Historically, I usually get my new year calendar out at the beginning of the year. This year I had enough people nudge me by asking when my calendar was going to be ready. So in lieu of Xmas cards, here is my 2012 New Year calendar. I usually hand printed copies out personally since I find the face to face meaningful but in the off chance that I don’t see you in the coming weeks, you are welcome to download a copy and print up as many as you wish.

You might recognize some of the photos. The top photo is a sunrise shot of Diamond Head taken from the Kewalo end of Ala Moana Beach. It’s usually when I finish my morning run that the sun just peaks over the horizon.

The photo on the bottom left is a zen brush painting of a stylized character for dragon. 2012 is the year of the dragon so you can expect 2012 to be a dynamic year. In the middle is our daughter Mochi, sometimes referred to as Princess Mochi. She is half pug, half Tibetan spaniel. She welcomes me with all her heart when I come home. On the right is a ceramic piece my wife  Rochelle did of the Hindu deity Ganesh. He grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity. He also places and removes obstacles to keep us in check.

I hope you enjoy this year’s calendar. For my next blog post I am thinking about the top 10 things that made 2011 memorable. What made it on your list?

Could you please tell me where you receive the bottle and what country you are from. Please tell me a little about your country.

The address is contained in the letter.

Here is Saki Arikawa’s class photo. I am curious where all these students are currently. They’re probably juniors or seniors in high school, maybe some quit and are working. It would be interesting to find out at a minimum what is Saki Arikawa now doing?
Mahalo to U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jay C. Pugh for photos.

At the conclusion of this past week’s Stanford Univ. Design Thinking Bootcamp at the Sheraton Waikiki, the energy and excitement was palpable. People felt they not only had a tool they would take back to their organizations but there was a groundswell of support that they could tap.

The Design Thinking initiative in Hawaii started in September 2010 when Oceanit brought Larry Shubert from Zip Innovations here for a one day workshop. Larry was formerly a principal with IDEO and leveraged the concepts that came out of there and the Stanford d.school. After all, they are related through David Kelley who is the founder of IDEO and head of the d.school. The September workshop was energizing and it would have been disappointing had that initial momentum been lost over time.

In parallel but on a somewhat different track the University of Hawaii created the Innovation Council and held a Symposium on Innovation in January 2011. At the conclusion of the Symposium the Council submitted their recommendations on innovation. They included:

1. Identify Research as an Industry in Hawaii
2. Establish HiTEx (Hawaii Innovation Technology Exchange)
3. Identify Key Areas for Commercialization Opportunities
4. Integrate Entrepreneurship into the Curriculum

It would seem Design Thinking is related to if not tightly coupled with recommendation 4, to Integrate Entrepreneurship into the Curriculum of the University.

In April 2011, organizers, Oceanit, HTDV and the Inovi Group started to conduct the Design Thinking Wallet Challenge. The Wallet Challenge was a half-day introduction to the process of Design Thinking. Sessions were conducted for Dept. of Education teachers on Oahu and Maui, private schools including Iolani and Punahou and tech companies participating in TechEnterprise 2011. The Wallet Challenge workshops were a lead in to the Design Thinking Bootcamp that just concluded last week.

It is encouraging to see the dots connecting. There are discussions taking place to have a follow up Design Thinking workshop in the summer of 2012. But between now and then there are opportunities to practice what was taught in the Bootcamp. Let’s see what flowers bloom from the seeds just planted.

From what I can see observing QS2011 from afar via photos, tweets, and blogs, what you’re experiencing today is almost undoubtedly the same as it was like at Apple back then. Packed in rooms with hundreds of smart, passionate, driven, free thinkers who are defining and redefining the cutting edge — sometimes moment by moment — for days at a time: is that what it feels like for you at QS2011? Alternately humbled, dwarfed, and, yes, scared; then exhilarated as I “got it” better or faster than two-thirds of the people into the room.

Yes, that is exactly what I was experiencing. I was witnessing the birth of a new industry, a new movement. This conference had all the feeling of a grassroots tech movement, not encumbered by any multinational corporate brands. This conference was more about individuals and small businesses talking about their research in self-experimentation or programming the next best social tracker. It exhibited all the passion and drive of people on a mission to change the world and in this case starting with themselves.

There is a lot to absorb. Standout sessions for me were many. Seth Roberts talked on How to self-experiment and stimulated discussion on the role of the personal (as opposed to the professional) scientist. I was intrigued by Frank Chen’s presentation on Mindful Technologies and how it applies to our interactions with systems we come into contact with on an everyday basis. He also turned me on to research at Stanford being done in Calming Technologies. Gary Wolf, contributing editor of Wired Magazine and one of the organizers for the conference lead a discussion about the Quantified Self in a Quantified World. If we are better able to keep track of our personal health activities with sensors, what about the world around us? There are sensors on cars, buildings, infrastructure, animals, plants, the air, water and earth. This opens up an area rich in opportunity to better understand our environment, natural and man made.

