2020 GlobalMindED
The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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This is Global Entrepreneurship week and we have highlighted several entrepreneurs who are courageously making their dreams happen through running their own business. Marquis Mitchell is an indefatigable role model for this hard path, made more difficult by being a black man of color. His mother would always say, “read further than asked and write more than told.” She taught her son to seize opportunity and to believe in himself when the world is telling you you'll lose. While many universities have programs in innovation, few cover the depth of difficulty and the personal risk most entrepreneurs take who aren’t from privilege. His inspiring story is for all entrepreneurs and we celebrate his courage and commitment, which starting a business requires. Our webinar earlier this week, hosted by college student and entrepreneur, David Lopez, explores who gets funded and why among underrepresented audiences, one of many hurdles entrepreneurs face. The panel of investors is looking for remarkable, brave people like Marquis and David. Read Marquis’ story and watch the panel to learn the inside and honest story of start up grit and wherewithal. And as a woman who has started a few companies with every earned penny and no outside investment, this is not just a man’s game. But it is hard and requires nerves of steel, which can make it the most worthwhile undertaking. Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Funding First Gen and BIPOC Start Ups Launching with Investor, In-Kind, and Contest Dollars
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What is your personal story and what led you to your innovative mindset?
I was born in New York City and lived there until I was 10 years old. I don’t feel like my life is very different from anyone else's, but I do feel like my unique circumstances led me to the person that I am today. My parents worked hard to give my siblings and I a life that was filled with love, structure, and hard work. I definitely didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth and know what it's like to stand in front of an oven for warmth before heading off to school. I don’t say this to elicit pity, but I do say it to establish a baseline of who I am as a person.
My mother went to Oakwood University, and my father never graduated from high school. Both of my parents taught me the value of perseverance in their own unique ways. My mother would always make sure that my work was done to the best of my ability, and that I went above and beyond what was asked of me. She would always say that I should read further than asked and write more than told. I still remember my spelling assignments where I would have to write a sentence using each word and my mother would make me write an entire story using the words instead. I did not see the value while I was doing it, but now can understand doing and giving more than expected, especially as a business owner.
My father worked in the same place for over 30 years. He started in the mailroom and only worked there for 1 year before moving into management. He spoke to a manager at the time and asked to learn how to work and manage the computer mainframes in the office. He went in on nights and weekends to learn as much as possible, and ended up passing the senior management exam. He grew up in South Carolina, so we would end up going down there every summer to stay for a month. I can still remember the incessant and brutal 101° heat while I helped him plant flowers. He would always say that a hard day's work started in a field, and that your word is your bond. It taught me that however hard things may get, it isn’t as bad as planting flowers in 101° heat, and that if you say something you better do it.
An equally big part of my life is also being able to travel and experience different cultures. I enjoy meeting new people and connecting them with others. I have met many people throughout my life, with many different backgrounds across many different languages and the one thing that I learned is that we are all not so different. The main difference is the choices that we make in our life, but at any time we can decide who we want to be and how we want to experience this life.
Ultimately my mindset doesn't come from trying to innovate, but from trying to connect people. We live in a world that is divided by race, creed, religion and many other things. My parents have taught me that hard work will get you to where you want to go, but travel has taught me that you can’t do it alone. You need people in order to reach your goals. If as a society we can look past our town or city or country then we can have the ability to change more than our immediate surroundings. We can change the world together.
What made you want to become an entrepreneur so early in life?
I haven’t always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I have always wanted to make my mark on the world. Initially I went to school for music and wanted to work in the music industry, which I did for a number of years. It was only after working in music that I realized that it wasn't actually what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was fun, especially in the beginning, but the cut-throat nature of the industry didn’t speak to the type of person I was or how I wanted to be portrayed in a professional sense. Afterward, I worked a variety of odd jobs trying to find my place in the world, but none of them ever seemed to keep my attention for more than a couple of months. My main issue was that I had a hard time working to build someone else's dreams, when I had so many of my own.
