Wisdom in fragments

My wife Freada coined a phrase, distance travelled. We're very interested in where somebody started in life, and what hurdles and barriers they have already overcome in their journey – and how that grit has got them to where they are now.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

There were large segments of the population with tremendous talent, who were being overlooked and underestimated because they didn't have the right 'pedigree.' – These individuals had fabulous business ideas and were genuinely going to change the world as they were solving real problems.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

We have lived through an era where success has been defined only in financial terms- leaving out any consideration of the impact of business on communities or the world. Just because accounting standards don't require you to measure certain things, doesn't mean those things aren't real.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

Most of the venture backed businesses, and venture capital firms, are a mirror-tocracy not a meritocracy! Senior executives are disproportionately drawn from a narrow stratum of society – in the US, this means Ivy-League Schools such as Stanford. They tend to be overwhelmingly white (and increasingly now Asian) but certainly overwhelmingly male.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

If one aspires to make a positive impact on the world, shouldn't we strive for innovative solutions, perhaps even for a disease as formidable as cancer?

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

Could there be room for innovative methods that could potentially benefit those in the same position as Josephine Hart and countless others?

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

The court is primarily interested in the effort made, in the attempt. That is what truly counts.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

There will be no cure for cancer until real doctors with real patients in real hospitals can attempt an innovation.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

The essence of this connection lies in an enduring quest to effect positive change in the world. The judgement criteria revolve around whether the individual in question endeavored to make the world a better place.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

I fell in love with the process first – they sometimes call it the grind. I fell in love with movement, with training, with everything between the competitions – and falling in love with that was instrumental to me because now, when things don't go right, and I feel vulnerable or emotional, I can dip into that state.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

You're basically trying to be predictive text for the ocean. You could be sitting out there – you've warmed up – you've mapped the line-up – and you've mentally prepared for where waves are going to break – you could have all that knowledge, but when you paddle out – everything could be completely different.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

The more you do it – the more you build a mental scar tissue that you can lean on – That's the 'stuff' that lets you pick up the pieces and go again.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

The reality is – you can't accomplish anything unless you're all in emotionally, physically… you have to put it all on the table. You can't just put a little part of you out there in case you get hurt… guess what… everything about competition will hurt.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

You are the king (or queen) of your castle. When you step off land into the ocean, you're at the mercy of the most powerful energy source there is – you can paddle out into the water with a picture in your mind of what the surf might be like and what waves might come, and things can change… the wind… the tide… the swell…

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

When you go out to run 100 miles – the lessons of a lifetime get compressed into 24 hours of non-stop running.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures