I had an amazing time visiting Brussels, Belgium, recently to address a crop of student social entrepreneurs from around the world who are focused on food systems and disruptive innovation.  I always say that I usually end up learning more from the individuals in the audience then anyone could ever learn from me, and this was certainly no exception.  Aside from there being some astoundingly intelligent and forward-thinking Millenials in attendance, I had the privilege of getting to serve as a “Social Entrepreneurship Mentor” alongside my buddy Sebastian Lindstrom, who is brilliant in every sense of the word.  So, over the course of the day, we got to work on creative projects with the students, learn about their experiences, the goals they have and the challenges they are facing in each of their respective spaces.  We also got to play with Legos, which is categorically always awesome regardless of the reason.

Events like this always excite me as they are free-form and allow me to learn from those around me.  Thanks to Syngenta for organizing the Thought For Food Challenge (#TFFchallenge) and I trust that this is the first step in a series of conversations and projects to come as Syngenta continues to push boundaries internally.  Thanks to the amazing folks who put this all together and for providing a forum for free thought and discussion around some of the most important issues of our time.

Very excited to have a guest blog post on Blake Mycoskie’s blog for Start Something that Matters.  Thanks to TOMS and Blake for inviting me to contribute.  The post can be read here.  TOMS embodies everything that Shake the World is about. Honored to be included…

More to come!

  A fun little Q&A with the New York Post.  A few slight misquotes, but in everyone’s defense I did the interview in a car on the way to the airport and service was cutting in and out – so, in the grand scheme of things, Brian should get bonus points for even being able to decipher what I said!  Always nice to have a feature in a big hometown newspaper, and even nicer to see the Post and the Daily News stepping up and reporting on some really important issues that young people are facing.  Click here for the full article.  More to come, and Shake the World!

Students in Wyoming set to Shake the World

This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of extremely forward-thinking college students and activists in Wyoming.  Topics ranged from sustainable activism to child trafficking to environmental issues and beyond – the eclectic mix served as a fantastic framework for dialogue and open discourse.  After the keynote I chatted with dozens of students and faculty about their individual goals, their view on their role in a global society, and how they are affecting change.  I’m consistently pleased that, regardless of where I go or the people I talk to, everyone seems to be opting-in to the concept of intentional entrepreneurship and embracing borderless world theory.

The folks in Wyoming were lovely hosts, and I left the event having learned more from the audience than they ever could have learned from me.  I also ran an experiment involving the definition of success and how we attain it, which I will likely be sharing on either this blog or on the Huffington Post in the coming weeks.

Overall, an amazing and inspirational event that I was proud to be a part of.  We need more events like this one – gatherings of individuals who are concerned about the greater good, not solely their own personal bottom-line.  Thanks to everyone who arranged and attended the conference – I look forward to continuing this dialogue with many of you in the coming weeks.  More to come, as always.

Shake The World!

James

  It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to check in as the last few weeks have been incredibly busy, including a mind-blowing impact event in Squaw Valley with some amazing friends and  colleagues.  Settled back into NYC before heading out for some university speeches, but was pleasantly surprised to see this from about 10 days ago in the New York Daily News.  Denis Hamill  is a New York legend, and he had some really nice things to say about the book – and a few of the world-shaking individuals featured in it.

To be honest, there are a couple of lines in the article that made me uncomfortable at first, as they were topics we didn’t actually discuss (finances, etc), but I’ve gotten over it.  The important thing is that the message is getting out, that people want to positively impact others, and that individuals of all ages, shapes, backgrounds and belief systems are uniting around a core idea that together we can make the world a better place.  A link to the article is here.  Many thanks to Mr. Hamill for the kind words and for featuring the article in the front of the Sunday paper – I got some fantastically impressive emails during the week that followed, some of which I will share here in the near future.

Shake the World,

James

A massive Thank You to  Matthew Bishop of The Economist and Shaifali Puri of Scientists Without Borders for organizing and hosting a private Shake the World book launch at The Back Room in New York City this past Monday night.  We had over 200 brilliant members of the New York media and leadership scene on-hand, and I was joined on stage by good friends and Shake the World interviewees Adam Braun of Pencils of Promise and Brian Sirgutz of AOL/Huffington Post Media Group for a brief conversation about the Millennial generation moderated by Matthew Bishop.  The tenor of the conversation, given that we were celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, was heavily focused on social change, human rights, equality, and making a difference through the power of positive disruption. Pictures from the event to follow, as well as details pertaining to a NYC launch party in the coming weeks that will be open to the public.  All in all, an amazing night with amazing people who are certainly shaking the world.  Both humbling and inspiring.

I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to a bunch of emails about today’s review of Shake the World in the Los Angeles Times.  The best part is I had no idea the review was running, so all of the emails were a welcome way to start the day.  There are some great quotes from Jessica Jackley, whose wisdom is nothing short of brilliant, as they originally appear in the book. For the full   article click here. Sunday fun!

 ‘Shake the World’ Compiles Success Stories of Young Entrepreneurs

The book by James Marshall Reilly shows how young people with powerful ideas and strong wills can thrive in today’s economy…

Excited to see a recent interview I did with Inc. on the front of their website today.  Jessica Stillman, who is based in London, asked me some pretty interesting questions about risk – which took us into a lengthy discussion about the way we generally approach our lives and make decisions.  Always exciting to have good conversations with smart young people, and Jessica certainly didn’t disappoint! For the full version of the article, click here.  The headline and lead-in are below…..

Hey, Young Entrepreneurs: Shake the World

The author of a new book argues that young entrepreneurs often misconceive risk, leading them to fret and dally when they should be boldly dabbling….

I am very excited to be popping back down to Washington D.C. this Thursday (Jan 12) for a book party hosted by my friends Eric Kessler, Philippe Lanier and Lindsey Mask at Graffiato – one of the best restaurants in town!  The event starts at 5:00 pm with a quick talk, signing a few books, etc, and then we’ll be networking and mingling with some of the top social entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the beltway for the remainder of the evening. Incredible food and wine will be on hand.  Even if you can’t make it at 5:00, we’ll be there all night, so feel free to pop in and make some new friends.  Promises to be an amazing time with a group of truly amazing individuals!  See you soon!

Details:

January 12, 2012 (Thursday)

Graffiato

707 6th St. NW, Washington DC 20001

5:00-6:00 pm: Conversation + Book Signing

6:00 – Whenever: Meet and Mingle with D.C.’s brightest!