There was so much more and I hope to talk about them in future posts but I do want to mention Kevin Kelly‘s closing talk beautifully summarized in Ethan Zuckerman‘s blog post. Over the last 10 years information is increasing at a rate of 66% per year, equal to Moore’s Law, where every 18 months computing hardware doubles in capacity. In this case information is doubling at the same rate. The new metaphor is lifestreams, where we are all creating streams of information and the wake from these streams are influencing many around us. This raises the question of how this influence is taken and how we act on it. Can behaviors be changed? Will be take better care of ourselves? Will this lead to a better world? What is privacy in the paradigm of lifestreams?

Yes, there are more questions than I have answers. But at least we are asking the questions and not oblivious to the groundswell that is happening around us. If you are interested in this topic of the Quantified Self there is a Meetup group in Hawaii and we plan to get together in June for at debrief on QS2011. Bring your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Hope to see you there.

Our presentation was called Social Media Outlets: What Works Well and What Could Work Better. He proceeded to tell a life story I had not heard before. He talked about how his father passed away due to diabetes which became an epiphany for Ryan. He shared about being 200+ pounds with pictures to prove it. He talked about improving his health and how the social media community provided the support and encouragement to help him succeed. It was truly a story of one man’s struggle to come to grips with is own health and how the community around him helped.

In his concluding slide, the one shown above, his final bullet says:

Network to teach, give and get support.

The community in which Ryan surrounded himself was one that he cultivated. It did not spring forth randomly. He nurtured it with not only the near 92,000 tweets but also by interacting directly with people, through runs, tweetups, pickup basketball and twikes. He’d come out to our Bytemarks Lunches whenever his work load permitted. He came to our March lunch and gave me some good job seeking advice.

He even had a way of supporting events without going to them. I organized the Unconferenz and Ryan would be the first to order a t-shirt in support of the event. He intimated to me that he wanted to avoid seeing someone there so would be an unlikely attendee. But he still wanted to give his support.

If you read his blogs you might say that he sometimes wore his heart on his sleeve. He gave so much of himself and his simple expectation was that people show some reciprocal kindness. He did not find that in all people but that did not lessen his capacity for compassion and his continued ability to nurture his community.

As we mourn Ryan’s passing, we all feel an emptiness in our heart. Yet I think Ryan lives on in all of us. We all felt his compassion, kindness and generosity. We all learned a lesson or two from him. He was basically paying us forward so that we can share it with others. If you really want to remember Ryan, it’s simple. Just show a little kindness. Pay it forward. Ryan is right there.

As the new year is upon us, it’s become something of a tradition for me to countdown my Top 10 memories of the year on Twitter right before the clock strikes midnight. As we look forward to the new year, it’s good to take stock of what happen in the past year that made it memorable. The following list is a somewhat chronological progression through the year. None are better than the others, they are all standouts. Here they are:

1. First on my list of memorable moments in 2010 was cruising around the island with @hawaii & @mrshawaii on their special LOST tours.
2. Second on my list of 2010 moments was the Navy ships I got to visit: USS Santa Fe, USS Chung-Hoon, USNS Mercy & Japan’s DDG Atago.
3. Coming in at number 3 was the Unconferenz 2010. That has made my list every year. It’s always fun to geek out with friends.
4. No. 4 was riding the Admiral’s Barge. Courtesy of Rear Adm Dixon Smith, my wife and I cruised around Ford Is & the Arizona Memorial
5. Enjoying the Summer Solstice with friends in Nualolo on Kauai is 5th on my list. A beautiful valley with the sweetest spring water.
6. For #6 it’s flying to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam with Gen Gary North to unveil the Global Hawk. It was a fun 16 hrs. on a C-17
7. No. 7 was a C-17 flight during Rimpac to do a air drop over Pohakuloa on Big Island. Also got an F-16 escort with cargo door open
8. Eight was a sesshin at Chozen-ji. With all that is going on these days it is good to take some time to nurture/calm the mind.
9. Having the opportunity to spend the evening at Abercrombie election HQ on general election night is #9. It felt like history in the making.
10. Last but not least, #10 was my trip to Japan. It was all about zen, ceramics, Ryoma, Musashi, food, friends and great memories.

