Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. This is normally the point where our podcast theme comes in with the resonant voice of an inspiring high school educator, Willie Jones.

This is the 5th episode in a series of 6 of our most powerful podcasts from the first year of the Table Top Inventing show.

Here's a sneak peak from today's episode...

"Nearly everything I've built has come from a genesis of me going, 'I wish that existed!' and there's always been a fun element to it!" --Gray Bright

LOL! I love Gray Bright. His episode was one of the most high energy, fun interviews we did in the first year. You won't want to miss this funny, high-energy interview with a lively engineer. We talk about questions like:

• Can a robotics engineer actually be any good as a stand-up comedian?
• What happens if you retrofit your car with effects from a racing video game?
• Do real engineers play with Legos?
• How do you make your fridge shutoff automatically when you put on weight?

If you are an inventor and a kid at heart, you will LOVE today's interview. I am reminded of a quote by the late Randy Pausch, a computer science innovator from Carnegie Mellon. He said,

"I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore."

For Randy, having fun was serious business because at the young age of 47 he died of complications from pancreatic cancer. Yet before he died, he had a chance to give his "last lecture" in which he discussed the importance of living life to the fullest and having fun. The dramatic circumstances of his last months compelled him to consider what was really important in life, and he realized that every single day is a gift. Some people like Randy and our guest today, Gray Bright, just seem determined to find all the fun life has to offer.

Gray was one of my favorite guests! He made me laugh all the way through, and I have always been inspired at how early his engineering ideas began. If you want to inspire a young inventor you know to pursue their dreams just like Gray has, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurti@ttinvent.com.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

Original Episode Date: December 24, 2015

Category: Makers and Innovators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, it's Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast.

This episode is the 4th in a series of 6 episodes--2 every week--in the month of December. We're bringing back 6 of the most Profound and Powerful Podcasts from our first year.

Here's a taste of what you'll hear today...

"It was the easiest thing to do to just add a pair of skis, because I had already built the jet-pack. I was in Mammoth. There was snow, and I just said, "I'm gonna do this!" --Troy Hartman

What?! A back pack with jet engines?! That's crazy! How did a guy who was not a thrill-seeker get to the point of turning himself into a human rocket? Tune in today to learn about risk and courage from a non-thrill seeker.

My wife can tell you that my interview with Troy Hartman was probably the highlight of 2014 for me. Troy is an intelligent engineer who knows how to take calculated risks. He isn't a thrill seeker, but he understands deeply the value of taking the leap--literally--when it's time. If your techie teenager needs a little push to step outside their comfort zone and really begin innovating, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

In 2016 we'll be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

Original Release Date: 12/21/15

Category: Makers and Innovators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. Normally, our podcast theme music comes in at this point, and we hear that inspiring voice.

If you've been following our episodes this month, you will know that we are adding an extra episode every week on Monday's for a total of 2 every week. Today's episode is 3 of 6 in our profound and powerful podcast series this month.

This episode revisits one of my favorite maker education evangelists, David Thornburg. Here is a taste of his story...

"Up through the middle grades, I had been identified as mildly mentally retarded. Yet when I started my undergrad work at Northwestern University in Electrical Engineering, I changed majors because in all the electrical engineering courses I could ace the finals on the first day of class." --David Thornburg (What made the change?)

Wow! How could we get our students prepared to ace their entry-level college finals on the first day of class? Listen to the whole episode for David's educational formula.

David Thornburg is one of the wisest educators I know. His views on inquiry-driven, project-based learning are both practical and powerful. If you would like to supercharge the education of your teenager in a similar way to David's education at Lane Tech, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking 10-15 select teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Original Release Date: 12/17/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. This is normally the point where our podcast theme comes and my friend Willie Jones asks, "Do you dream of a classroom where learning is natural?".

Last episode we mentioned that we're releasing 2 of our best episodes every week until New Year's Eve. We wanted to share some of this year's best content at a time when you'll be able to digest it and reflect on how next year could be different. This is the second of six of our best episodes from the first year on the Table Top Inventing Podcast.

 I love this episode with Michael. He is a deep thinker and an insightful educator. I particularly like his comments about the "black boxes" in our society. Education truly is the great equalizer, but it must be an active process. If you would like to supercharge the education of your teenager, you need to know about the Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

This next year we will be taking a select group of 10-15 teens on a journey of self-discovery, excellence with integrity, and innovation leadership. This is not a club, social gathering, or homework tutoring. The students in the Resonance Innovation Fellowship will be on a quest to find impact and world-change through the backdrop of technology.

To find out more email me at stevekurtiATttinventDOTcom.

Don't wonder about the future. Email us, and we'll help you create it!

Original Release Date: 12/14/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Hi, I'm Steve, the host of the Table Top Inventing Podcast. For the next three weeks we are going to bring back six of our best podcast episodes. Since you are smart, you noticed that we're going to release two episodes every week. We'll be releasing an episode on Thursday as usual, but we'll also be releasing one every Monday.

