The McKinsey & Company Report, “And the winner is…” Capturing the Promise of Philanthropic Prizes was released March 3, 2009. The Report concluded that incentive prizes are a unique and powerful tool that should be in the basic toolkit of many of today’s philanthropists. The recent renaissance of prizes is largely due to a new appreciation for the multiple ways in which they can produce change: not only by identifying new levels of excellence and by encouraging specific innovations, but also by changing wider perceptions, improving the performance of communities of problem-solvers, building the skills of individuals, and mobilizing new talent or capital. If you'd like to read the complete report it can be downloaded here.

I recently had an in-depth interview with Paul Jansen of McKinsey & Company on the origins of X PRIZE and discussed my passion and understanding of how incentive prizes work.  Thought you might like to hear it...

 

This week marks the launch of a new University.  It’s rare to launch a new University these days, so I’m very honored and pleased to have given birth to Singularity University (www.singularityU.org) along with fellow X PRIZE Trustee Ray Kurzweil.  Singularity University (or “SU”) is located on the campus of NASA Ames/Moffett Field.  It has been founded with the support of Corporate Founders of Google and ePlanet Ventures, as well as a dozen Associate Founders (Moses Znaimer, Keith Kleiner, Barney Pell, Klee Irwin, Sonia Arrison, Dan Stoicescu, Georges Harik, Reese Jones, David S. Rose, Sabiha Malik Foster, Peter L. Bloom, Geoffrey Shmigelsky).

SU has just completed the first of 9 weeks of the Graduate Student Program (GSP’09) and I’m extremely pleased and proud of what we have created.  It is real, off and running, and here to stay.

From the Student perspective, we have pulled together an incredible group of brilliant and dedicated graduate students who are all entrepreneurs, driven and passionate about taking on the world’s grand challenges (this year’s class is 40 in size from 13 nations, the program will expand to 120 graduate students next year).  When we selected our students based upon the criteria of academic excellence, demonstrated entrepreneurship and big-picture thinking, we did not know we’d be attracting fun, high-spirited and good natured individuals as well.  I’m pleased the traits matched-up!

Equally rewarding is the Faculty from 10 different disciplines including a half-dozen exponentially growing fields.  Going from a lecture by Vint Cerf on the internet’s origin, to Ralph Merkle on the basics of nanotech, to a lecture by Astronaut Dan Barry on high-risk scenarios in space exploration all in the span of 4 hours is an intellectual feast.  Having Trustees Bob Richards, and Michael Simpson present for the opening week, as well as my co-Founder Ray Kurzweil was fantastic.  We all greatly enjoyed the screening of Transcendent Man -- a truly beautiful film.

Our home at NASA Ames, courtesy of Dr. Pete Worden and NASA HQ is tremendous.  The facilities are excellent and the setting could not be better.  As Pete said in the opening ceremony… Welcome to Starfleet Academy!

SU runs 24x7, and the nickname “sleepless university” has its merits… hopefully things will settle down shortly.  As the first week of ‘getting to know each other’ and ‘introductory lectures’ is behind us, the real work of focusing on the curriculum and figuring out how to bring life to the “10 to the 9th plus” design project (10^9+) is our next challenge.  How can all of the students, staff and faculty work together to design technologies, systems or programs that can positively affect 1 billion people within a decade?

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, SU is special in what and how it teaches.  Homo Sapiens have evolved as a species to think “locally” and “linearly” and SU is focused on teaching how to think “globally” and “exponentially.”  This is not an institution which seeks to compete with the MITs, Stanfords, or Oxfords of the world, but rather has been founded to complement those existing programs in a meaningful and unique fashion.  Most importantly to build a cadre of future leaders who are connected and empowered to take on humanity’s grand challenges in a significant fashion.

It is my fervent hope that the Graduates of SU will be the leadership that pursues X PRIZEs in the decades ahead.

For those of you not able to participate in SU this summer, there will be two options for you going forward (http://singularityu.org/interested/).   Consider applying for the GSP-2010 program which will take place in late June through August 2010.  Next year we will be accepting ~120 students into the program.  ALSO, for the Executives interested in SU, we will be launching our 3-Day and 10-Day Executive Programs starting this November 2009.  They are limited in size so please let us know of your interest ASAP.

I’d like to close by saying thank you to our super-star staff and teaching fellows who are working 48x7 to make this program happen.  Special thanks to Susan Fonseca-Klein, Bruce Klein, Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom and our Executive Director, Salim Ismail for all that you are doing.

Best personal regards,

Peter H. Diamandis

Chairman & CEO, X PRIZE Foundation

Vice-Chancellor & co-Founder, Singularity University

Rev up Your Company’s Innovation Engine with Candor

By Keith Ferrazzi

I spoke at the X PRIZE Foundation’s incentive2innovate (i2i) Conference last month in NY. But when it was my turn at the podium, my take was that a conference about collaboration and innovation shouldn’t be dominated by one way communication – so as usual, I got the audience interacting with each other. Also as usual, my emphasis was on the need to be CANDID.

