industrial zen: Changing administations & next chapters

Hello.

In June I began telling colleagues and friends that, after 3+ years with Google's philanthropic effort Google.org, I'm stepping aside as the new team takes shape. As a member of launch team for "DotOrg" and as one of two Managing Directors reporting to former Executive Director Dr. Larry Brilliant, I have nothing but thanks and gratitude for the challenges and opportunities presented. This has been an amazing ride in so many ways.

I fondly recall those early "where do we begin?" team meetings -- as we explored avenues for the company's innovation and technology to deploy in fields of global public health and pandemics, economic development and poverty, and energy & climate change. We called upon many field experts and thought leaders, and researched and debated approaches for how to scale solutions. By 2008 Dotorg had grown to about 40 people, launched aggressive initiatives where Google would fund >$100m to orgs with bold promise, and was becoming recognized in news articles, blogs and philanthropic conferences for pushing data-driven, outcome-based philanthropic approaches.

Following Larry's departure, announced last February, I've been working with the new leadership as we assessed DotOrg's goals and strengths. One decision we made in May is the new philanthropic team will focus on internal engineering efforts with a product focus, versus tactical grantmaking and social investments where many of us were working.

I'll finish up at the end of August, and am eager to begin an overdue vacation. I've been invited to Madagascar this fall to visit a few scientific research centers and photograph the lemurs ... looking probable.

In a company abundant with exceptionally talented people, I'm particular proud of and thankful to my investments and grants teams, and for Larry, Sheryl, Linda, Dan, Sonal and Frank, and of course my good friend Megan.

About every day I'm asked what I think about the new direction for DotOrg, and if three years from now this next chapter will have proven to be better. I sincerely hope so, and am supportive and confident that the new team and approaches will lead to excellent ideas and products.