“innovation and entrepreneurship is hard work, it is not for everyone, but we should all think like them - what are you passionate about, what skills do you have and who are you serving" 

Don Wettrick is the founder of The STARTedUP Foundation, author of “Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level” and Innovation Specialist at Noblesville High School, central IN. Don is known for his award-winning work as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker.

 

Don boasts a notable audience an following of fellow modernisers who care passionately about the future of education such as Seth Godin, JT Mccormick, Jeff Hoffman, Gary Vaynerchuk and Tom Bilyeu.  Don talks to Ed Andrew on Human Impact about the future of education, parenting, innovation and entrepreneurship for kids and college students and the challenges of building a foundation.

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• his inspiration behind bringing innovation into High Schools - listening to Daniel Pink’s Ted Talk

 

• interviewing Gary Vaynerchuk - getting kids out of the classroom to think differently - delivering his reverse pitching for NFP, talking bootcamps, hackathons and his accelerator (8)

 

• delivering mentors, media and money to 17 and 18yo and building networks

 

• explaining how having a mission that mattered was behind getting an endorsement from Dan Pink, getting on Tom Bilyeu’s Impact Theory

 

• looking into learning and not forced compliance, discussing experimenting and exploring what college is really for, discussing using launching to trial business ideas - (24)

 

• having a mission and purpose for everyone in life, having perspective of what to do or what not to do

 

• seek opportunities and seek to serve, explaining the rule of thirds passionate, skills and service 

 

• discussing the Green School and how politics can hijack environmentalists and discussing Seth Godin and how to solving interesting problems and leadership 

 

• discussing home schooling, the Montessori way and the gift of travel

 

• how the the freelance and gig economy is a double edge sword - the mindset of always seeking and peaking, should always be acquiring skills 

 

• his message to world and for careers - a lot of people who are thinking differently are caught in that transition - the stress of forced compliance and memorisation can force it out of you - going into college with a plan and a mission 

 

• discussing his challenges growing the foundation - how he has seen the mental edge and happiness advantage at our events, creating a new culture of innovation and collaboration and entrepreneurship 

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You can contact Don by clicking on the links below:

 

startedupfoundation.org

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