I love this time of year when you can gather with friends to recollect all the good things that transpired in 2010 and look forward to 2011. As usually, this holiday break gave me some time to assemble my New Year calendar. This year the banner photo is again a shot of Diamond Head taken on one of my recent early morning runs around Ala Moana Beach Park. This time it is a composite of three shots from my iPhone stitched together with Autostitch. On the bottom left is Rochelle and me in Nagasaki standing in the boots of Ryoma Sakamoto. It’s not really his boots but a monument for Ryoma Sakamoto, a visionary in Japan in the 1860s who was instrumental in bringing change to Japan’s feudal system. There is a great series going on about Ryoma on KIKU-TV called Ryomaden, that is coming to conclusion shortly. It is a must see. Next photo is Princess Mochi with her dual bandana outfit. She is much happier now that we have her calcium levels in balance. Dogs live such short lives, we much enjoy every moment they spend with us. Finally, as the Year of the Rabbit is upon us, here is a piece Rochelle made called Gassho. I love how powerful and peaceful it is.

As in previous years, I am printing these calendars on glossy paper and giving them away. If in the off chance I don’t see you, please feel free to download and print a copy. Here’s to wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and all the best for 2011!

Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart (Ohio) talked about developing a consensus plan by pulling all the stakeholders together to get broad commitment for entrepreneurial development. This involved public/private partnerships and an effort to transform the culture which was predominantly manufacturing. Over the course of 12 years, starting in 1998, Ohio lost an estimated 450,000 jobs. Something needed to be done and as Leach puts it, “never waste a crisis.” They took on the task of transforming the business culture and elevating the role of entrepreneurship. They also play an active role in networking entrepreneurs with investors as well as keep state legislators aware of the role entrepreneurs play in business and job creation.

Joni Cobb, CEO of Pipeline exuded enthusiasm and passion for the role entrepreneurs play in building businesses in Kansas. Pipeline, which started as an initiative of the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation is now a 501(c)3 non-profit providing tools and services to support the development of entrepreneurs. As described by Cobb:

PIPELINE is an “immersion experience.” Our goal is to link each Innovator into a robust and powerful network of supporters, peers and mentors. The Innovator does not just “learn about business.” The aim is to undergo a life altering experience that also changes the direction and trajectory of their company. In the process, Innovators recognize the power of the statewide network, and remain engaged in Kansas as mentors, coaches and investors.

Pipeline’s approach struck me as being like an intensive Executive MBA program in Entrepreneurship, with Cobb as the Dean and Chief Evangelist. Going through it would be a life changing experience.

Finally, Tom Walker, CEO of I2E (Innovation to Enterprise) based in Oklahoma, talked about their primary focus: Business Services, Access to Capital and Entrepreneurial Development. Its mission is “Home grown economic development by fostering the birth and nurturing the growth of advanced technology companies in Oklahoma.” I2E was formed in 1997 as part of Oklahoma’s State Legislature’s Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology Initiative. Over the course of 2007 – 2010, I2E showed their 150 companies exhibited a 30% growth rate while the rest of the state was in decline. I2E not only provides business support services and access to capital, they also coordinate events and publish resources like the Entrepreneur’s Path: A Handbook for High Growth Companies.

Each of these organizations started as their respective state’s initiative to grow the tech sector in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s. They took time to gain consensus and broad base support. Now in 2010, each is recognized as models of best practices and for other states to replicate. Needless to say, Hawaii has had the same desire and has numerous assortment of state agencies and business non-profits groups to prove it. But the question still remains, does Hawaii have the commitment and willpower to create and sustain a vibrant, creative, entrepreneurial technology sector. I am glad we are having this conversation but one we have obviously had before. Will it be any different this time around, during this new administration? Hope remains…

The Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (‘Ohana) together with the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) worked to restore the island’s cultural and natural resources. More than 6,000 cultural practitioners, families, students, teachers and community groups were taken to Kaho‘olawe to experience the island and learn how be good stewards of the ‘āina. ‘Ohana members, volunteers and KIRC staff rededicated cultural sites, built new ones, and revived traditional cultural ceremonies. All this as a new generation steps forward to take responsibility to be kahu ‘āina and ‘ohana for Kaho‘olawe.

Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe is in transition at this time. Under Hawai‘i law, the state of Hawai‘i holds the island in trust for eventual transfer to the sovereign Hawaiian entity when it is reestablished and recognized by the federal and state governments. Passage of the  Akaka Bill begins the process that realizes the transfer of Kaho`olawe.

The ‘Ohana will kick off the Year of Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe, from October 22, 2010 to October 22, 2011, with a celebration on Friday October 22nd at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Studies Halau O Haumea from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The event is free and the public is invited.

The program will honor ‘Ohana members Geoge Helm and Kimo Mitchell, who gave their lives for the island, and all the members of the ‘Ohana who perservered for 14 long years after their disappearance to finally stop the bombing of the Kaho‘olawe. Organizers of the event plan to unveil a cultural plan that reestablishes Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe to its original sacred status as an center for learning indigenous Hawaiian knowledge – of the universe, the earth and all living things.