These days I am occupied - nearly obsessed - with an idea for a new social venture start-up in Vermont - a state that thrives on individual pluck within an awareness of the whole.  With luck, you would join a very small, very accomplished group of advisors to this new venture, all of whom have a track record of success starting businesses based on creativity and social value.

Here is a little background:

Rewind: Johannesburg 2004. After a carooming ride from Botswana  to South Africa with a group called Pioneers of Change (http://www.pioneersofchange.net) I met with young entrepreneurs in the city over the course of several days and was introduced the idea of “The Hub,” (http://www.the-hub.net) - a place for young people with ideas for the next generation of businesses to incubate their start-up in a relaxed environment, connected to a global network of individuals concerned with leaving the planet better off than we got it.

Okay, fast forward: Two things collide in my imagination over the last week. The first is my recent involvement in the Onion River Exchange, an exciting start-up that aims to connect people with talent and skills to share with people in need through volunteering. The second was an article in the do-gooder magazine ODE that profiled the nascent success of the The Hub idea and its plans for growth.

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