Dream Blog
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Little Einsteins
It is far too simple to make the stock claim that “children are the future” of the world. While this is not untrue, this is a dismissive statement— we wait for children to grow up before we, as “adults”, trust them enough to listen or allow them to enact any kind of change. However, the time for children’s voices to be heard and for their imaginations to be wielded is NOW. America is brimming with “lost Einsteins,” and we desperately need their help.
An article published in The Atlantic coins the phrase “lost Einsteins” to describe the unfortunate reality of children who were unable to live up to their potential simply as a matter of circumstance. Children from underprivileged backgrounds and neighborhoods in which they had none of the resources that a child in an upper middle class family would have easy access to are being left behind. Children are our greatest innovators. This inequity in their upbringing and the environment they have been forced to grow up in is limiting to their innovation. Inventors are much more likely to arise from high-income families than from low-income backgrounds. The Atlantic would even have us consider that this discrepancy has led to economic issues for the United States and all of its citizens, as the trajectory of innovation is on a tailspin downwards.
So take a second to imagine what it could be like to find our lost Einsteins, to give them all the right tools and a platform for their voice, to work towards narrowing the gaps of inequity from this generation forward, to provide nurturing mentorship, to trust in the power of imagination, and facilitate the endless possibilities posed by the new generation. What could we accomplish?
Dream Tank strives to undertake just that— and we would love it if you joined us on this incredible journey!
Dream Tank’s entrepreneurial accelerator programs can be designed for both kids and adults alike. Together, we will ignite ideas with social and environmental impact on the world. Dream Tank is working tirelessly to expand our franchise beyond the city of Boulder from coast to coast and even internationally! We want to empower children from all backgrounds and skill sets to dream, innovate, prototype, and launch their ideas into successes— not just the children from advantaged neighborhoods.
Here, we do not adhere to what society tells us we can and cannot do. Together, we can break through all Dream-Crushing barriers. Children have the inherent capacity to do anything, and these ingenious movements, products, and services will remain trapped inside their heads unless we give them opportunities like what Dream Tank can provide. Dreaming is for everyone, and we will continually venture to extend our resources and programming to as many children as we can worldwide.
So join us— if you dare to dream like a kid!
About the Author:
Pranathi is currently a sophomore at CU Boulder. She is majoring in Neuroscience and English with a focus in Creative Writing. She hopes to apply her love of the written word to her future career. You can probably find her petting a dog, typing away on a laptop or scribbling in a journal, and daydreaming about beautiful cities.
Reference:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/12/innovation-income-chetty/547202/
My Hero’s Journey with Dream Tank
Dear Readers,
I am delighted to bring to you Dream Tank’s Annual Report for 2017. I was assigned this report when I signed onto Dream Tank as a Fellow at the end of August, and have since been working hard to deliver what would be a culmination of our successes and stories from our first full year of operations. Before this Fall, I was enlisted in the Leeds Business School at CU Boulder and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to activate my business skills, as a student and an intern. But one part of the job seemed off to me–my official title at Dream Tank was “Creative Expressions Fellow.” I thought this was strange–I was writing the Annual Report, what could possibly be expressed through a report?
Mid-semester, I felt something was missing from myself and my work. I failed one of my business midterms and withdrew from the class. Then it struck me in class one day, as I was doodling away instead of taking notes, that I didn’t belong in business in the traditional sense. I had always been an artistic person. I realized I was meant to fuse the two and bring art into the business world and beyond. That day, I applied to become a Studio Arts minor.
The next week, I looked at that title again, Creative Expressions Fellow, and I knew what needed to be done. I needed to bring creativity and artistic expressions into my Annual Report. I saw the power of Dream Tank in our DreamMakers and within myself, and knew I needed to embody that energy. Thus, I created Fiz, a comic-book inspired mascot for Dream Tank. He would reflect the journey we all would embark on as a part of the Dream Tank experience, just as I had, and transform into his own hero, in whatever form that might be.
I wanted to show that the makings of a “hero” weren’t something found in fantastical tales, but in the everyday courage of an ignited people. This would be a report unlike any other. This would be a report to inspire. A report full of celebration and spirit. A report to remember.
In the report, I reflect on the past year by highlighting particularly shaping events and projects, emphasize our mission and structure, and look to the future with goals and priorities in mind. I wanted to inspire past, present and future DreamMakers and Fellows with the passion of Dream Tank through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, to commemorate the courage it takes to pursue your dreams. I wanted to propose a solution to challenges Dream Tank faces so, like our own DreamMakers, we can find success on our own journey.
Life has a way of directing us along our true path and purpose, and that has definitely happened to me during my time at Dream Tank!
I hope you enjoy my work of art: Dream Tank’s first Annual Report!
Keep Dreaming!