In my 20’s I ended up purchasing a little black book that I used to write down all the ideas that I felt would one day be good enough to become business ventures. It wasn’t until I was around 24 that I decided to stop creating for others and start creating for myself. It was at that point that my life changed for the better and I felt a sense of purpose. I wrote down every hairbrained idea that came into my head and tried one business after the other. Some businesses did well, and others fell flat, but the one takeaway is that I tried. I can look back on my life without regret and that will make all the difference when I am on my deathbed.
What has been the hardest part of your journey so far?
The hardest part of the journey is pushing forward even before you see any results. The life of an entrepreneur is hard mainly because most people that try will fail. Even the ones that succeed had to overcome obstacles and sometimes multiple failures to get there. The failures can take a toll on your spirit and your faith which make you second guess yourself and whether what you’re doing is worth it. You have to believe that you will win even when the world is telling you that you will lose, and that is sometimes a difficult outlook to maintain..
I believe that in order to win, you have to be one part obsessed and one part crazy. It is crazy to push forward when the whole world is telling you no. It is crazy to keep trying when you’ve fallen down for the 100th time. It is crazy when your idea is so far fetched that you are the only one that can even fathom what the end result will be, but it is also those crazy ideas that end up changing the world. Mix that crazy with a bit of obsession and you have the recipe for someone that will not stop until the job is finished. Keep going regardless of results and obsess over the journey itself, and you will one day find yourself right where you always wanted to be.
What is Nomatic digital and how do you piece it all together to make your goals for this enterprise happen?
Nomatic Digital is just one of the names we use to encompass an aspect of why we do what we do. Ultimately the goal is to change the way that people work, live, and interact with each other no matter their race, creed, or even religion. There are many parts to Nomatic, and as the company grows we will be looking to incorporate a variety of endeavors, each unique to helping us achieve that goal. As long as we know why we are doing it as a company then all the different pieces will align towards the same end. Essentially it isn’t about piecing it together, but about setting the compass from the very beginning so that all future endeavors point in the same direction.
What do you most want young, black entrepreneurs or any underrepresented population to know about the risk and reward of being a young entrepreneur?
As a black or minority entrepreneur, you need to be willing to work harder than everyone else. It’s not to say that you will have a harder time then a non-minority, but there is a greater chance that it will be more difficult for you. Having that knowledge, you should prepare yourself from the beginning for a tough road ahead. Being an entrepreneur already takes an extraordinary amount of will-power and courage, but it becomes even harder when you’re ill prepared for having to start the race in the back. Assume that no one will help you, and that you will have to do what others won’t in order to succeed. If you can do that, then there is nothing that will ever stop you from reaching your goals, and you can bathe in the lush rewards at the end of your journey.
You should also be mindful that winning can be intoxicating and a person can easily lose sight of why they started in the first place. Easily the best reward for your efforts is freedom and time. Freedom to choose your life and destiny, and decide what to do with it. Stay focused on why you started your journey and your life will feel fulfilled throughout your entire process. Lose focus, and you can end up b
Bio:
Marquis Mitchell was born in the Bronx, New York to Sharon and Stanley Mitchell. He is one of 5 boys and girls. After high school he attended The College of New Jersey where he received his bachelor's degree in Business Management. After graduating he moved to Florida where he received a certificate in recording arts and his Masters in Entertainment business. His company, Nomatic, was established in December of 2019 and has grown since its inception. Marquis has begun taking classes at MIT but ultimately would like to get his Phd in Entrepreneurship. Marquis’s goal is to aid in connecting people across different parts of the world so that we can create a global society full of collective invention and innovation.
