In July 2017, I raised $15,000 to incubate Prethinc for 12 weeks. I acquired my first customer in October, reached profitability in November, and hit traction in December when I generated $42,500 in ten weeks. This was after scaling my higher education innovation program and social innovation conference from Princeton to Washington, D.C. If you'd like, let's get personal.
I am grateful for the mentors who have taken an interest in my success. To be mentored by nationally recognized academics known for education reform and social entrepreneurship enabled me to create a unique approach to life, work, and learning.
-Vijay Chakravarthy, Industrial Designer Society of America (IDSA)
WeWork, and other spaces like WeWork, are critical elements in cultivating healthy impact ecosystem. Both as a venue and convener, WeWork's strong focus on community and the quality of social ties creates an inviting environment inspires thoughts such as, "I could turn my dreams into a reality right here at this WeWork location."
In 2016, I brought my project from Princeton, NJ to Washington, D.C. I began my roll-out strategy similarly to how I did in Princeton, and it wasn't long before existing members of the DC ecosystem reached out to me. General Assembly publicly advocated for my capabilities as an industry-recognized service designer, and, in doing so, attracted a few big fish like WeWork, My Brother's Keeper, and the Washington, D.C. Mayor's Office.
IDEO selected me as one-of-five global design coaches for their design challenge, "Reimagining Higher Education." I was journaling on IDEO's open innovation platform, and my reflection piqued the interest of an IDEO evaluator, Kate Rushton.
On October 11, 2014 I initiated a process known as a "knowledge dump". Ten hours per day, for 23 days in a row, I wrote, I sketched, and, over 100,000 words later, this version was 'done'. I called it the social enterprise ecosystem methodology. It's gone through many iterations, but this would represent my first intentional roll-out of an ecosystem with the hope of influencing the output of my community in a positive way.
Founder of New Jersey's first-ever social innovation conference, Cooperative Impact.
Founder of the postsecondary education pipeline program, Action Horizon Institute.
Learn more about my journey and some of the roadblocks I've encountered along the way.
"Dan is one of the most dedicated mentors I have ever worked with. I immediately took notice of his composure and ability to put complex ideas into simple terms. I owe a lot to Dan for being that initial spark of inspiration that motivated me to go for it all. Self-motivated and passionate, with boundless energy, he is brilliant, proactive, and brings out the best in me."
-George Bernard Shaw
