

This shift in the Israeli identity has long-term implications. Netanyahu preaches the optimistic view: that Israel will become the Hong Kong of the Middle East, with economic benefits spilling over into the Arab world. And, in fact, there are strands of evidence to support that view in places like the West Bank and Jordan.

But it’s more likely that Israel’s economic leap forward will widen the gap between it and its neighbors. All the countries in the region talk about encouraging innovation. Some oil-rich states spend billions trying to build science centers. But places like Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv are created by a confluence of cultural forces, not money. The surrounding nations do not have the tradition of free intellectual exchange and technical creativity.

For example, between 1980 and 2000, Egyptians registered 77 patents in the U.S. Saudis registered 171. Israelis registered 7,652.

The tech boom also creates a new vulnerability. As Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic has argued, these innovators are the most mobile people on earth. To destroy Israel’s economy, Iran doesn’t actually have to lob a nuclear weapon into the country. It just has to foment enough instability so the entrepreneurs decide they had better move to Palo Alto, where many of them already have contacts and homes. American Jews used to keep a foothold in Israel in case things got bad here. Now Israelis keep a foothold in the U.S.

During a decade of grim foreboding, Israel has become an astonishing success story, but also a highly mobile one.

Source: DAVID BROOKS is as an op-ed columnist for the NY Times

The Land of Gold, Milk and Honey

2010-01-07T06:38:00.001-08:00

This past winter holiday season, I embarked on my first trip to Israel through the Jewish Learning Exchange Program. The experience is ever reminiscent in my mind, the memories flow from corner to corner-this one's going to be an unforgettable one!

Every step I took in 'the land' felt like recreating history... I heard once more the stories about the exile, the battle between David and Goliath, the creation and destruction of the temples, and many more. Yet, this time the stories were filled with evidence, with sites to see, rocks to touch, remnants to put together.

The array of feelings felt throughout the 3 weeks is inexplicable through a blog- the energy that flowed, the excitement that drove- all things I'd never felt before.

With cousin Paul Levi and his son Asaf

At the City of David

Wall of Lament

Tito Isaac Benarroch, Tita Luna y Tito Alberto Benzadon

Adios a un viejo amigo... desde Jerusalem

2009-12-17T03:46:00.000-08:00

Hace unos dias me entere de la tragica partida de un amigo del alma- David Daniel. El y yo, eramos como grapa y engrapadora: juntos para todos lados, y con nuestra union traiamos mas union. Los payasos, los romanticos, los echadores de broma, los cantantes, los poetas: el Duo David.

Cuando primeramente me entere de la noticia, una pelicula de experiencias paso por mi cabeza. Estas mismas me han perseguido por los ultimos dias ayudandome a apreciar lo grande que era.

Despues de haberme mudado a los Estados Unidos, David Daniel y yo perdimos contacto, hasta hace como un ano. Me acuerdo de finalmente haber hablado con el por facebook:

Me dijo: "voy a empezar administracion de empresas en la universidad santa maria! pero eso de la beca esta muy bueno chamo, tu te la mereces! mis hermanos estan bien! muy bien, tengo uno nuevo! el menos de 3 añit...os! el que sale conmigo en la foto! es tremendo pero se le quiere, y a mi mami bunisimo como siempre en lo suyo! el catalogo de ropa!y gian mauro tambien esta muy bien q esa era el menor que tu llegaste a conocer!!! mi hermana tambien en lo suyo, es chef! y bueno solo falto yo superarme y crearme nuevas metas!, me encanta lo tuyo, veo que has tenido mucho exito! como estan tus padres! y repito, cuando vienes! cuando voy a tener el honor de beberme algo con el proximo presidente de los estados unidos"

David siempre fue un hombre de y por su familia. Si alguien siempre hablaba de cuanto queria a su hermanito y hermana mayor a la misma vez, era David. A Gian Mauro y Laura capaz los conoci en una o dos ocaciones, pero David Daniel hablaba de ellos como si fueran parte de nuestro grupo. La pena que llevo por dentro es grande al haber perdido este amigo, pero mas aun en saber que su familia a perdido al gran hijo y hermano que el fue...

Un ano despues, hace como dos semanas, me desperte despues de haber tenido un sueno algo extrano, donde el me preguntaba por que teniamos tanto tiempo sin hablar? Al levantarme lo contacte de immediato por facebook y nos volvimos a poner al tanto de nuestras vidas. David ya habia encontrado lo que hace un ano llamaba sus metas- se iria a estudiar a la Universidad de Miami; ya estaba en el papeleo y todo, solo faltaba tiempo. Tiempo que este 13 de Diciembre llego a un fin...

Una experiencia que jamas olvidare con David Daniel: El concurso de Yom Yerushalayim cuando estabamos en 6to grado.

David Daniel y yo nos encontrabamos en clases de computacion en hebreo cuando oimos que esa misma tarde habria una competencia de bailes y canciones, el festival Yom Yerushalayim de Hebraica. David Daniel y yo sabiamos que no teniamos chance de ganar, y que decenas de grupos de todo primaria se estaban preparando desde hace semanas para competir. Sin embargo, llame a mi mama para que nos traiga dos camisas brillantes de mi casa- una vinotinto y una dorada. David Daniel pidio su guitarra! Escribimos una cancion que aun conservo en algun rincon de mi cuarto en nuestro punyo y letra, titulada "Oh Yerushalayim".

Ese dia con gran orgullo y corage nos paramos en el amplio escenario del auditorio de la primaria en Caracas y cantamos nuestra cancion. Que sorpresa nos llevamos cuando nos dieron el 2do premio! Fue un premio de popularidad; nuestros amigos gritaban nuestros nombres y aplaudian fuerte- los jueces vieron como el animo de ese duo llamaba a la gente! Entre ellos me acuerdo sin falta a Aaron Serfaty saltando en el medio de todos y a mi hermano Abraham, quien acababa de salir de clases del liceo y ollo que el Duo David estaba en show!

