Dont Do Nonsense

As part of his course "How To Change The World" at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Professor Burt Swersey had his students chant the phrase "This Is Unacceptable" in response to problems we face. Vincent was one of the 30 students that day - inspired to use technology and value-centered design to make life better for millions in need. This talk was recorded at the Stanford d.School during the University Innovation Fellows program.

Start with your values. Don’t do nonsense. Make life better for billions of people in need.

These are some life lessons I learned from Professor Burt Swersey. I decided not to take a full time job after college, and instead decided to dedicate my life building my own companies, and projects that align with my values. Creativity, social impact, and personal growth through putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.

Our decisions are mostly subconsciously determined by the values we define for ourselves. If we don’t align our actions with those values from the start, when will we?

IGNITES are short talks designed to ignite others into action…. much in the same way that Burt's words lighted a fire inside of his students, including me. The ability to step back and chose a path of action that aligns with your values is something that we all must do. I am so grateful that the UIF program gave me the opportunity to share my story, and have a shot at passing on the urgency for creating real change to 300 other students from around the world at Stanford. With billions living in poverty, it is unacceptable for us to spend our careers solving problems that are benefiting only the wealthy. Instead, we must take the opportunity to create real value for society. The outcome of our work, the value it creates for society and the lost opportunities from not pursuing a different path all incur costs that reverberate in ways we might not envision.

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