I’ve spent some amazing years in this city and not a coffee shop not too far
city and not a coffee shop not too far
city and not a coffee shop not too far from here
from here
from here I actually sat down with my co-founder
I actually sat down with my co-founder
I actually sat down with my co-founder Jessica Santana to create the blueprint
Jessica Santana to create the blueprint
Jessica Santana to create the blueprint for New York on tech on Apollo napkins
for New York on tech on Apollo napkins
for New York on tech on Apollo napkins New York on tech is preparing the next
New York on tech is preparing the next
New York on tech is preparing the next generation of technology leaders by
generation of technology leaders by
generation of technology leaders by creating pathways for students like you
creating pathways for students like you
creating pathways for students like you to thrive in technology and innovation
to thrive in technology and innovation
to thrive in technology and innovation growing new york on tech has been an
growing new york on tech has been an
growing new york on tech has been an amazing experience literally because we
amazing experience literally because we
amazing experience literally because we get to work with amazing students like
get to work with amazing students like
get to work with amazing students like yourselves who are on the path towards
yourselves who are on the path towards
yourselves who are on the path towards changing the world however as many of
changing the world however as many of
changing the world however as many of you probably know growing an
you probably know growing an
you probably know growing an organization can sometimes be
organization can sometimes be
organization can sometimes be challenging but throughout the years and
challenging but throughout the years and
challenging but throughout the years and actually since I’ve been fairly young
actually since I’ve been fairly young
actually since I’ve been fairly young I’ve always leveraged technology as a
I’ve always leveraged technology as a
I’ve always leveraged technology as a platform to connect with information
platform to connect with information
platform to connect with information motivation and mentors while I’ve never
motivation and mentors while I’ve never
motivation and mentors while I’ve never met them in person I’ve had the
met them in person I’ve had the
met them in person I’ve had the opportunity to connect with three highly
opportunity to connect with three highly
opportunity to connect with three highly successful mentors whom you may know
successful mentors whom you may know
successful mentors whom you may know Michael Jordan Jay Z and Steve Jobs I
first connected with Michael Jordan when
first connected with Michael Jordan when I was a kid I could remember sitting on
I was a kid I could remember sitting on
I was a kid I could remember sitting on the floor with my cousins and friends
the floor with my cousins and friends
the floor with my cousins and friends glaring and set a TV screen
glaring and set a TV screen
glaring and set a TV screen watching Mike play basketball the sounds
watching Mike play basketball the sounds
watching Mike play basketball the sounds of their announcers literally screaming
of their announcers literally screaming
of their announcers literally screaming every time he scored a bucket was
every time he scored a bucket was
every time he scored a bucket was exhilarating what I learned from Mike
exhilarating what I learned from Mike
exhilarating what I learned from Mike and that I realized as I got older was
and that I realized as I got older was
and that I realized as I got older was the importance of embracing failure as
the importance of embracing failure as
the importance of embracing failure as I’m looking into the crowd I want every
I’m looking into the crowd I want every
I’m looking into the crowd I want every one person in this room said think about
one person in this room said think about
one person in this room said think about a time that you failed how did that
a time that you failed how did that
a time that you failed how did that failure make you feel how
failure make you feel how
failure make you feel how other people make you feel about that
other people make you feel about that
other people make you feel about that failure now keep those thoughts in your
failure now keep those thoughts in your
failure now keep those thoughts in your head Michael Jordan missed over 9000
head Michael Jordan missed over 9000
head Michael Jordan missed over 9000 shots missed over 26 game-winning shots
shots missed over 26 game-winning shots
shots missed over 26 game-winning shots yet we still know him as one of the
yet we still know him as one of the
yet we still know him as one of the greatest basketball players of all time
greatest basketball players of all time
greatest basketball players of all time and in my personal opinion the greatest
and in my personal opinion the greatest
and in my personal opinion the greatest basketball player of all time and I’ll
basketball player of all time and I’ll
basketball player of all time and I’ll debate all those Kobe fans in the crowd
debate all those Kobe fans in the crowd
debate all those Kobe fans in the crowd a little later I want you to understand
a little later I want you to understand
a little later I want you to understand that life is a series of learning
that life is a series of learning
that life is a series of learning lessons sometimes dressed up as failures
lessons sometimes dressed up as failures
lessons sometimes dressed up as failures and just like playing video games every
and just like playing video games every
and just like playing video games every time you fail on a board or a mission
time you fail on a board or a mission
time you fail on a board or a mission next time around you get better at
next time around you get better at
next time around you get better at navigating the course in front of you
navigating the course in front of you
navigating the course in front of you because you learn from your previous
because you learn from your previous
because you learn from your previous experiences so the importance of
experiences so the importance of
experiences so the importance of embracing failure in order to learn as
embracing failure in order to learn as
embracing failure in order to learn as you move forward as a team I would
you move forward as a team I would
you move forward as a team I would didn’t connect with jay-z via my ipod I
didn’t connect with jay-z via my ipod I
didn’t connect with jay-z via my ipod I would listen to jay-z songs over and
would listen to jay-z songs over and
would listen to jay-z songs over and over and over in my headphones even
over and over in my headphones even
over and over in my headphones even while applying to college and writing my
while applying to college and writing my
while applying to college and writing my essays jay-z is a successful businessman
essays jay-z is a successful businessman
essays jay-z is a successful businessman and one of the highest selling artists
and one of the highest selling artists
and one of the highest selling artists of all time
of all time
of all time I instantly connected with him not just
I instantly connected with him not just
I instantly connected with him not just because of his music but because we grew
