Early Mentor Passes Away

I have been trying for quite some time to get a letter back to Dr. Mose Tjiterdero, the Namibian House Speaker who encouraged me to "stop playing it safe" and start my long dreamt-of company when I returned to American after a summer in his country. The recent article from my hometown newspaper spurred me to again try to reach him. Today, I found out why he was so difficult to reach: he'd unexpectedly passed away.

Still, his influence touches me. When I insisted I didn't know enough to start a company, he casually asked me if I knew what his occupation was before becoming House Speaker: He was an educator with no government experience and least of all, no legislative experience. He told me that when tasked, we find we already have what we need.

And I did.