Ironico capaz que nuestro debut haya sido con una cancion sobre Yerushalayim y hoy me despido de el desde el mismo lugar del cual nuestra cancion habla- Jerusalem. Es mi primera vez en esta tierra, y compruebo lo que nuestra cancion relata- la belleza y harmonia de HaAretz. Escribire una copia entera de la cancion y la firmare con nuestros nombres para ponerla en el muro de los lamentos.

La cancion iba algo asi:

Oh Yerushalayim no llores mas por mi
Oh Yerushalayim te apoyo desde aqui!

Yerushalayim , mi vida
Yerushalayim, mi amor
Yerushalayim, estas en mi corazon

Ahiti ve Yerushalayim va shana she abar
ve raiti eretz, eretz yafa

Yerushalayim, mi vida
Yerushalayim, mi amor
Yerushalayim, estas en mi corazon
...
la termino luego...

Zichronot Libraja David Daniel..

Second Place at Entrepreneur Idol USA 2009

2009-11-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

Every year over 30 teams reach the semi-finals of Entrepreneur Idol USA (http://nuei.net), an elevator, idea pitch competition which provides students with the opportunity to express their innovative vision and creativity. Emphasizing students’ ability to succinctly deliver their business idea and capture the interest of the audience, Entrepreneur Idol hopes to encourage student innovators to pursue their dreams.

I went in with a venture similar to the one that got me to the finals last year- a business dealing with soy. Soy, soymilk, engineering, nutritional programs- all my fathers' passions instilled on to me.

This year, a friend and I pitched a venture in El Salvador: a soymilk production plant that would supply 2,280 cups per day to children in public schools through guaranteed government contracts. The soybeans we'd get from the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (www.wishh.org), and with my father's mentorship and expertise, we managed to secure a deal for a low-cost, high-tech plant from Prosoya in Canada. The venture would break even in the first month.

We worked hard in putting the business idea together, reaching out to partners and securing contracts, but I think it was the passion that we carried through the rounds that most impressed judges like Emily Miao, PhD from MBHB and Jeff Smith, CEO of Clarity Consulting, one of the main sponsors of the competition.

I, along with three other peers: Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, Rodrigo Blandon and Guimar Vaca Sittic are putting together a business plan to compete at the University of Washington's Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition.

Unos dichos Venezolanos... y sus origenes.

2009-08-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Esto es algo que me consegui hace poco por el internet, que vale la pena compartir. A continuación comparto con ustedes un post acerca de los orígenes de algunos vocablos populares y expresiones criollas, que caracterizan el código lingüístico del pueblo venezolano y, en especial, el del gentilicio zuliano. Zulia, tercer, estado en importancia política y primer productor de crudo de Venezuela. Ubicado en el occidente del país, hace parte de la frontera con Colombía.

Colita: Proviene de la época de la independencia. En las batallas, no habían tantas bestias (caballos, mulas, etc.) como soldados, no pudiéndose satisfacer a las demandas de toda la tropa. Así que gran parte de la milicia estaba obligada a cubrir grandes distancias a pie. Por eso, cuando les tocaba subir una pendiente, le indicaban al soldado que iba encima de una bestia: "¡Dame una colita!". En otras palabras, dame permiso para agarrarme de la cola del animal para subir con menos esfuerzo la pendiente.

Corotos: Antonio Guzmán Blanco, tres veces Presidente de Venezuela, gran antizuliano, por cierto, vivió en Francia y quedó muy influenciado por los modos y costumbres de la cultura y civilización gala. Siendo diplomático acreditado en ese país, su mujer se aficionó a las pinturas de un pintor francés, llamado Corots. Luego de terminada su misión, regresaron a Venezuela y se establecieron en la ciudad de Caracas. No obstante, se mudaban con mucha frecuencia y Doña Ana Teresa le indicaba nerviosamente a los obreros que embalaban los enseres: "¡Ciudado con los Corots!". Es decir, con las pinturas de aquel pintor francés. Los obreros fueron deshilachando la palabra y la derivaron en el vocablo que hoy conocemos como Corotos.

Espitao: Esmollejao. Corriendo fuerte. Reemplaza a la palabra inglesa: Speed Out. Ej.: ¡Vergación, salí espitao!.

Gatico: En tiempos de inicio de las actividade petroleras, los comisariatos eran casas de abasto, destinadas a satisfacer a la demanda de los expatriado(a)s. Al lado estaban las puertas gigantescas por donde entraba la mercancía, siendo identificadas con la palabra inglesa: Gates. Los venezolanos y venezolanas instalaron al lado o en los alrededores sus tarantines o abastos y le pusieron "Gaticos" (abasto pequeño). Es común escucharlo en Cabimas, La Cañada, La Rita y Maracaibo. Ej.: ¡Voy a comprar azúcar al gatico!.

Guachimanera: Vehículo tipo camioneta, dónde anda "El Guachimán" (Watchman: Vigilante en inglés). Propio de la industria petrolera. Era común en Lagunillas, cuando se hacía una travesura escuchar el grito: ¡Ahí viene la guachimanera!".

Hijo de la panadera: En abril de 1769, la Corona Española del territorio colonizado, hoy Venezuela, recibió una inusual protesta: No estaban de acuerdo con el nombramiento de un joven blanco como Oficial de las Milicias, esgrimiendo como argumento la dudosa reputación de éste porque su madre ejercía el oficio de panadera en Caracas. De allí se ha quedado el proverbio o refrán. Ej.: "A mí no me dieron nada porque soy el hijo de la panadera".

Macundales: Para abrir picas, en el proceso de exploración de la industria de los hidrocarburos en Venezuela, se utilizaron unos machetes ingleses de marca Mc and Dale. Los trabajadores, le dieron el nombre de "macundales" y luego a la hora de terminar la faena, decían: "¡Llegó la hora de recoger los macundales!" y así se ha quedado con el pasar del tiempo.

Pichón: Identifica al venezolano que es diligente o cuando se le pide un esfuerzo ( ¡échale pichón! ). Cuando no había acueductos o no había sistemas de distribución del agua, ésta se extraía con bombas manuales que decían en la palanca: "Push On". Esa palabra derivó en pichón y quería decir: "¡Dale a la bomba!".