because of his music but because we grew
because of his music but because we grew up in similar environments both coming
up in similar environments both coming
up in similar environments both coming up in Brooklyn what I learned from jay-z
up in Brooklyn what I learned from jay-z
up in Brooklyn what I learned from jay-z was the importance of unlocking your
was the importance of unlocking your
was the importance of unlocking your genius level talent Jay talks about a
genius level talent Jay talks about a
genius level talent Jay talks about a time when his uncle told him he would
time when his uncle told him he would
time when his uncle told him he would never be better than LL Cool J yet
never be better than LL Cool J yet
never be better than LL Cool J yet jada and let his uncle knock his hustle
jada and let his uncle knock his hustle
jada and let his uncle knock his hustle he would go on to start rockefeller
he would go on to start rockefeller
he would go on to start rockefeller records have business investments in the
records have business investments in the
records have business investments in the Brooklyn Nets 40 40 rock nation and
Brooklyn Nets 40 40 rock nation and
Brooklyn Nets 40 40 rock nation and title among others I think Jay said it
title among others I think Jay said it
title among others I think Jay said it best when he said I’m not a businessman
best when he said I’m not a businessman
best when he said I’m not a businessman I’m a business man no matter what
I’m a business man no matter what
I’m a business man no matter what someone tells you never allow them to
someone tells you never allow them to
someone tells you never allow them to limit your growth the best thing you can
limit your growth the best thing you can
limit your growth the best thing you can do is prove them wrong on your way to
do is prove them wrong on your way to
do is prove them wrong on your way to success
success
success just like jay-z I want to show people
just like jay-z I want to show people
just like jay-z I want to show people that no matter where you come from you
that no matter where you come from you
that no matter where you come from you can make it as a teen entrepreneur in
can make it as a teen entrepreneur in
can make it as a teen entrepreneur in high school before giving a speech at
high school before giving a speech at
high school before giving a speech at Goldman Sachs one of the world’s most
Goldman Sachs one of the world’s most
Goldman Sachs one of the world’s most prestigious investment banks I told
prestigious investment banks I told
prestigious investment banks I told myself before coming on stage that I
myself before coming on stage that I
myself before coming on stage that I would be a product of my environment but
would be a product of my environment but
would be a product of my environment but a product in which my community would be
a product in which my community would be
a product in which my community would be proud going to college I started to want
proud going to college I started to want
proud going to college I started to want to learn more about the creators of the
to learn more about the creators of the
to learn more about the creators of the tech products and services I was using
tech products and services I was using
tech products and services I was using and that’s when I learned about Steve
and that’s when I learned about Steve
and that’s when I learned about Steve Jobs via the Internet after completing
Jobs via the Internet after completing
Jobs via the Internet after completing two consecutive summers at an investment
two consecutive summers at an investment
two consecutive summers at an investment bank and not interested in going into
bank and not interested in going into
bank and not interested in going into the field after graduation I decided to
the field after graduation I decided to
the field after graduation I decided to go study abroad in China via the CEREC
go study abroad in China via the CEREC
go study abroad in China via the CEREC University study abroad program this
University study abroad program this
University study abroad program this gave me the opportunity to take some
gave me the opportunity to take some
gave me the opportunity to take some time away from campus and connect with
time away from campus and connect with
time away from campus and connect with my next steps Steve Jobs allowed me to
my next steps Steve Jobs allowed me to
my next steps Steve Jobs allowed me to see that I could be a change agent and
see that I could be a change agent and
see that I could be a change agent and that I could design and craft the world
that I could design and craft the world
that I could design and craft the world to look as I envisioned so I decided to
to look as I envisioned so I decided to
to look as I envisioned so I decided to not go into the industry but to go back
not go into the industry but to go back
not go into the industry but to go back to school and study technology and
to school and study technology and
to school and study technology and entrepreneurship as a Kaufmann fellow
entrepreneurship as a Kaufmann fellow
entrepreneurship as a Kaufmann fellow which is supported by the Kauffman
which is supported by the Kauffman
which is supported by the Kauffman Foundation one of the world’s largest
Foundation one of the world’s largest
Foundation one of the world’s largest foundations globally for supporting
foundations globally for supporting
foundations globally for supporting entrepreneurship as I look into the
entrepreneurship as I look into the
entrepreneurship as I look into the crowd how many of you own Apple products
crowd how many of you own Apple products
crowd how many of you own Apple products let me see Mac books iPhones Apple
let me see Mac books iPhones Apple
let me see Mac books iPhones Apple watches we can see that impact of being
watches we can see that impact of being
watches we can see that impact of being a change agent that Steve Jobs has left
a change agent that Steve Jobs has left
a change agent that Steve Jobs has left in the room here and globally I want you
in the room here and globally I want you
in the room here and globally I want you to understand that you are limitless
to understand that you are limitless
to understand that you are limitless and that Mike Jay Steve and I are no
and that Mike Jay Steve and I are no
and that Mike Jay Steve and I are no different than anyone else in this room
different than anyone else in this room
different than anyone else in this room I want you to embrace and learn from
I want you to embrace and learn from
I want you to embrace and learn from your failures like Mike
your failures like Mike
your failures like Mike not let others direct what you’re going
not let others direct what you’re going
not let others direct what you’re going to do with your life like J and most
to do with your life like J and most
to do with your life like J and most importantly know that you can be an
importantly know that you can be an
importantly know that you can be an agent of change like Steve Jobs be great
agent of change like Steve Jobs be great
agent of change like Steve Jobs be great be limitless thank you
be limitless thank you
be limitless thank you [Applause]
”
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