Tessa Piehl
Embark with Fiz the DreamMaker on his journey to find his inner hero and launch his dreams (and his rocket ship!) to the moon and reflect on Dream Tank’s own journey over the year of 2017.
4 Gens of Entrepreneurs & Co Impact Days
In such a tumultuous social political climate, moments of unity are incredibly important. This Friday, November 17th, we are honored to have several Dream Tank Squad members and DreamMakers speaking on various panels at the 4 GenNow summit. This organization unites the four generations in entrepreneurship and empowerment. Hannah Capshaw, Madeline Espinoza and Nick Adam Titus will be on a pen about their experience with being youth leaders of Dream Tank. The diversity in age and experience is sure to bring new perspectives and hopeful connections that unite people in an entrepreneurial spirit In the spirit of connecting Gen z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, we hope to see as many Dream Tank supporters as possible.
1:50 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Panel: “Intergenerational Entrepreneurs Share Success Stories”
Moderator: Andrea Young, President & CEO, Colorado Technology Association
Panelists: Panelists:
John A. Kelley, Jr., Chairman, CEO CereScan
Jeff Kelley, VP Sales and Marketing, CereScan
Nick Titus, CEO, Myonic Technologies
Matt Patrick, Mentor, Myonic Technologies
Hannah Capshaw, Chief of Staff, Dream Tank
Madeline Espinoza, Dream Makers, Dream Tank Fellow
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Find Your Intergenerational Business Partner/Part 2 / Table Discussions
Attendees select tables based on interests
Attendees rotate tables after 15 minutes to another topic
Entrepreneurship
“Future 101: Dreams and Entrepreneurship, Igniting Childlike Spirit”
Heidi Cuppari, CEO, Dream Tank
Madelaine Espinoza, DreamMaker
Summer Cuppari Gould, DreamMaker
We are honored to have been invited as a venture to present at Colorado Impact Days, a growing impact investing community based in Denver! This Wednesday, November 15th through Friday November 17th there is an amazing social venture marketplace where focused investors and philanthropists gain the confidence, tools and connections they need to take action in new, powerful ways. We are always looking for new and exciting ways to build community in the greater Denver area and are so excited. There will be many excellent speakers and opportunities for any business or entrepreneur!
Inaugural Dream City Council Meeting
The Call for Dream Leaders is Here!
Our Mission: to support, nurture and ignite the creative genius and innovation of kids to lead local social change across all sectors of Boulder. On Tuesday, October 24th, Dream Tank launched the first Dream City Council Meeting with the mission of supporting, nurturing, and igniting the creative genius and innovation of kids to lead social change. The Jeffersonian-style gathering was a collaboration effort comprised of leaders who are moving mountains within the Boulder community. We challenged these leaders to identify one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that DreamMakers could tackle in Boulder through innovative and entrepreneurial design challenges in our first interactive Think Tank for kids.
The meeting was a success in that we received wonderful and constructive feedback that has allowed us to refine the scope of the Dream City Council’s mission and involvement. We have established Sub Councils that will oversee the Design Challenges, Programming, Mentorship, and Public Relations facets within the Think Tank. From the meeting, it was evident that everyone in attendance was in agreement that the voices of the most creative geniuses on the planet – kids – are not being heard. Together, we have decided to start listening and resource these brilliant minds to solve design challenges within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are looking forward to how we can launch these dreams and design the future, together!
We had the honor of hosting the following Dream City Council members:
Jake Aloia, DreamMaker and 8th grader at Summit Middle School
Jan Burton, CIty Council Member
Heidi Cuppari, CEO, Dream Tank, CEO, Anastasia Impact
Madeline Espinoza, Dream Tank Chief of Staff & Curriculum Design Fellow, Junior at University of Colorado
Bart Foster, Founder, Investor, CEO
Donovan Greene, Representative of the New Hope Group
Summer Cuppari Gould, 7th grader at Manhattan Middle School, Dream Tank senior Kidsultant, Co-Founder, Story Architects
Elena Hernandez, Managing Director, Impact Investing Strategy, GenTrust
Corey Kohn, Co-Founder and Member Owner, Dojo4
Sean Maher, Executive Director, Downtown Boulder Partnership (not in attendance)
Ryan Martens, Serial Entrepreneur and Technical Leader
Donna Merten, COO, Dream Tank & Masters of the Environment Candidate, CU
Amber Nystrom, SDG Mavericks, UN Liaison for SDG Marketplace Summit (not in attendance)
Dan Powers, CEO, CO-LABS
Paul Repetto, Founder of Horizon Dairy (not in attendance)
Joellen Raderstorf, Founder, C3 Boulder
Julia Richman, Chief Innovation & Analytics Officer, City of Boulder
Lesley Smith, Associate Director for CIRES Outreach and former board member of BVSD
Christy Szoke, CMO & Co-Founder, Fathym
John Tayer, CEO, Chamber of Commerce
Bob Yates, Boulder City Council Member