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Monday, November 23, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Tuesday, November 24, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Monday, November 30, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Wednesday, December 2, 2:00 MT/4:00 ET |
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Click to view the most recent webinars: |
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Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Funding First Gen and BIPOC Start Ups Launching with Investor, In-Kind, and Contest Dollars David Lopez; Co-founder/CEO, Internalyze, Juan Zavala; Senior Associate, New Markets Venture Partners, Monica Groves; Manager, XPRIZE, Dr. Murdoc Khaleghi; Medical Director, WellnessFX, and Praful Shah; Advisory Board Chairman, Principium Investments
Catalyzing Change in Health: Equity for Native, Rural, and Veterans During and Beyond COVID-19: Dr. Pierre Theodore; VP Global External Innovation, Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis; President & CEO, Craig Hospital, Jessica Rothenberg-Aalami, PhD; CEO, Founder, CELL-MED, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder; Assoc. Professor, UCSF Medical Center, Dr. Mary Owen (Tlingi); Dir., Center of American Indian & Minority Health, UMN President, Assoc. of American Indian Physicians
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: African American College Presidents Share Realities Part II: Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System moderates. Panelists include Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston President, Norfolk State University, Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite President, Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Annette Parker President, South Central College, Minnesota State, and Dr. Michael Torrence President, Motlow State College
Courageous Conversations: Catalyzing Change in Health: Dr. Monique Butler; Chief Medical Officer, Swedish Medical Center, Samuel Yamoah, Jr.; Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company, Dr. Georges Benjamin; Executive Director, American Public Health Association, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia; Exec. Vice President & COO, Trust for America’s Health, Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller; CEO, Colorado Health Foundation, Dr. Pierre Theodore; VP Global External Innovation, Johnson & Johnson, and Dr. Elena Rios; President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Diverse College Presidents Talk About First 6 Weeks of School: Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System moderates. Panelists include Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston President, Norfolk State University, Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite President, Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Annette Parker President, South Central College, Minnesota State, Dr. Miles Davis President, Linfield University, and Dr. Michael Torrence President, Motlow State College
Hispanic Language Heritage Language Assets for Career Preparedness: Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and GlobalMindED, moderated by Lorena Orozco McElwain; OELA, Panelists include: Carol Carter; GlobalMindED, Felícita Solá-Carter; Excellence in Government Program, Oscar Fraire; University of Colorado Denver student, Patty Lopez; Intel Corporation, and Adrian Rosado; Cultural Clarity Experience.
Hispanic Language Heritage: Retention of Heritage Culture and Language(s) US Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and GlobalMindED, and panelists celegrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. Lorena Orozco and Supreet Anand of OELA, Cristina Alfaro; San Diego State University, Luis Benitez; VF Corporation, Clotilde Dedecker; Circle of Women, Joe Garcia; Ohkay OwinghTribe, and Dr.Joel Comez; Center for Applied Logistics
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: A Conversation on Race, Isms, Justice, Moving Forward and the Role White People Need to Play: Ryan Ross; Associate Vice Chancellor: Student Affairs, Equity, and Inclusion, Colorado Community College System leads the conversation with Clifton Taulbert; President and CEO, Freemount Corporation and Roots Java Coffee, Javon Brame; Dean of Students, Arapahoe Community College, Chelsea Williams; Founder & CEO, College Code LLC, and Representative Leslie Herod; Legislator, Colorado General Assembly
Equity in Engineering Programs: Priming the STEM Pipeline During and After COVID-19: Dr. Dora Renaud, Sr. Director of Academic Programs & Professional Development, SHPE: Leading Hispanics in STEM, Melanie Suarez, Student, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Mechanical Engineering, Nicolas Valencia Diaz, Student, Florida International University, Biomedical Engineering, Sophia Plata, PhD Student, University of Southern California, Environmental Engineering
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To view the recent Rural sessions, please see our YouTube channel:
Native American Business Opportunities, Tribal Economic Development and Post-secondary Education/Workforce Participation: J.C. Whorton, Jr.; Consultant, Lecturer, Author and Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado Boulder, Don Kelin; President, Fox Professional Services, Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce, Matt Rantanen; Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, Tribal Digital Village Network Initiative, and Melvin Monette; CEO, Indigenous Education, Inc.