When candid exchanges between people collide, the fusion generates entirely new insights, new ideas, and new approaches—what we collectively call innovation, where value is created—that might never have been considered independently. Candor gives us the ability to take risks, preparing us to solve problems collaboratively—both at work and in our personal lives—with better results than we would ever have achieved alone.

So the question is, how do we create a culture of candor in our workplaces? For one, we need the core mindsets of Generosity and Vulnerability to create what I call a “safe place” where we can trust each other to be honest.
But also, whether or not you’re officially a leader in your workplace, you can create a tremendous impact on its culture just by showing others the value of inviting in candor. With that in mind, here are some specific tips for drumming up some candid feedback in your life and work.

1. Find People You Respect
We can’t be candid with everybody—nor would we want to be. Which is why we should each find or create a workplace where we're surrounded by people whom we respect. What do I mean by respect? It comes down to acknowledging another person’s uniqueness, value, perspective, and wisdom. If you don’t respect someone, believe me, they’ll sense it, and it will be impossible to establish a safe place between the two of you.

2. Create the Opportunity
To open up a dialogue with another person and ask for his candid feedback, you might need to tee things up in advance of a meeting with an e-mail, so your friend or coworker has time to ponder what he might say beforehand. Here’s an example: “Jim—I was hoping you would do me a favor. You know I’m gunning for that promotion. Frankly, I could use all the advice I can get. I really respect your opinion. You see me every day—would you be willing sometime to give me a half-hour of candid feedback about what I do well, and what I am less strong on, from your perspective?”

3. Make It Clear Any Feedback You Get Is a Gift
Express your gratitude when you receive feedback. What you’re asking for is a gift—of time, honesty, and thoughtful feedback.

4. Acknowledge Your Faults
Don’t try to pretend to be something you’re not. Most of us know, deep inside, what’s holding us back. By acknowledging that you have things to work on, you make it much easier for others to be honest with you. You might begin: “Listen, I know I’ve got plenty of stuff to work on, but I hoped you might be able to point out a few things in particular that I could focus on.” By acknowledging up front that you’re imperfect (who isn’t?), you pave the way for another person to be honest with you.

5. Tell the Other Person What You  Plan to Do with the Advice
You’re not asking for advice to put the other person on the spot, or to “test” her. You’re certainly not going to get angry or defensive. Make clear that you’re simply gathering information and you'd like his or her honest opinion.

6. Don’t Tell Them What You Want to Hear
My advice is to begin generally and wait for the other person to make the first move by coming up with something specific. If she hems, haws, and otherwise resists giving you targeted feedback, say something like, “Really—I mean it. I would be deeply appreciative.” Then pause. A pause is a very effective way to encourage others to respond—most people will do anything to avoid an awkward or embarrassing silence. Be sure you don’t start by leading the witness—by identifying your faults and asking the other person to confirm them. You’re after candor here, not an echo effect.

7. Ask Specific Questions
Once the other person has given feedback, it’s okay to bring up specific examples about yourself that you want to get reactions to. For example, you may say, “I think I may come across too strong. What do you think? Do you recall any specific examples?”

8. Take It or Leave It—but Deliver on Safety
Remember that asking for criticism doesn’t mean you have to act on it. Criticism is what it is: candid feedback from someone you respect and whose opinion matters to you. Ultimately, you decide how or whether you use or act on that feedback. When I disagree with someone’s perspective, I simply say, “Thank you,” or “I appreciate hearing that.” If I’m confused, I’ll ask for clarification—before thanking the person once again!

Calling all interns... X PRIZE has open positions!

Intern (in-tern) noun - a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience.

Have we got a job for you.

What if you could work side-by-side with the CEO of an internationally recognized non-profit organization that is making positive changes for the world?

Well, you just may have your opportunity.

The X PRIZE Foundation is currently looking for a few smart, talented individuals to fill three, 10-week internship positions at the Foundation's headquarters in Playa Vista California.

The opportunities exist in the Office of the CEO, in our Alliances Department and in Prize Development.

Want more details? Click here.

Everybody Deserves a Roof – “Thinking Outside of the Box”

Everybody Deserves a Roof – “Thinking Outside of the Box”

There are more than 73,000 homeless people on any given night in Los Angeles County; more than half of them are in the City of Los Angeles. Peter Samuelson, a media executive who founded three major children’s philanthropies: the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the Starbright Foundation and First Star, began to notice the high number of homeless women, men and children during his bike rides between his home in Westwood, Los Angeles to Santa Monica Beach. Having lost count after 62 homeless people, Peter set out on a mission to conceptualize and build a mobile shelter – later named EDAR – to help improve the quality of life for those living in the streets.

The idea for EDAR, which stands for Everybody Deserves a Roof, was born after Peter interviewed 62 of the individuals he witnessed living in the streets who shared their desire for a shelter that could be mobile, safe, durable, elevated off the concrete and could facilitate recycling - a principal source of income for many homeless individuals. Once he understood his challenges, he set out to create the design.
For the design, Peter turned to the students of the Pasadena Art Center College of Design who were most eager for the opportunity to share their creative design ideas with the world. There, Peter launched a design competition – modeled after The X PRIZE Foundation’s successful model for incentive prize competitions. Peter is a long-time friend of the Foundation who has witnessed the world-changing innovations that have resulted from The X PRIZE Foundation’s incentivized prizes, including the Ansari X PRIZE for Suborbital Spaceflight and the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE. As a result of his Pasadena Art Center College of Design challenge, Peter met designers Eric Lindeman and Jason Zasa whose winning design was used to produce the first EDAR – an innovative, purpose-specific four-wheeled device that today provides shelter to hundreds of homeless individuals in Los Angeles.

