BYP Happenings

I've been to a few different BYP events this month - the monthly luncheon (of course), Mayor Bieter "Unplugged" and a Lounging Series tonight which was a panel of young CEOs.  I am always impressed with the quality of events put on by BYP and I am proud to be on the Leadership Team of this great organization.

Here are a few highlights that I took from Mayor Bieter's presentation and the question and answer period that followed:

• He recommended the book "Where Good Ideas Come From" by Steven Johnson.  It is a book on innovation... I have added this book to my To-Read list on Goodreads.
• I loved the story the Mayor shared about two children.  It went something like this... One child was placed in a room full of colorful toys.  Another child was placed in a room of manure.  After a period of time, the child in the room with the toys became bored.  The child in the room of manure, however, asked for a shovel, saying, "With all this manure, I know there's got to be a pony around here somewhere."  What a story of optimism!
• Mayor Bieter was very supportive of a BSU research park.  He knows that the research done at BSU can help bring that innovation - new companies and new ideas to Boise.
• When someone commented that Boise isn't very diverse, I really liked the Mayor's answer... he talked about how Boise is more diverse than people realize.  Boise has a history of Chinese, German, Hispanic, and Basque cultures.  Idaho was the first state in the nation to elect a Jewish governor.  There are over 100 languages spoken in the Boise School District.
• The Mayor is supportive of "branding" Boise, building a new convention center, and building a baseball /multi-use stadium in downtown Boise.

I also appreciated the time the four young CEO panel members took to share their ideas and insights with us.  They talked about the challenges of starting a company, as well as the rewards.  I appreciated the comments on how of course there will be failures, but it is those failures that help us grow.

I'm looking forward to a couple great BYP events in June - the June luncheon on recreation as well as the Iron Man volunteer event on June 11th!