On The Importance of Being Customer Centric, a Conversation with the VP of Best Buy

2009-08-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

As part of my summer at Google, I've had the opportunity to meet countless people that are reshaping and influencing corporate America this decade.

Bill Thompson, the vice president and territory general manager of Best Buy, came to speak to a small group at Google on the focus on customer centricity. The term refers to the orientation of a company to the needs and behaviors of its customers, rather than internal drivers (such as the quest for short term profit). The Best Buy executive led us through an invigorating presentation that presented the company's key Standard Operating Practices (SOPs), values and vision.

"Stack it high and watch it fly" was one of the key phrases that sparked from Thompson's presentation. Best Buy seeks to have it all, and let customers do the rest. "The business was getting far more complicated than we were able to convey to our client," said the Vice President when describing the business model and complexity.

In the early 2000's Best Buy turned massive wheels to focus their main powers on the "customer centricity" model. It's literally all about serving the customer right, customer service- how well are you listening to the customer, and then meeting his needs.

70% of what a store will do is based on SOPs: stores must connect to communities. A great example for Best Buy was the Tech Tax repeal through the "Geek Squad Rally" and their having joined forces with the local people to seek support. Bill Thompson assures that their strategy is centered on grassroots initiatives, benefiting communities.

Customer Centricity's Goals

Donna Fluss puts it best. A major impediment to building a customer-centric organization is the conflicting goals of the primary customer-facing departments: sales, marketing and service. Somehow, in the drive to achieve goals, each department loses sight of customers as people and sees them only as "objects" that need to be optimized. (See Figure above) Clearly, the obvious answer is to shift the focus back to customers and to align corporate goals. The problem is that when some companies have tried to standardize goals, their revenues decreased, customer satisfaction fell and loyalty dropped off, because the three primary customer-facing groups failed to cooperate.

Best Buy encourages its employees to be innovative and eager to bring about ideas through the "Idea Development Summit" every year. Best Buy gives its employees the freedom to make decisions and take action at the local level. One whole market is dedicated to selling Korean fridges in the branches because their community members in those cities happen to be Korean, and one employee was intuitive enough to identify that opportunity and divert from the SOP. Wait till you hear about the branch manager in California who hired 8 full time sign language proficient employees to target the population attending the 70 sign language schools in the area- revenue increased by 27 percent! Finally, Target's "You Spoke, We Listened" campaign surveyed students on what features they needed and Best Buy ordered the computers on those provisions.

It's all about local growth plans, about developing the communities where they're based and adopting those practices on the national level.

He ended the conversation on this note: "Try to satisfy their needs, selling will happen by on its own".

The Model

Promise Phelon wrote a very interesting article on Inc. magazine, titled "Are you really customer centric?"

"I L E YOU"

2009-07-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to express your feelings when you more than like somebody, but not quite sure if the timing is appropriate for telling them you love them?

Do you feel that saying "I Like You" doesn't just do the job, but "I Love You" might not be acceptable yet?

"I L E You" is the solution!

I thought of this a couple of weeks back, and it works perfectly:

In essence, it is the evolution of the phrase "I like you", often used by someone who's falling for another person. In this instance, the letters "ik" are dropped, and the two spaces are left blank to demonstrate the intensity of passion between the two people.

(pronunciation: I el ee u).

The next level of usage would include filling up the two spaces with the letters "ov"; making the ultimate phrase "I love you".

Example use:

"Baby, I l e you"
"David, I l e you too"

CLICK HERE, Urban Dictionary already published it!

An Unconventional Wedding: The Power of Surpise

2009-07-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

This morning, Kim, the Director of Online Sales and Operations shared with me a video about an unconventional wedding.

The power of surprise is infinite. To treat someone in an unusual manner, to lighten up their day, to leave in them something to remember you by, makes a world of difference.

Kim ended the email saying, "your customers will probably expect you to act a certain way today. The same old greetings, the same service, the same old promises, etc. Maybe today you should surprise them. Answer the phone differently. Offer them something extra. Show them another side of you. Let yourself get carried away and swept up."

University of Chicago ranked #1 !

2009-07-22T22:03:00.001-07:00

This one's short. Just sharing a link to collegecrunch.org from 2009 rankings for colleges and universities. I am proud to report that the University of Chicago is ranked #1, on top of Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

http://www.collegecrunch.org/rankings/top-50-colleges-ranked-for-2009/

The University of Chicago is a private institution located in Hyde Park, on the South Side of Chicago. Founded by John D. Rockefeller, the first classes were held in 1892. The University has 14,600 students and 2,100 faculty. Seven current faculty members have won Nobel Prizes. To attend the University of Chicago as an on-campus student, the annual cost is $52,450. The University of Chicago not only has one of the best research and technology infrastructures in the world, but it has also climbed into almost every top 10 undergrad list out there. That's no fluke. The school has everything you could want. A diverse student body, high quality teachers, access to city life and an unsurpassed emphasis on research opportunities, even for undergrads.

To learn more about the University of Chicago, visit their website at http://www.uchicago.edu/ or contact me! :)

David Akinin is a rising sophomore at the University of Chicago majoring in Economics and International Studies.

The Three Musketeers in a Basement: My Friday Nights in San Francisco

2009-07-22T21:20:00.001-07:00

I find myself in one of the most exhilarating cities around the world, yet one of the coldest at this time of the year. I couldn't believe it either, but yeah, San Francisco is cold. Despite the chilly breeze that makes one mutter "zezezeeeetszee", I am inspired to go explore, find new places, meet new people and experience unforgettable experiences.

Friday nights are a bit different for me, though. They have always been. I was born and raised in Venezuela in a Jewish Orthodox home. My parents always left it up to us to decide the extent of involvement and dedication we would give the religion, while imposing in our upbringing strong values and traditions. Not surprisingly, my brothers and I chose to pursue the path of our ancestors and celebrate our heritage.

Many have a passion for their religion; I myself try to get involved not only in the spiritual side of things, but in the community building opportunities and practice of traditions. At the University of Chicago, I am the President of the Chabad Student Board, back in High School I was one of the student directors of Maccabi Tzair Miami, which a group of community members and I developed from its grassroots: Olam Hayeled.

