Running for a reason.

Oklahoma City, here I come!  

Yesterday, I signed up for my first marathon scheduled for April 26: see www.okcmarathon.com.

Here are my races to date:

Independence 5K

Turkey Trot 8 miles

Too Cold to Hold 15K

Too Hot to Handle 15K

Pumpkin Patch 15K

Prairie Man Sprint Triathlon

Running America (logged many miles on our journey across the US).  This was a life-changing project for me.  Two ultra-athletes attempt to run across the entire United States ( Marshall Ulrich achieved the masters and grand masters record, logging 60 miles a day for 52 days).  I am proud to have been there every step of the way: www.runningamerica08.com (watch for the documentary coming soon).

And I just logged my fastest 5 miles at 34:28.

This is only the beginning of a huge journey demanding my physical and mental toughness. But with the support of people like Paul Langevin (the doctor from Running America) or Francisco Guzman (incredible athlete and innovative thinker) and things like my new Vita-Mix machine, I hope to accomplish this lifelong goal.

As you might expect (and partly to keep me on track), I will be fundraising for The Chiapas Project (the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize concept of microfinance) during this process.  

This is all possible at www.fundraising.marathonguide.com/brianweinberg. There are even ways to help for free if money is not possible (RTEP). 

But as ultra-runner Charlie Engle says, "Do Something Now."  No excuses, free is free!  

Show your support and leave comments, I'll need it!!!

The "On My Mind" Tab

I recently discovered the amazing utility of categorizing my bookmarks.  For example, some tabs along my Safari browser read " Running," "Microfinance," " Partner Leads, " and the topic of this post: "On My Mind."

If you haven't heard of TED.com, then your in for a treat.  I have always thought of today's every day technology/ideas as being on the cutting edge.  But ted.com offers insight into the future like I've never seen before.   On this website, you will find presentations from the most innovative minds our world has to offer.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen.

George Ayittey on Africa's future.

Jan Chipchase on our mobile phones.

Bill Mcdonough's Cradle to Cradle design.

Or what about the World Economic Forum in Davos with Al Gore and Bono?

I really would love the opportunity to attend and to one day, speak at these events.  The two real life conferences I attended, similar to these, were the Global Microfinance Investment Congress in NYC (May 2008) and the Clinton Global Initiative University in New Orleans (March 2008).

I am pleased to announce that my program, Recycle to Eradicate Poverty, received one of the Clinton Global Initiative Outstanding Commitment Grant Awards.

These funds come just when we need it the most.  I believe this will be a key factor in our eventual success of the One Million Cell Phone Challenge.

Did I mention I'm going to Costa Rica on Saturday?

Or that marathon that I'm training for?

Or Runningamerica08.com that I just got back from?

Or the next big for RTEP/JC Committee?

Don't think so, but I will.  I've got to feed this stuff in doses - stay tuned.

Your Online Professional Identity and more!

Blogging is starting to make sense for me after much time spent online. Or more importantly, I now know how to professionally present myself in today's world.

This article was extremely helpful for me and I can recall a few situations in which high up people asked for a blog or a linkedin.  Stay up with these resources, you will thank yourself later.  Can't is just an excuse for laziness or lack of will.

But where will this all take us? 

Read this to understand online activity (what do people do online) and this to hear Charlene Li  present her ideas for what the future holds in terms of us "being connected." 

For even more of a mind cruncher, think about the fact that half of the world still do not have cell phones and in the next fifty years, this will change,  according to Jan Chipchase of Nokia.

Stay tuned for more.

The Rhodes Scholarship Personal Statement

I'm lucky to have had the necessary encouragement from friends and family to finish this essay and be named one of UNT's Rhodes Scholarship Nominees.  Now I get to sit at the big kid's table and possibly become one of 32 Americans selected each year as Rhodes Scholars. 

Finishing this essay took a piece of me literally, but with 75 drafts and more than 2 months later, I present my Rhodes Personal Statement.

I guess we will see what happens in the District 8 selection committee meeting rooms ... (can you believe I'm still not satisfied?)

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?

Well today is officially a special day for me; I finished my Honors Thesis over microfinance which was a year in the making. But during a time that might normally be for relaxing, I've got to gear up for a round of final examinations next week. Then again, I shouldn't complain with NYC's Global Microfinance Investment Congress and Jamaica right around the corner.

Recycle to Eradicate Poverty is evolving. Videos, Traditional Media, & Marketing Committees are going to take it to the next level. Plus a little help of 50,000 baggies and Charlie Engle, who I will be working with this summer on his "Running America" campaign (www.charlieengle.com).
It sounds crazy I know but I really think I can get one million cell phones collected out of this!! And I can't wait to really see the country.

I'm developing a few ideas of how I'm going to make a living for myself and not just try to save the world. My answer: Social entreprenuership, social investing, green real estate. Bring it!

All of this is pretty surreal at this point for me, partly because I feel good. With my new bike, goggles, and nice weather --- I've really been getting some good exercise. Stay tuned for my first event!!

-thats all for now folks!

1 0 4 3 5 3 1 6 por Brian R. Weinberg

Check out my short story in Spanish:       1 0 4 3 5 3 1 6

For those of you that do not speak spanish, I will have a translation up soon.

Enjoy!  I am very proud of thing since I am not a native speaker but have become fluent.

Hmm let's see... Welcome Back!!!

While its already 3:37am and I only have 16 minutes left on my laptop battery, I had to take advantage of this wonderful occasion to launch B-Vision 101 with its first post. (0 posts after creating a blog site is taunting)

B-Vision 101 is about discovering. It's about learning, thinking, and sharing outside the box. We don't even use boxes to think outside most of the time, normally we use other shapes like circles or rectangles.

The world is changing rapidly and noone knows what the future will have in store for us.
Despite many disturbing issues, I am optimistic. Many share this optimism; this is for you.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create."
-Albert Einstein