Morning Run in Houston

With the temperature down to 19° C (66° F) for the first time in several months, I took advantage and rose early for a morning jog along Buffalo Bayou in the heart of Houston. When I began, it was still dark and the crescent moon stood guard brilliantly in the cloudless sky. As I ranContinue reading “Morning Run in Houston”

Why I Donate to Rice Part 2

18 months ago I responded to a Thresher op-ed that advocated for withholding donations. Now I find myself doing the same. The original Thresher article is here. My initial response was as follows: “As humans we fear change and we always long for our alma mater to remain the [often idealized] snapshot of our ownContinue reading “Why I Donate to Rice Part 2”

Rice Centennial Celebration in Istanbul, Turkey

Katie and I spent last weekend in Istanbul, Turkey as part of the Rice Centennial Celebration there. When Edgar Odell Lovett, Rice’s first president, traveled the world collecting ideas for the institution he was about to launch, Istanbul was an important stop on his journey. Therefore, as one of many celebrations Rice has organized thisContinue reading “Rice Centennial Celebration in Istanbul, Turkey”

33rd Birthday Musings

Birthdays are always good times for reflection and this year I’m feeling particularly introspective. Perhaps it is because 33 is a number of great significance to one of my good friends or perhaps it is because my last multiple of 11 year was so impactful (graduating from college, meeting Katie) that this birthday feels .Continue reading “33rd Birthday Musings”

A Swiss Day in Houston

Today was a very Swiss kind of day! OK, OK, let me explain, because Houston, Texas, is a pretty far cry from “Swiss!” What I mean is that today really felt a lot like my Swiss/IMD experience even though it was a Saturday in Houston. To start, the weather was gorgeous. Not a cloud inContinue reading “A Swiss Day in Houston”

Successes and Failures

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks. For some time I have been intensely focused on the CleanTech Open, a nation-wide contest of startups that are working on the challenges of energy, water, and buildings. We were honored to have been selected as semifinalists for the South Central Region back in May. Finally inContinue reading “Successes and Failures”

Winning

Last week was a great week that brought many accomplishments both professionally and personally. First off, I am pleased to announce that Smart Office Energy Solutions closed its second round of funding! While our first round comprised mostly smaller investors with whom I already had a personal relationship, this second, larger round was made upContinue reading “Winning”