On Fridays, Jewish people celebrate the Shabbat (Sabbath); it is customary to pray in the evening and follow by performing the blessing of the wine and the bread and having a Shabbat meal. Living in San Francisco this summer, I took advantage of the opportunity that there are numerous synagogues around and picked one of Sephardic tradition (the one that my family practices from their origins in Morocco). Temple Magain David is 40 minutes away in public transportation from my apartment! Regardless, I decided to go and check it out.

I finally arrived. 7:40 marked my watch; I was already 10 minutes late. As I entered the harmonious temple, everyone shushed and the main guy, whom I later learned was the rabbi said in a loud voice "Shabbat shalom" (good shabbos). I thought it was funny he did that so I smiled and took a seat somewhere in the middle row. Without making eye-contact with anyone, he proceeded by repeating the phrase, twice more. In seeing that no one answered, I realized that he was actually talking to me and wanted to make sure I had come to the right place. I immediately responded three times the same phrase, and everyone laughed. The prayers continued without other interruptions all the way until the end.

After the prayers, the rabbi asked me in Hebrew if I had a place to eat that night, and I said no, so he claimed that they served dinners downstairs every Friday and that I was welcome to come, eat and share whenever.

The rabbi didn't stay though. I walked down to the basement and helped a guy I was introduced to, to cut some vegetables. While I did that he took out 10 plates with different foods on them and put them on a side table, while another man helped him setup our plates. The two of them and I would have dinner together every Friday thereafter for the rest of the summer.

It's a different experience. All three of us are young, one has a room in the synagogues on Fridays and the other camps out in the backyard- it's their way of not having to walk over 2 hours to get to temple on Fridays. The food is magically there every Friday- always different, in abundance and hot. The fellows- one is an accountant who migrated from Russia, the other one is the son of two Holocaust escapees who got married when they were 15 years old and went through Argentina and Chile, until they ended up in San Francisco.

I could probably find another synagogue, with more people to eat dinner with, not in a basement… but it wouldn't make this summer as special as it is. I have my musketeer Fridays, and I wouldn't change the laughs, stories and sense of independence for anything out there.

When Latinos (and friends) Come Together… at Google!

2009-07-13T00:51:00.000-07:00

Note to begin, that I added “(and friends)” because Google in itself is known for its inclusive culture, and our Hispanic Googler’s Network (HGN) is that much so!

The BOLD (Building Opportunities for Leadership & Development) Program is a summer internship for undergraduate and graduate students of diverse backgrounds around the United States in any of the Google offices. It brings together people of all majors, schools, colors and affinities- it brings together a taste of the world.

This year’s group of interns is fun and engaging, opportunity-seeking and driven. We are here to learn, work, network and make long-lasting relationships that will help us develop as a group and as individuals in the years to come.

I am currently an economics/international studies double major at the University of Chicago. I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and finished High School in Miami. My family is so diverse in itself that it’s usually hard to tell people where we’re from; I’ve come to see that as a trend among many peers in our group. We all have a story, and a load of culture differences and similarities. That’s what makes us the 2009 BOLD Interns.

This past Friday, a group of interns and I, met with Alana and Luiz of the Hispanic Googler’s Network to learn and contribute ideas to what should be an exciting summer together. Many of us have already introduced ourselves through the mailing list, and joined forces with the aforementioned hosts to come up with exhilarating ideas that will mark our summers, build on our culture and strengthen HGN.

We are here, we are eager, and we are ready.

Ashley and Luiz

Luiz, Benito, Rodrigo, David and Ashley

Introductions

Alana!

After our meeting (and getting some schwag), we headed to the ERG Ice Cream Party near the volleyball courts on main, where we had an official introduction of the other groups at Google eager to come together and share: Black Googlers Network, Asian American Googlers Network, Gayglers, etc… We mingled and ate, as any good Googler would!

I am very much looking forward to cultural food outings, Salsa competitions, networking and so much more!

Feel free to reach out to us, schedule a lunch / coffee, or even join forces in planning summer events!

To a great summer: Cheers!

David Akinin, on behalf of the BOLD Interns

Shoes4Africa, Inc.- from an idea to a global nonprofit

2009-07-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I am to write about what marked my life for two years, developed my interpersonal skills and helped me learn more about myself, my aspirations, my dreams than I thought was possible. Today, I write about what woke me up, what pushed me in the race of life, what got me somehow to where I am today. Shoes4Africa, Inc. is a campaign that started as a simple idea in the summer of my sophomore year in high school with my best friend Joel Wiznitzer, and overnight, turned to a globally represented, media-covered and multinational-organization funded nonprofit corporation.
As an immigrant I have had the opportunity to view the world through many lenses. When I lived in Venezuela I was aware that many people suffered and had to struggle to sustain their families. Arriving in the United States, I knew that I would not be able to eradicate these images from my mind.

I lived for 13 years in an underdeveloped country where injustices and societal flaws were covered up by the fraudulent action of the powerful few. These most likely were the ones who hired the team of criminals who kidnapped my brothers and me, leaving us with painful memories. After this harrowing experience how could I not do something to change the world in which I live?

In the summer of 2006, reviewing the life experiences that haunted me and the impoverished living conditions of many in my homeland, I wanted to change some of those problems. The inspiration and the idea that I had the power to start something, however big, came from my father. In my sophomore year at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Miami, Florida, I had the opportunity to attend my older brother’s, Abraham Akinin, Silver Knight Award Ceremony. On the ride back from the ceremony, all my father talked about is how I had to start something, a project- “thinking big, thinking small, thinking of your community and the global spectrum, start something that you like, that puts your skills to practice. Those kids did it, you can do much more!.”

Thinking big to start small, I came across the idea of world poverty. I saw it with my own eyes in Venezuela, but I read about it and studied it thoroughly since coming to America. As a student in an AP Human Geography course, I was exposed to the economics of West Africa, from cocoa production in the Ivory Coast to populations below the poverty line. Later I took International Relations at Florida International University, which widened my knowledge of contemporary Africa and made me fall in love with the cause. Joel and I sat in a room one day for 6 hours and stopped talking about what we wanted to do when we grew up, as our usual conversations would go, and decided to talk about what we were going to do then.

