York Zucchi

About

I became a pilot at age 17. Did the world's first TEDx talk on the business of primary healthcare. Held workshops to crowds of up to 14.000 people. Launched the world's first truly free municipal government academy. Co-founded and launched one of Italy's most ambitious sustainability projects. Co-built a company that became the US space agency (NASA) R&D partner in Africa. Created one of the world's largest projects used by hundreds of big cities around the world to help people start local businesses. Lectured history on board of ships. Wrote multiple books. Deleted almost all my social media accounts. Taught entrepreneurship and innovation around the world, from halls filled with amazing homeless people to classes attended by phenomenal PhD scientists. Held 8 hour workshops on intellectual property without anyone falling asleep. Was an american limousine driver. Started a student waiter company. Launched 2 university newspapers. Filmed courses. Told jokes (am informed that they are not very good...). Tried to sing and got paid to stop. Got Rotary awards. Created masterclasses on active democracy for aspiring mayors. Became part of a 400 year old society in Sweden. Chaired (and still do) many governments innovation funds. Failed tons. Learned even more. Tasted academic life at Regent's, Harvard, Oxford and many other places, and on and on. Most of these successes aren't the result of any particular brilliant plan, strategy or goal and certainly are not based on any extraordinary talents, but just a product of learning to not give up every time I fell, learning to get up (gets easier with practice) and keeping going, supported the by the knowledge that great journeys are almost always never a product of lucky breaks but founded on millions of tiny almost almost imperceptible daily steps. All of this to remind us all to say yes to more things in life. You will never be absolutely ready, but waiting until you are ready is just postponing the richness that life can bring. Here's to all our dreams: may we find the courage to work on them now, even just a little each week.