I’m writing about my work on Grand Challenges on Medium. I’m hoping to build a community of people who are interested in taking on big socially intractable and complex issues affecting today’s society. My first piece, “Why I Facilitate Grand Challenges,” includes the section, What Constitutes a Grand Challenge? It is an insider’s perspective on […]
Meet Me on Medium Read More »
My daughter, Ruchi, graduated from high school in June. From the streets of New Delhi to graduate Walt Whitman High School in Maryland, what a journey! She went straight into school when she first arrived at the age of eight, working continuously through 12th grade. Next year will be a gap year before she starts
A Grand Challenge is a collaborative response to complex social problems that demand large-scale change from multiple fields of expertise.
Why I Facilitate Grand Challenges Read More »
Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It was first celebrated in 1865 and received long-overdue recognition as a federal holiday on June 18, 2021. For me, it is a time to educate myself on Black history and support Black-owned businesses and creators. I read
My son, Gabe, came to town for a week after his first year of graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is pursuing a degree in sociology. We walked and ate lunch alongside the Potomac River near our home. We took my German shepherd, Kaya, and enjoyed the heat, the sand, and the
I was out for dinner with my mother-in-law and wife, the inimitable Laura Baron, in a local restaurant when the vocalist on the bill came to our table and asked Laura to sit in. Here she is with the drummer and bass player taking the stage. It was fun as we listened to The Girl
Last Monday, three leaders of the Grand Challenge to eliminate the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders spoke at the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco national convention. I had the good fortune to be in the front row. In the picture from left to right are Saul Levin (at the podium), CEO
Getting the Word Out Read More »
What’s better than taking your daughter to Holi? Not much! Holi is the Hindu celebration of spring and the love between Radha and Krishna, two hearts destined to share a beauty that cannot be measured. Splashing each other with color is at the core of the event. At Holi yesterday, hundreds of people spread the
We picked up our new friend Saturday morning, Divya. The name means divine in Hindi. And it now feels like our pack has assembled. Divya and Kaya love playing together. Kaya has shared her favorite toy, and there has been more than one tug-of-war with different victors emerging. Kaya has always been obedient, but there’s
We decided to add another dog to our pack a week ago, and we think we found the little tyke. Her mother was a stray who gave birth in an animal shelter in Georgia. Three days later, the entire litter was transported to Virginia, coordinated through one of many rescue operations serving the Washington, DC,