Through this research I found that being barefoot is not uncommon, nor is it healthy. I realized that shoes would help in the fight against poverty. This was my chance to get back at some of the injustices of the world and bring about a positive change. We founded a nonprofit organization and started collecting shoes at school and storing them in every corner I could fit a box. What better place to start than my own closet?

Shoes4Africa, Inc. (www.help4africa.com) collects shoes in cities across the U.S. and eight countries around the world to be shipped to people in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and other African nations where so many walk barefoot and some have never owned a pair of shoes. Wearing shoes helps in the fight against environmentally caused diseases, cuts, scratches, and parasites (such as hookworm larvae), as well as progressing in terms of world development.

The first steps are often the most difficult part of founding an organization or starting a campaign, but to me those were the easiest. First we launched the website, which I designed myself that same day. The project began small, but as people heard what we were doing, it grew.
We collected shoes from our families and close friends. We had by the end of a week, a couple dozen pairs. That’s when we got ambitious.

Holding leadership positions in my school’s French Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and student government, I was able to encourage student participation in the drive. In less than one month the whole school became involved, and hundreds of shoes piled into boxes and bags. These results gave me an idea that was the turning point of my campaign.

Joel Wiznitzer and David Akinin talking to volunteers at the Aventura Chabad in South Florida

There are two key factors to leading a successful community service project or philanthropic campaign: the accessibility of your goals (in my case how feasible was it to collect shoes, store them and ship them), and networking. Networking is essential because it widens the spectrum in which your project is undertaken, it gives you the resources to learn from others who are doing similar things, and ultimately makes you take your project more seriously as all the people you’ve networked with are counting on you. I started networking with local organizations, companies, and schools. Soon, eight schools in my area were participating. Shoes4Africa partnered with the local Jewish Community Center, where I volunteered as a teen ¬program counselor, and Step by Step Foundation, which provided storage space for the shoes. The local Jaycees, a networking organization for young businesspeople, introduced me as their only teen member and helped in the process.

Networking essential: a business card!

This community and Internet exposure gave me the motivation to set up a global structure for my organization. At Harvard Summer School I met professors who put me in touch with an African nonprofit I’d been working with to send the shoes to Africa, African Embassy, Inc. I made friends all over the world who were just as motivated and inspired as I am, and who have taken the campaign to their cities and countries. By then, I served as the global director, and we had eight country directors, 22 city directors, and 34 school liaisons. Giving a teen the opportunity to feel like a leader is all the motivation necessary to change the world. Amy Omar in Akron, Ohio was in TV interviews and countless journal publications spotlighting her leadership and work through Shoes4Africa.

Amy Omar from Akron, Ohio

With Florida International University, Shoes4Africa undertook the “Walk in My Shoes” campaign to increase awareness of sexual violence and bring an end to it, while using the campaign as a means of collecting shoes for the needy. Each pair had a story of rape attached to it, and surprisingly, many anonymous volunteers brought shoes with their own stories attached.

No long and ambitious task comes without problems. One year after having founded Shoes4Africa with the mission of solving the barefoot crisis in Western Africa “one shoe at a time”, viciously expanding my ideal globally, and starting chapters throughout the US, Canada, Sweden, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Venezuela, I was threatened of being sued by Shoe4Africa’s legal counsel. A counsel for another NPO in NY, undertook legal actions against me as they learned of my success in collecting thousands of shoes. Although they managed to shut down my website, S4A because they threatened the hosting company, we kept expanding and collecting. We simply switched from www.shoes4africa.org (which is still blocked) to www.help4africa.com (which we have started building again).
“The world needs one hundred organizations like ours,” was my first and last response to them. I grew older than I did in 17 years, that day, when I digested the irony in their actions, the coldness in the hearts and their pocketing intentions. Feeling alone in a fight- combating the goliaths without a rock, and managing to continue on with my aspirations, to learn and comprehend from those incidents, have made me grow taller inside.

Teaching about Africa and its problems at an elementary school

To raise money to pack the shoes that would be shipped free by UPS (another partner), Shoes4Africa launched “Shoot for a Cause.” Fifteen teams, 45 players, pizza, snacks, and drinks made up a wonderful Friday afternoon fundraising event. Each player paid a $28 fee to compete in one of the wildest basketball tournaments of the year. In addition, we received private donations from individuals all along the two years that helped us purchase many of the supplies needed to store our boxes for over two years of the program. Storage was a huge problem when it came to finding it for free! My mom wasn’t too pleased with the idea of having thousands of pairs of shoes in her front lawn for month. We reached out to a local nonprofit headed by Liliane Stransky, Step by Step Foundation, which donated storage space for several months.
Joel and I would leave school early, or even wake up 3 hours before school started, because we had to move hundreds of boxes from one storage space to another, as the companies that lend us the space needed to vacate from time to time. In the last months of the project we had over 4,000 pairs of shoes stored in Milan Kitchen’s storage space in South Florida.
Shipping? We had no idea what we’re going to do until the last months of our project. I had called, mailed, emailed, stalked everyone possible; we had gotten rejection letters from everyone, and worst of all everyone in the community was on our tail about the status of the shipment. Frederick Smith, the president of FedEx sent me a personal letter saying he couldn’t help at the time. But pushing down the scale, I found success with Tiffany Bryant, a Branch Manager for FedEx, who helped us out and allowed us to close a deal with FedEx.

At FedEx Miami, shipping over 4,500 pairs

TV Interview with Nani Montero

Shoes4Africa has been published in countless newspapers, magazines and online resources. I’ve even had TV and radio interviews regarding our work.

Not only has Shoes4Africa ameliorated the conditions of the needy by providing shoes, but it prevents the spread of diseases that come with being barefoot. Moreover, the project created young leaders in over 20 cities and eight countries who are now in charge of an important campaign in their schools and communities. It inspired local campaigns in many places, and made leaders out of third grade classrooms like Mrs. Landman’s class at Sinai Jacobson Academy. It made the world more aware of the harsh conditions of others, inspired teens like myself to start their own campaigns, and most importantly, changed my life!

