Apr 22, 2022Member-onlyBruce Willis, my father Rod, and the miracle of communication20 years ago, my father, Rod Colbin, had a major stroke that left him, in its immediate aftermath, disoriented, visually impaired, and unable to form even simple sentences. He had been in Mexico when it happened, in a house he had built on the Baja Peninsula. My sister and I…Bruce Willis3 min readBruce Willis3 min read
Dec 3, 2021His name was JakeHe was bright and shiny and flew too close to the sun — Content warning: mental health, suicide He burst into the restaurant larger than life: iconic thick-rimmed glasses, wide smile nearly splitting his head in two, drowning in plans and dreams and ambition. It was Wednesday, April 9th, 2014. His name was Jake Millar. He was 18 years old. We were there…Jake Millar5 min readJake Millar5 min read
Sep 15, 2021Member-onlyLab-grown meat is definitely going to be a thingUnderstanding the exponentials of food — I will explain why lab-grown meat is going to be a thing, I promise. But it may be a bit of a wander. Ready? Let’s go. Part I: The Underlying Phenomenon The first name that typically comes up when someone hears about exponential technologies is Gordon Moore. In 1965, Moore, one of the co-founders of…Cultured Meat8 min readCultured Meat8 min read
Aug 27, 2021Ten Years Of TEDxEarthquakes, fireworks, and a trip to Antarctica — I remember the conversation vividly. It was 2010, and TED had only recently launched the TEDx program. I was debating whether I should apply for a license and asked a colleague what she thought. “How would you feel,” she asked thoughtfully, “if someone else in Christchurch did it first?” I…Ted7 min readTed7 min read
Feb 21, 2021Member-onlyHow to change an entrepreneur’s lifeYou have far more power than you realise — I started my first business when I was 6 years old. New York City, 1979: I’d take a pile of books from our house, lay them out on the sidewalk in front of our apartment building, and sell them for whatever I could get. It was an unbeatable business model…Entrepreneurship5 min readEntrepreneurship5 min read
Jan 8, 2021Member-onlySadly, yes: this is who we areTime to face the truth — “This is not who we are,” said Joe Biden on Wednesday, as armed insurrectionists freely roamed the Capitol: Let me be very clear: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America. Do not represent who we are. …Insurrection5 min readInsurrection5 min read
Sep 27, 2020Member-onlyStop thinking about voting as a rightThere’s a more powerful way to look at it — It was the seventh day of the eleventh month of the first year of the new millenium, and I had failed to vote. I mean, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I wasn’t trying to make a statement, or feeling particularly disillusioned or disenfranchised. …Voting4 min readVoting4 min read
Aug 25, 2020Member-onlyDear America, From New ZealandA love letter from a dual citizen — Dear America, First, a quick update from New Zealand. Despite what you may have heard, we do not have any “massive breakouts” or “big surges” of coronavirus. Our pandemic response has most certainly not turned our country into a “hellhole.” As of this writing, we have 111 active cases…New Zealand7 min readNew Zealand7 min read
Jun 3, 2020Member-onlyOf course I’m racistIt’s okay to realize you might be, too — Let me start by saying that I know this is not about me. This is about justice, and injustice, and what each of us can do to bend the arc of the moral universe just that tiny bit more. It is not about my fears, my tears, or my grief…Racism9 min readRacism9 min read
Apr 13, 2020Member-onlyA virus is not an asteroidOn the perils of celebrating too early — The mission went horribly wrong. First, a fire broke out while the team was refueling on the Russian space station. Then, the hull of one of the two spacecrafts was punctured by debris as they approached the asteroid, killing most of the crew. The other spacecraft landed safely but missed…Coronavirus2 min readCoronavirus2 min read
