The Commencement Speech That Never Was
Written on 04/30 at 01:42 PM by Andy Posner
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Several weeks ago I was nominated--and then auditioned--to speak at the commencement ceremony for graduating graduate students from Brown. Though I was not selected to be the speaker (I have some conspiracy theories on that front, I assure you!) I would like to share the text of the speech that I wrote, because I believe it captures the essence of how I feel about leaving the confines of the university and entering the ‘real world.’
New Opportunities in A Global Century of Innovation
At first glance it would seem that now is an inopportune time to leave the grounds of the university and venture out into the world. After all, between rising unemployment, a financial system in disarray, and a whole host of other local, regional and global problems ranging from urban blight to climate change, it would seem that the prospects for putting our newly minted skills to work as teachers, researchers, entrepreneurs and employees of firms large and small are, to put it bluntly, dim. Yet we are also entering a world rife with unprecedented opportunities for those willing and able to take advantage of them. An explosion of innovation in information technology has made it easier for more people to collaborate to tackle poverty, to create new products and services, and to share thoughts, ideas and experiences. The cost of renewable energy is falling. Social entrepreneurs are creating self-sufficient businesses that solve social and environmental problems. The list is seemingly endless, and I believe that regardless of our particular field of study, as graduates of one of the finest universities in the nation, we are in a unique position to seek out these opportunities and apply our intellectual and financial capital toward them.
Hearing Dr. Muhammad Yunus Speak in Queens, New York
Written on 04/20 at 12:19 PM by Andy Posner
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This unfortunately grainy photo was taken while Dr. Yunus spoke about microfinance on Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ever since I read about Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank in 2007 I have been absolutely enthralled with the concept of empowering people to help themselves through access affordable, small loans. After all, my masters thesis deals with green microfinance, and during my time at Brown I have co-founded The Capital Good Fund, a non-profit microfinance institution. So when I heard that Dr. Yunus would be speaking at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, I knew that I could not pass up the opportunity to go.
I went with two other Capital Good Fund staff members, Nabeel and Faiz. We met at 8:30 in the morning at Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, and caught a bus to New York City. From there, we took the subway and a bus to get to St. John’s. Outside of their basketball stadium, a market had been set up where Grameen America’s borrowers were selling their wares--food, purses, jewelry, etc. Grameen America was founded in 2008 by Muhammad Yunus, and is being run by senior executives of Grameen Bank. In their first year of operation, they made 650 loans totalling $1.5 million dollars, with a repayment rate of over 99%.
A Milestone, and a Crash
Written on 04/20 at 11:55 AM by Andy Posner
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A little over a month ago I went through another one of my down periods, during which I felt incapable of doing anything. For a while I was afraid that I would find it impossible to complete my thesis, and I was also very disappointed with the fact that I had once again ceased riding my bike. When I finally started feeling better, I quietly resolved to ride my bike at least an hour a day, not so that I could achieve glory in cycling, but more importantly so that I would avoid falling into periods of inactivity. Granted, I had already tried this before, with rather unimpressive results: I made it about 20 days into the goal before I started overtraining (feeling tired, having trouble sleeping, etc) and had to stop. Yet something felt different this time: I was riding, not with the aim of becoming the fittest cycling in the world, but rather with the goal of feeling fit and happy. With that positive attitude, I started riding, and I haven’t stopped since. Yesterday I completed by 30th consecutive ride, and not only have I lost some weight, but I also feel very fit, very happy and I have managed to do all this without the usual overtraining!
I was thrilled to reach this milestone yesterday, and indeed the first 35 miles of the ride were absolutely beautiful: my friend Mike and I rode a good, hard pace over country roads in Massachusetts, the weather was great, and I felt really strong. Unfortunately, as we were cruising back to where we had parked our cars (finally enjoying a tailwind) we both went down at one of the worst railroad crossing I’ve ever ridden across. Pictures and details after the jump.
A Fantastic Quote
Written on 04/07 at 02:50 PM by Andy Posner
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I wanted to share a fantastic quote by Albert Einstein:
The efforts of most human-beings are consumed in the struggle for
their daily bread, but most of those who are, either through fortune
or some special gift, relieved of this struggle are largely absorbed
in further improving their worldly lot. Beneath the effort directed
toward the accumulation of worldly goods lies all too frequently the
illusion that this is the most substantial and desirable end to be
achieved; but there is, fortunately, a minority composed of those who
recognize early in their lives that the most beautiful and satisfying
experiences open to humankind are not derived from the outside, but
are bound up with the development of the individual’s own feeling,
thinking and acting. The genuine artists, investigators and thinkers
have always been persons of this kind. However inconspicuously the
life of these individuals runs its course, none the less the fruits of
their endeavors are the most valuable contributions which one
generation can make to its successors.
Photos of My Cervelo Race Bike!
Written on 04/06 at 12:56 PM by Andy Posner
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As readers of this blog must have deduced by now, I am rather obsessed with bicycles. I have gushed about my folding bike, my 29er mountain bike, the trailer for my touring bike, and the recent upgrades to my racing bike. In line with that passion that borders on obsession, several months ago I upgraded my racing bike to a new carbon fibre frame from Cervelo, a carbon fibre fork from Easton, a carbon fibre handlebar from Zipp, and a beautiful, lightweight clincher wheelset from HED. Though I got the bike in December, the rather long and cold winter here dissuaded me from doing much riding outside, and I haven’t put in serious miles on the new bike until now. I wanted to share some photos of the bike and describe its rather amazing qualities--namely, light weight, stiffness and an incredibly smooth, comfortable ride. Read on for more photos, details and thoughts on the bike.
- Meet My New Folding Bike! (Poetry & Musings)
- Green Microfinance: Advancing Social Equality and Environmental Sustainability in the United States (Ideas)
- Photos of Some Upgrades to My Bikes! (Poetry & Musings)
- Executive Summary of the Capital Good Fund Business Plan (Ideas)
- Photos of My Cervelo Race Bike! (Poetry & Musings)
Green Microfinance: Advancing Social Equality and Environmental Sustainability in the United States
Click here to download a PDF of my complete thesis. Questions and comments are much appreciated!
My masters thesis in Environmental Studies at Brown University looks at how microfinance--the provision of small…
A Solution to the Limited Success of Micro-Credit in the United States?
Micro-credit has undoubtedly been a runaway success in developing countries as a tool of both poverty alleviation and economic development. To date, some 100 million people have been reached by micro-loans, and Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank…
Tonight, the Oneness of Things
It is late and my mind should be drifting through the colorful abyss of deep sleep, yet instead i find that tonight sleep will not come. I am like a hungry flower who dreams of bees so ardently that all…