Fortifying Native Students, Faculty and Communities During and After COVID-19: Ron Lessard (Mohawk); Acting Exec. Director, White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education leads panel including Diana Cournoyer; Oglala Sioux Tribe, Executive Director, National Indian Education Association, Michael Chamberlain; Special Assistant for Rural Outreach, US Department of Education, Carrie L. Billy; President & CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and features a performance by Ava Rose Johnson; Student and Musician, Native American Music Awards Winner
Rural Innovations in Education During COVID-19: Anne Trujillo; Anchor 7News, Denver moderates the panel which includes Tina Goar; Executive Director, San Luis Valley BOCES, Dr. Robert Mitchell; Asst. Professor of Leadership, Research, and Foundations, UCCS, Luis Murillo; Principal, Skoglund Middle School, and Samantha Yocam; Superintendent and Principal, Kim School District
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THE FLYOVER NATION
Energy's Role in a Troubled Heartland
By J.C. Whorton
A unique and timely discussion of the challenging issues facing the country’s troubled Heartland.
Since the beginning of westward expansion into the Heartland’s vast regions, natural resource development has played a historic role in shaping its communities. Today, domestic oil and gas development offers one of the strongest prospects for the Heartland’s present and future prosperity as well as the nation’s re-emergence as a dominant player in the global energy economy.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, two circumstances that are universally disrupting international geopolitical order. The earth has a finite supply of natural resources and a rapidly growing and over consuming population.
As America positions itself for a very uncertain and constantly evolving global marketplace, will the Heartland become America’s “great connector” or “great divide”?
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J.C. Whorton is a senior level energy and financial professional with over forty years of essential experience. Having a ranching and Native American heritage, Mr. Whorton is a strong advocate for rural education and economic development initiatives.
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Links to read about Inclusive Leaders, many of whom are African American and people of color:
Curated sessions from GlobalMindED 2020 YouTube channel:
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From the Center for Positive Organizations:
From the Economist:
From Forbes:
From Harvard Business Review:
From the World Academy of Art & Science and UN; Geneva Global Leadership in the 21st Century econference:
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Listen here for an interview with Pam Newkirk, GlobalMindED speaker and author of Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion- Dollar Business.
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GlobalMindED and the SDG Impact Fund are delighted to announce GlobalMindED's Donor Advised Fund. 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Women's Declaration and Action Platform. Many from around the world are thinking of 2020 as the gateway to our most vital decade for delivering equity, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world where all can thrive. Our key time for these outcomes is 2020-2030.
GlobalMindED DAF and the SDG Impact Fund are a powerful combined force for good as the 2019 year comes to a close and we reflect on the gratitude and the commitments we make to the causes we care most about. The DAF offers immense power and flexibility for giving prior to the year's end as you plant seeds of generous intention for 2020 and the decade ahead.
When you contribute to GlobalMindED, you support First Gen students. We have served more than 400 students by connecting them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. Your generous support will allow us to take our work 10x and reach these talented students at scale who lack the resources and support we provide. Your support also helps teachers who can't afford the conference fees, faculty at colleges which are under resourced and students who persist at those universities despite food insecurity and/or housing insecurity.
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Meet GlobalMindED Founder, Carol Carter as interviewed by Tim Moore on his podcast Success Made to Last: From Success to Significance
Listen to Part 1 of Carol's interview
Listen to Part 2 of Carol's interview
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Recent GlobalMindED Newsletter Profiles:
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Since 2006 when the flagship TGR Learning Lab opened its doors in Anaheim, CA, TGR Foundation has had a lot to celebrate, including its most recent milestone of one million students impacted by TGR EDU: Explore, alone.
Developed in partnership with Discovery Education, TGR EDU: Explore is a free digital resource library that offers interactive web experiences, lesson plans, training videos and tools for educators, students and families to explore new disciplines and gain skills for a modern and expanding workforce.
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As you start the New Year, are you looking for ways to re-engineer your classroom culture? Check out Designing the Future: How Engineering Builds Creative Critical Thinking in the Classroom. The associated website has lots of activities, projects, and resources you can implement immediately. Our fall workshops using the book as a roadmap for change have been highly successful. Start designing the future today - try using the customized Study Guide for a book study in your PLC. Or contact ProjectEngin or Solution Tree to learn how you can bring professional development based on Ann's book to your school, district, or conference.
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