Mrs Landman's Class and David Akinin, at Sinai Academy in Miami, Florida

This is truly a short version of two and a half years of sweat, experiences, learning and growth. Feel free to reach out to me to learn more.

Founders, David Akinin and Joel Wiznitzer

Joel Wiznitzer

David Akinin

Visit http://www.dosomething.org/project/shoes4africa-inc-aka-help4africa to view our project
or www.help4africa.com
or www.zimbio.com/shoes4africa.org

Hoy recuerdo a mi abuelo, Don Abraham Benarroch Bentata Z''L

2009-07-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hoy me siento a contemplar el pasado. El pequeño pasado que he vivido, la gente que lo influyó, la manera en que lo hicieron, directa e indirectamente.
Hoy en especial contemplo a un hombre que llevó siempre mi más alto respeto, a un marido excepcional, a un padre como pocos, a un abuelo relleno de cariño y emoción. Hoy me siento a contemplar lo que representó para mi, mi abuelo: Don Abraham Benarroch Bentata (Zichronot Libraha).
Mi abuelo, y con qué honor y pasión quiero intensificar el “mi” con el que empiezo esta oración, nunca dejó de impresionarme- no importa la ocasión, mi edad, o las circunstancias. Muchas fueron las oportunidades cuales compartí con él en familia, donde su energía, picardía, sonrisa, pasión y amor eran el centro de atención.
Mejores, califico yo, aunque él ya un poco mayor, fueron las veces que me senté con el asolas en su apartamento de Mystic Pointe a conversar sobre temas varios, a lanzarle preguntas de temas aburridos, interesantes, alarmantes, y oír las respuestas que me daba. La abuela Lucy se reía, y a veces después de hacer la pregunta yo me volteaba y veía su asombro en oír las respuestas que MI abuelo, reconocido por ser mas callado en sus últimos años, daba con intuición.
Sobre una novia, sobre la universidad, sobre un negocio, sobre un equipo, sobre mi vida, sobre su pasado, sobre mi futuro, sobre Dios y la religión- qué no le pregunte? Si algo me faltó, de eso me arrepiento hoy. A veces le hacía preguntas sobre temas que no tenían fin, porque sentía que el tan solo llevar una conversación con él ya en si era para mí más que suficiente.
Ahora me siento aquí, en un cubículo en una oficina, pensando en cuantas preguntas le deje de preguntar, cuantos temas jamás descubriré, sobre cuantas experiencias dejé de oír, y lo único que puedo hacer es ver lágrimas caer sobre el teclado de mi computadora. Mi nivel de madurez creció con el pasar de los años, y cada vez era más tarde para hacer preguntas, para satisfacer una infinita necesidad que pocos tienen la oportunidad de alimentar, y que hoy me pregunto, al recordar, si yo la supe sustentar…
Increíble como en un estado de confusión, la solución solo parece ser llorar… pero así se abren campos y veo las mil razones por las que con una gran sonrisa el resto de mi vida lo iré a recordar.
Me acuerdo de verlo sentado en su sofá en Caracas con una camiseta, bermudas y medias largas negras, que luego al acostarse a descansar, como él siempre supo hacerlo en el Shabbat, me pediría que se las fuera a quitar.
Me acuerdo de ser levantado en el aire por sus largos brazos, levantar mi camisa y presionar sus labios en mi barriga, prrhshprsh, haciéndome entrar en carcajadas.
Me acuerdo del beso ensordecedor.
Me acuerdo del “peligro amarillo”.
Me acuerdo de las mil historias que oí sobre él, y conté a mis amigos con gran orgullo, empezando con la del Señor Burdines. Reconozco que nunca fue él quien contaba las historias- que humildad!
Me acuerdo de estar sentado alrededor de una hermosa mesa de Shabbat un viernes por la noche y oírlo decir el Kiddush, y a mi tio Ari seguir con su voz.
Me acuerdo de estar sentado en la misma mesa un sábado por la tarde y oír a mi abuelo empezar con el “Beshameru benei Israel…” y dejar pegado el “Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii”…. Hasta que mi abuela le tocaba el hombro y él seguía “sheshet yamin…” La única razón por la cual me aprendí el kidush del sábado, es por haberlo oído a él, cantarlo infinitas veces con su gran voz.
Me acuerdo de hasta en sus últimos shabbatot con nosotros, oírlo rezar de memoria todos los rezos, y seguir con uno la tefilah…
Me acuerdo de haber empezado a ir a la sinagoga por mi cuenta gracias a él. Hasta donde me lleva mi memoria, fui por primera vez con mi padre a un Shabbat para acompañar al Abuelo Abraham a Mariperez, y al notar el respeto que todos le tenían, jóvenes y viejos, rabinos- toda la Kehila, como quería yo volver el próximo Shabbat y ser uno de los privilegiados que se sentase al lado de él.
Me acuerdo de hacerle la vida imposible a Zurita, Alberto o Thomas, si no me llevaban a la sinagoga a la hora. Llegaba yo solo, y luego me alcanzaba mi papa, pero yo a la sinagoga de mi abuelo Abraham, sin falta, siempre. Me acuerdo de oír a todos preguntar cómo estaba mi abuelo Abraham, y con gran orgullo responder sobre él. Me acuerdo de estar orgulloso de ser asociado con él- el nieto de Don Abraham Benarroch. Me acuerdo de rezar el kiddush parado en la teibah, y de tratar de forzar mi voz sobre la de los otros jóvenes para que mi abuelo, Don Abraham, y por supuesto mi padre, la oyeran con honor y orgullo.
