What do Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Richard Branson have in common (other than billions of Ben Franklins)?

The answer is here, and we’ve uploaded a 60-minute podcast (audio recording) of a conversation between Vision Force founder, Michael Skye and a special guest, who has fascinating new insights into entrepreneurship. If you’re an entrepreneur or wish to be, this audio is invaluable–and it’s free. Enjoy!

Recently through Zaadz, we’ve raised nearly $3,400 for Clovis, our young Ugandan visionary friend. He’s using the funding to install high-speed internet access at his Vision Cafe, where he’s connecting his fellow Ugandan’s to the world wide web, and teaching them what’ he’s learned from Vision Force about being a visionary, a leader and an entrepreneur.

There are some exciting new developments in what’s next for Clovis, so stay tuned.

Clovis’ story sparked the One Million Visionaries campaign here at VisionForce, where we’re now asking, “What if we could empower one million visionaries like Clovis around the world–as fast as possible, and for as little money as possible?” The next chapter in that story happens March 21-25 at the special boot camp we organized for 30 inspiring change agents from around the world. The application process is over, the event is full, and they’re 3 weeks away from arriving here in Austin.

I’ve been interviewed several times over the past few weeks by Philip Gatlin of the Business Building Network. Will provide more info and links very soon…

30 impassioned individuals have been selected to attend the March 2007 Vision Force Boot Camp, an event designed for those who are so committed to creating a world that works for everyone that they are ready and willing to facing whatever there is to face along the way–and evolving whatever they must about themselves in order to create such a world.

The search for the next 30 will begin soon. Stay tuned…

I’m writing this post as I’m on a 4 or 5-way conference call with visionaries in Austin and Kenya, who are collaborating to start technology training academies in Kenya. We met so many visionary Kenyans last summer, who are up to great things, but who are difficult to reach due to technological barriers. Tools such as Skype are empowering visionaries around the world to connect and collaborate in ways never before possible.

My Kenyan friend on the call right now, Morris Thuku, upon returning to Kenya after receiving an education here in the U.S., decided to build an academy to teach street kids in the village where he grew up. Morris is a visionary with an indominatable spirit. He’s teaching his young people about information technology and giving them the skills that will allow them to make a better life for themselves and even create wealth in their community. His vision is to bring such training to youth throughout Africa. I hope to hold an audio interview with him in the near future and make it available here.

Our young Vision Force friends in Uganda have been able to attract and gain the support of a global community on Zaadz, and have raised thousands of dollars over the past few months for their projects. Morris, however, has very little exposure, as he must travel an hour just to access the Internet. Our emerging One Million Visionaries campaign will give us a way to unite and empower all of these visionaries from around the world. That campaign, of course, is being kick-started at our upcoming boot camp in March, where a constellation of visionaries from around the world will gather to evolve themselves in ways that will facilitate evolution in the communities they serve.

All too often we find ourselves taking positions about the things we care about, concluding which strategy is right and which is wrong. Who doesn’t want peace and progress for example? While so many of us stand for such values, we become divided on how to attain them. One subject that divides so many of us is the issue of government’s role in binging about a better future.

I find Michael Strong’s writings at FLOW are always inspiring. As I see it, Michael is helping to debunk what I see are longstanding myths, such as it is governments that possess the most power to bring about positive change in the world.

We see it so often. Someone becomes impassioned about a cause, and immediately they turn to the government in hopes that a new law or regulation will enforce the positive change they seek. Eventually, such change agents tend to become resigned and cynical, as they witness goverments, especially democratic governments, operate via compromise. Still, political battles are exciting and a source of energy for many change agents, who although they see little forward progress from their government, enjoy the stimulataion of the competitive, political arena.

While we do need visionaries in politics, who can revolutionize our systems in a way that really works, the sad reality is that many brilliant, passionate change agents and would-be visionaries become bogged down in the political quagmire, and gradually devolve into positionary thinking. Postionary thinking makes them less and less compassionate, courageous and able to think in a visionary way, and they gradually become more a part of the problem than a part of the solution. FLOW is calling such change agents to step forward and “criticize by creating.” For we can bring about the positive change we seek in the world, and we have more power to do this outside of the political arena than we realize.

I recommend that individuals who notice their spirit and vision being sucked into the downward spiral of positionary thinking, 1) enroll in the Visionary Mind Shifts course (free), and 2) start reading Michael Strong’s writings at FLOW.

Those wishing to discuss FLOW ideas, should join their community at Zaadz.

thinkArete Manifesto

Here’s a video made by a Zaadzster (member of Zaadz.com, a social networking site for groovy, conscious change agents), based on a manifesto written by Zaadz co-founder, Brian Johnson.