The power of ideas

"Having ideas is like having chessmen moving forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." - Van Goethe

Our little team is brimming with ideas. We have put on our thinking hats and the team goal is appealing to everyone. Montez with his usual brilliant clarity said that "if we find one team member falling short of the target, we will all step in and help" and everyone echoes that spirit.

Jamie and Larry are brainstorming to pick projects where we can invite our family and friends. The target date is in August 2nd week 2007.

I am feeling so positive to talk about our team to the rest of the world. I have found that it is a great starter in conversations. Almost everyone I have talked to is excited to hear about HOBA. To us, at the Silicon Valley team, the words of Thomas Mann, the German novelist sound really apt: "If you are possessed by an idea, you find it expressed everywhere. You even smell it."

What did I sign up to do?

Our first team meeting. We remembered each other's names and faces! Isnt that a positive sign? Everyone except Tiffany and Karen were present. Montez hosted us at his Mountain View office in "Bring me a book" foundation. He not only ordered Pizza and drinks but also facilitated the meeting. He was far ahead of us all! He knew exactly what he was going to do for the LIFT project and when. As for the remainder, we had so many questions.

Our first meeting was very productive. We discussed various matters from governance to having a basic mission statement to blogging to the specifics of how we would achieve our group goals of recruiting volunteers, fund-raising etc. Jamie's enthusiasm and Montez's clarity is just what I need.

All in all, I am happy. We are making a lot of progress. I am a little nervous to be transparent to the world but deeply happy. Happy to have such a lovely team and eager to get to know everyone well. Did'nt someone mention a social? In the next few weeks, Holly is going to bring the team together for lunch/dinner.

A fellow? What does that mean?

28 people together in a room for what?

The San Francisco AIDS foundation was our "retreat" on June 23rd 2007. We were here as part of the Leadership Institute Fellowship team(LIFT). This was the first time that a 9 month Fellow program was being initiated at Hands On Bay Area(HOBA). For some members in the team, there were known faces at HOBA. But to many others, it was a new experience. The atmosphere was electric.

We did a wonderful group activity called "Inside or Outside the circle". One person would step into the center of a circle of people with a comment such as "I am an avid football fan". The others who felt connected to that would step into the circle. There were many circles made that day. It was here that we discovered each others diversity. The Bay area is indeed a melting pot of cultures, languages and people.

After this, Jim, the Executive Director of HOBA talked of his career progression and his vision for HOBA. It was very inspirational to see his energy and hear of his challenges early on.

During lunch, we found the teams that we had been assigned to. There were 9 of us in the Silicon Valley team reporting to Beth - Montez, Clay, Larry, Vanessa, Karen, Jamie, Holly, Tiffany and Shubda. The next group activity was totally hilarious. We shook hands and literally got entwined. There was sweaty palms and criss crossed arms! And we couldnt get out of each other's handshakes.

See us all shaking hands and unable to get out!

Our Silicon Valley LIFT team would run as a small non-profit with its own governance, its own seed-capital(given to us from our Fellow application fees) and would have its own focus areas. We, the Fellows, would have our own goals/group goals. We would do fund-raising, community outreach and volunteer recruitment. And we would do it together. We talked about areas that we wanted to focus on, our interests, our passion. Here we were united by a single common thought - to make a difference.

When we left for home that day, we knew we loved being part of HOBA. This surely would be an enriching 9 months ahead of us.