This post is a bit late due to the travel, but I wanted to keep up my weekly posting rhythm.

Last week was spent entirely in San Francisco, hosting the Silicon Valley Innovation Tour for HBCU Faculty. I had the chance to sit with some incredibly smart and passionate people, and what stood out most to me was the importance of audacity. It’s a key takeaway for me personally. Looking back, I wish I had stressed more with the faculty that the goal isn’t to replicate Silicon Valley. Instead, it’s about having the audacity to pursue outcomes that fit our own unique ecosystems.

HBCUs operate in environments that are quite different from Silicon Valley, and that’s just the reality. The focus shouldn’t be on copying Silicon Valley’s model but rather on recognizing what success could look like in our own context. Audacity, in this sense, is about moving beyond the urge to catch up or the fixation on what we lack and instead making the most of the resources and talent we already have.

For me, this trip has been a reminder to continuously strengthen my own sense of audacity. It’s not just about thinking big, but acting on it—making practical, bold moves that align with the strengths and opportunities in front of us.

Keep Moving – Even While Traveling

Despite the intense schedule, I managed to stay committed to my movement goals, getting in 3 miles of run/walk each day, even while traveling. Long plane rides also gave me the chance to binge-watch the Korean drama Crash Landing on You, which provided a much-needed mental break.