During the day, EDAR's are used to pursue the necessities of life. Personal belongings are stored and secured in storage baskets with removable canvas pouches. At night, the waterproof, windproof and flame-retardant unit hinges down into a sleeping unit with a metal and wood base, mattress and military-grade canvas cover that provides a robust tent-like shelter. It also features translucent windows that provide light and views of the surrounding area.

EDAR’s are given free of charge to homeless individuals who are best able to benefit from their recycling and shelter capabilities. EDAR units also provide a sense of ownership and pride to those largely deprived of both. And as Peter Samuelson asks, "Well into the twenty-first century, if the best our advanced society can do for the hundreds of thousands of homeless human beings... men, women and children... who live among us is the cast-off box our refrigerator came in,what exactly does that say about us?"


For more information, to make a donation or to volunteer, please visit www.edar.org.

Profile highlight: Ken Behring and the Wheelchair Foundation

I had the good fortune of meeting Ken Behring once a few years ago. He was on a wheelchair donation program in Bali, and I happened to be there on assignment separately when I ran into him. I had no idea who he was, and probably it was good that way. I tend to be afraid of people with money or fame, tending to run in the opposite direction.

Behring was a kindly, elderly American gentleman I ran into while eating dinner at a local Balinese restaurant. We were being hosted by the same individual, and over dinner he told me that he was in town to "give away wheelchairs to a handicapped center in the area." Our conversations over the next day largely centered around the lessons he had learned in his life. It was only several days after our encounter that I realized how much wealth he really had, and I was moved by his story.

Behring's story is the classic American rags-to-riches tale. He grew up dirt poor in the mid-west, and worked his way up. With a high school diploma and a whole lot of motivation, he started a few companies, built a few cities, and owned the Seattle Seahawks, among other things. But it was during a chance trip to eastern Europe that he found his real purpose in life. He had agreed to drop off a shipment of wheelchairs on his private airplane enroute to a business destination. He was struck by the plight of the disabled in the developing world and promptly started the Wheelchair Foundation. The rest is history. When we met, he told me that he had entered the most important phase of his life...the earlier parts of his life when he had made his wealth were prologue to his "real life." He now works to build better quality wheelchairs, and to date has donated approximately 750,000 wheelchairs.

You can read more about Behring in his touching autobiography: Road to Purpose

Models for the Physically Handicapped: Emmanuel's Gift

In another documentary, watch Emmanuel's Gift, the story of a orphaned, disabled Ghanaian who rode across Africa on his bicycle bringing a message of hope and changing perceptions about physical handicaps. You can see the trailer here and below:



From the World Bank profile on him:

Emmanuel was born in Ghana, with a deformed right leg and meager expectations. Abandoned by his father and shunned by his community, his path was pre-determined—become a beggar and/or rely on others for survival. But Emmanuel chose a different road. He would not sacrifice his dignity and be forced to the streets like others in his situation.

At the age of 13, he took matters into his own hands and started a shoeshine business, earning $2 a day. Building on the pride he felt in his work and accomplishment, Emmanuel set out to show the nation of Ghana that physically challenged individuals can actively shape their destiny—not just meekly accept it.

After receiving a bike from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, using his left leg only, Emmanuel pedaled 610 kilometers (almost 380 miles) across Ghana. He was determined to spread his message: disability does not mean inability. Impressed by Emmanuel’s thirst for equality and his hunger for change, CAF flew him to the 2002 San Diego Triathlon Challenge to participate in the 56-mile bike portion of the event. There he met world-class athletes like Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Paul Martin and others, who accomplish tremendous feats with the aide of high-tech prosthetics. CAF and a key partner, Loma Linda University Rehabilitation Institute, wondered if such a prosthetic might be the answer for Emmanuel, too.

Even after a week’s stay at the world-renowned rehab facility, Emmanuel was still having doubts about the surgery. In Ghana, such an operation could prove to be fatal. After sharing his fears with Rudy, who had both legs amputated above the knee at age five, he made up his mind. Emmanuel would undergo surgical amputation of his right leg above the knee, and receive a new prosthesis from Loma Linda. He would stand for the first time on two feet.

Today, Emmanuel can run, ride a bike using both legs, and wear trousers. He stands proudly, supported by his inner tenacity and strength of character—rather than the crutches upon which he once relied. After winning the prestigious Casey Martin Award from Nike, he decided to apply his $25,000 grant—matched by CAF—toward continuing to change attitudes and lives in his homeland, where one of 10 citizens is disabled. CAF’s Emmanuel Fund provides education and sports equipment, and ultimately, Emmanuel hopes to build a sports center for physically challenged people of Ghana.