Me acuerdo de haber entrado a su cuarto en varias ocasiones y verlo descansar ocupando toda la cama, y tener la oportunidad de ver la paz que había allí. Me acuerdo de haberle preguntado cómo podía el cerrar los ojos y quedarse dormido tan rápido- “solo cierra los ojos, y pon la mente en blanco”. Hasta el día de hoy no lo he podido lograr. Empiezo pensando en el color blanco, y luego la palabra color me lleva a pensar en creyones, y luego en el colegio y bamm se me abren los ojos.
Me acuerdo de oírlo echarle piropos a mi abuela sobre su cintura, su belleza, su esplendor.
Me acuerdo, y de esta me acuerdo sin falta, de oírlo darle gracias a Dios por el pan de todos los días y la mujer de su vida antes de tomar sus pastillas y vitaminas matutinas. Esa era su beraja diaria!
Me acuerdo de que le importase que yo me terminara mi Nesquick antes de ir al parque o a la piscina de su edificio.
Me acuerdo de verlo jugar Parchis, Solitario.
Me acuerdo de querer hacer mis tareas de matemáticas en su casa.
Me acuerdo de perder dos horas con mi familia preparándonos para ir a su casa. Trajes de baño, juguetes, toallas, carritos, pelotas, etc.. igual si no lo llevábamos, en su casa lo podíamos encontrar.
Me acuerdo de una vez que mi abuelo Abraham y mi abuela Lucy se mudaron a Atenu, nuestra casa, por una semana o un poco más, porque mis padres se habían ido a Paris. Me acuerdo de haberme atragantado con una hoja de laurel y mi abuela voltearme en el aire, mientras el abuelo Abraham decía con gran calma “tose, tose hombre!”
Me acuerdo de luego haberle preguntado si él creía en Dios. Como un niño con grandes preguntas y numerosas a la vez, esa fue una de las pocas veces que me atreví a hacerle esa pregunta a alguien. A la primera persona que se la hice fue a él.
D: “Abuelo, tú crees que Dios existe?”
A: “Si. Estoy seguro de que él existe!”
D: “Pero, cómo? Yo nunca lo he visto, como puedes estar tan seguro?”
--Me respondió con calma y gran certeza. Una respuesta de mi abuelo, ya en si era para mí suficiente razón. Saber que él no tenía duda, me quitó a mi toda duda, mágicamente…
A: “Todos nos hicimos esa pregunta en algún momento de nuestras vidas. Yo no estaba seguro hasta que leí varias historias en la Tora. Que un hombre, solo, haya sacado a un pueblo de un país puede ser acción de cualquier buen líder, pero que ese mismo hombre haya abierto los mares, o que a todo un pueblo le haya caído el Mana; eso es acción de quien llamamos Dios.
D: Yo estaba convencido, pero le quise de cualquier manera preguntar. “Tú no estuviste ahí abuelo, como sabes TU que D-os existe…?”
A: “Yo viví en una época en la que los Judíos estaban siendo exterminados en Europa. Pero de una noche a la mañana, vi una obra de Hashem. Sentí con más fuerza que nunca, que había esperanza. Vi a un imperio Nazi caer, a víctimas del holocausto sobrevivir, vi la creación del estado de Israel en un mundo mitad antisemita… vi las obras de Dios”
Si él las vio, yo las vi, y así es que los judíos debemos haber pasado nuestra historia y tradición oral. De abuelo a nieto por generaciones y generaciones.
Me acuerdo de creer en Dios y de respetar mis tradiciones gracias a Mi abuelo Abraham.
Me acuerdo y no me paro de acordar, de experiencias, de momentos, de sentimientos, de pensamientos, que en su momento se sintieron insignificantes y ahora, más que nunca, no puedo parar de valorar.
Me acuerdo de bromas espontaneas, canciones sin palabras, dichos sabios, repeticiones de palabras con las que la abuela Lucy terminaba sus oraciones. Me acuerdo de todas esas tonalidades estresantes (para los que la oían)- me recuerda a mi mama gritando “papaaa!” o a mi abuela agregando “Abraham, Ya!
“Que dirán los niños!”… “los niños, los niños,” lo que hacíamos era reír, y reír sin parar. Cancioncillas que hasta hace un poquitín más de un ano, el abuelo y nosotros cantábamos juntos cuando visitabamos su casa. No había nada que a Arie mi hermano le gustase más hacer que unirse a él en eso! Me acuerdo mejor de sus carcajadas y sonrisas al vernos felices.
Este Viernes 10 de Julio, ha transcurrido un año desde que por última vez lo vi, un año desde que le pude decir frente a frente, que lo quería, que era un joven contento, que veía pa’lante y que quisiera compartirlo todo con él. Tuve la oportunidad de despedirme. De sostener su mano, y decirle que lo quería con el corazón, de que estábamos todos reunidos, su familia inmediata, compartiendo con él, pensando en él, rezando por él.
Mi tío Ari Benarroch, que Dios lo guarde y le dé buen mazal e infinitas alegrías, ha sostenido su nombre en alto, ha rezado con una increíble intensidad y responsabilidad, que ha cargado la neshama de Mi abuelo, su padre, Abraham Benarroch Bentata Z’L, al Olam Haba- a su trono en Olam Haba.
Mi abuela Lucy, la mujer más bella y fuerte del mundo, más colorida y más apasionante que he conocido, ha llevado un gran dolor por haber perdido al amor de su vida. A ella la admiro por infinitas razones, pero a esa lista le agrego el haberse compuesto para seguir adelante como mi abuelo lo hubiese querida, repartiendo energía y amor a la familia.
Le hablo hoy más que todo a mi abuelo Abraham a través de esta lista de recuerdos y memorias, a pedirle que mire por todos nosotros con el amor que lo hizo mientras estaba acá, que guie a nuestras familias por el camino de la paz y felicidad, y que algún día me dé el coraje y la fuerza de llegar a ser el hombre, esposo, padre, abuelo y judío que él por ochenta años fue.

Listen to the blog post read by author here:

AdSense For Soccer

2009-07-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

This summer, as you'll later learn I am working at Google. I have a paid internship in AdSense, Google's ad publisher interface that allows you to make money while publishing advertisements from their AdWords customers. In AdSense everything is AFX. AdSense for X (x being, S for search, M for mobile, etc)... Today's post is about AdSense for Soccer.

I had just gotten back from a 1:1 meeting with a team leader in AdSense when three different people approached me asking me how come I wasn’t ready! Ready for what? I asked. For soccer, put your shoes on, this product manager (that’s quite a high position) answered. Now let me explain something about Google culture: here everything has codenames, so “soccer” probably stood for some software or meeting, and as any new intern, I felt out of place! So I proceeded by doing what I have always done when I feel out of place- I asked!
It turns out there was an actual soccer game. Yes! At 12:30 PM right in the middle of lunchtime, and I was probably not only going to miss the Texas themed 4th of July BBQ I was about to go to with some co-workers, but some of the meetings that followed. Agh! Who cares? My manager thought it’d be cool, I took the offer.
Now here was the problem- everyone at Google dresses really chill, I on the other hand was dressed on the business casual side, and therefore only found myself wearing one thing that would come useful for the soccer game- underwear. Where was I going to find sneakers, shorts and a T-shirt. By coincidence I had those things in a locker at the Gym, as the day before I had forgotten to take it home.
I walked out of the Gym and there was an SUV, with a driver waiting. He pulled down the window and called out- Sir, are you David? I laughed. He said, get on and quickly, they’re waiting for you. I had no idea what was going on. One minute there’s some managers near my desk asking me why am I not ready, the next a driver outside of the building awaiting me.
It was a chilled ride- he talked about how he always tried to play in a soccer league but never made the cut. I wanted to share a similar experience, until he interrupted by saying how he really admired people like me who can do business and play sports so well. I had no idea where he got that from, but the last time I was officially in any sort of sports team, must have been the 7th grade.
Anyways, we reached the soccer field, I got outo f the SUV and thanked him. Ran in to the Google Soccer Field (as big as any pro field you’ll find), and there they were. Six team mates waiting for me, in their soccer gear, anxious. Aren’t you Scott Sheffer, the Director of Online Sales and Operations for the company (that’s four people above my manager)? Yeah! He said. And you’re David the Venezuelan; we have high expectations for you. Well, I’m working really hard and networking with everyone I can, I answered proudly. He giggled. No, I mean for today’s game- given your country of origin we expect good results! There, I joined him in the laughing; mine was perhaps a nervous one. I immediately wanted to clear everything with my team mates. Guys, I am not sure why all of this is happening or why I was chosen to play this afternoon. Given my country of origin I should be good at baseball- Venezuela never made it to the world cup.
I was relieved. I finally built up the courage to stop time for a second and let them know I wasn’t Maradona. They didn’t seem to listen. One teammate padded me in the back, and the VP-level-executive (who no one ever gets to meet with because he’s so busy, but with whom I was now going to spend the next hour and a half playing sports) approached me and asked what position I usually play. I don’t usually play, I answered. He laughed, no seriously, where in the field? That was it for me, they weren’t going to believe me, then I was going to show off. I usually play Lateral Izquierdo, it’s our word for left defense. He suddenly became interested in how to say the rest of the positions in Spanish, and I made up half, but I was proud to be teaching him some things in the field, at least before the game started.
So yeah. This was all for real. The other team got there, everyone in cleats and sheen guards! Game starts. They scored, we scored, and they scored. We were down 1-2 towards the end of the first half. I have got to admit it; I was putting up a great fight! Poh, poh , puhh- a bunch of great passes and all, but this was a really quiet game for me. One who knows me, would picture me in a field screaming random Spanish things, “pasala brother”, “cheeeaa boii”, “aqui viejo, aqui” or “papi, papi”, or even running funny to scare the other players. Not this time, this was a job interview, man. Everyone in that field had a Bachelors Degree, most had a Master’s In Business Administration, and years of experience in the Google Soccer team.
Back to the game. There I was defending the left laterals of our empire, with my bare shoe soles, no protection or support; every man had a responsibility, and expectations upon him. What sucks about being defense is that you don’t score; you take the ball from the opponent and give it to your team mate to score and take the glory. I took a chance. This time I didn’t give it to my team mate. Went up the left lateral with the ball, thought it would be great to center the ball, and maybe get some credit for “putting it in a silver platter” to the delantero (forward). I shot, the ball torpedoed like never before and I scored. “cheeaaa boiiiii”, I was screaming down the field! The high executives clapping for me, impressive said one of them. The other one turned to him and answered, I told you, we were right. Wow! I cannot express the feeling of ecstasy that was running through me. I ran back calmly to my position while everyone celebrated. On the inside I wanted to explode!
The first half ended, I had tied the game, and we were ready for the second half. I asked for a longer break, I was exhausted, although they all seemed to be fine. What’s wrong buddy, a product manager asked. Man, I haven’t played since college, gotta give me a break, I told him. Why did I say that? You haven’t played since college!? College was three weeks ago for you. You can’t use that sentence, as an intern! Everyone laughed. The ice was definitely broken. Later I’d find out, everyone in the office was talking about how “I hadn’t played since college”.
The second half happened. We really got back to this game. I scored another one (I could not believe it either, don’t worry!), and we ended up beating that team 6-2, maybe 7; by that point I wasn’t really paying attention to the score- I was in my own world…
Game was over, time to get back to work. After all, I was still getting paid for playing that game. Just when I was going to jug back to my building, Scott offered a ride in his car. I took it. I call the shower first, he said. (We have gyms everywhere, and showers too. Our building had only one). I have a meeting soon, I answered. Well, I have a 2 O’clock, he answered. I pulled out my phone, went to our personal Google Calendars, and suggested, whoever is meeting with the most important person gets to shower first. Now, he was already more important than anyone I had met at the company, so unless he was meeting with a coworker of mine, I had no chances. He was meeting with the CEO…
Soccer is a game I have always loved, but not necessarily mastered. I have played at times where I am the star, but usually others outperform me. This time I went in with the mentality that I had to win, that I wanted to win, that I was ready to give it my all. True, I was getting paid to play and all, but this game could have been at anytime during the day, and I would have paid to e able to have this experience. Things sometimes happen to us and we ask ourselves why. We have to learn to let go of that “why?”, and worry more about the “how?” How can I make of this a great experience?

The Blog

2009-07-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

Today, I decided that I am going to start recording my life experiences. The things that are worth telling, the things that are worth remembering, the ones not worth letting go, the ones worth learning from. The ones worth compiling one day and reading chronologically, to look back and smile. Today, I begin writing about today, and step into tomorrow cramming posts about yesterday, so as to one day, be able to compile it all.
Enjoy!

The AdSense Component

2009-06-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a sample AdSense ad!