In this episode, originally airing on November 6, 2014, Dr. Linda Polin and I have a lively discussion about taking back education from the forces that have corrupted it, including the answers to questions such as: 

• How can you learn secrets directly from a great inventor?
• How do we take back education from the dark forces of the universe?
• How can we help students become who they were meant to be?

This was one of my favorite episodes! Dr. Linda Polin is a rockstar educator and not your run-of-the-mill boring college professor. She keeps threatening to retire, but there are many good teachers out there because they sat in her classroom to learn the true art of teaching!

Original Release Date: 12/10/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

How are ambition and serving others related?  Can we END neglected diseases in the third world?  How important are values and lifelong learning to success?  Join us on today's episode for a peek behind the curtain of true success.

Welcome to the Table Top Inventing podcast where we discuss innovation, success, and the path to a good life for teens and those who guide them.  We have a special treat for you today.  I had an opportunity to bump into a successful executive at a business conference earlier this fall.  I was so impressed by his story and the values of their company that I knew I had to find a way to bring his wisdom to our show.

Mark Stoleson is the CEO at Legatum a global private investment fund based in Dubai--The United Arab Emirates.  In the interview, Mark and I mostly cover the amazing successes and lessons he's learned along the way.  We didn't spend much time discussing the failures and challenges along the way, but afterward he told me,

"Steve, hopefully what will come out of this is something that is inspiring and not so far out of reach for people.  If we pull back the curtain a little farther, it has not been a continuous upward trajectory since elementary school with everything being a walk through fields of daisies.  It's had its ups and downs.  It's been a real life.

The secret of success in facing a challenge or a setback is what you do with the situation.  Even if hanging-on and persevering is the best you can do, that's doing really, really well.  Because it forms who you are and your character.  Some of the greatest benefits and opportunities come out of times of challenge."

I love the way Mark frames his experience.  As you listen to this interview remember some of the greatest success stories began in humble places.  It isn't about getting it right every time.  Success is about how you face what life brings.  Let's listen in for timeless wisdom from a life well-lived.

Original Release Date: 12/03/15

Category: Business Professionals

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

What is the role of Hope in a teenager's perspective?  Can pain propel us to find the good things in life?  How can we help teens discover their dormant potential?  Join us on today's episode for a deep discussion filled with gratitude and expectancy.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Welcome to the podcast where we discuss innovation and potential in teens.  At this time of year, we explore gratitude and the effects of thankfulness on our lives.  Today's episode is about "Hope"--specifically hope for parents and educators who may have a student with unrealized potential.  If you need a shot in the arm or encouragement to stay the course, today is for you.

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."

This excerpt from Langston Hughes is a favorite of mine.  Dreams and Hope carry us through the difficult spots in life.  I've lived gritty "hold fast to dreams" experiences.  Sometimes it is only our hope about a situation that keeps the flame burning.  At times, we are a light to our students--the only light.  If this is where you are, Allison's perspective and experience will give you hope to hold on, to continue being a light.

Allison is a professionally certified educational therapist and the Program Development Manager at the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD).  As a young person facing chronic pain, she learned the value of hope and tenacity, and these experiences shaped her desire to see the full potential in students cultivated and bloom into beautiful things.  Let's listen in for a hope-filled journey through the life of a passionate educator.

Original Release Date: 11/26/15

Category: Innovative Educators

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

How can your teen grow up to work with their childhood hero?  What is the path to finding a passionate and exciting career?  What are some alternatives for intelligent teens who aren't thriving in an academic environment?  Listen in today for wisdom on these questions from a life-long entrepreneur.

This is the podcast where we discuss innovation, excellence, and entrepreneurship for teens and the adults who cheer for them.  Today's guest is a personal development enthusiast.  I won't tip the cards on the show just yet, but let me share a quote by one of my favorite physicists, Albert Einstein.

"All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual."

Humans contain the most powerful innovations coming in the future.  Every great product or human accomplishment began in the mind of a person.  In fact, the seed of those ideas probably began in the mind of teenagers.  Can parents and educators inspire teens to pursue those seeds of world-change?

I believe so strongly in those seeds of potential that we're starting a new project called the Resonance Innovation Fellowship where teens can find the mentoring and support to discover their full potential.  We have extensive experience working with teens and helping them accomplish unbelievable results.  If you know a high school student willing to push themselves, explore themselves, and grow more than anyone they know, send me an email at stevekurti@ttinvent.com and mention RIF--Resonance Innovation Fellowship.

Kevin Miller grew up as an entrepreneur.  In fact from his earliest memories, he always thought of himself as an entrepreneur.  Recently his enthusiasm for personal development led him to work with the Zig Ziglar brand, and he's now the host of "The Ziglar Show", one of the top 10 most popular business podcasts in the world!  Listen in today to hear the exciting and gritty details of growing up as an innovator.

Original Release Date: 11/20/15

Category: Business Professionals

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

What does it feel like to patrol the DMZ near North Korea?  What does it feel like to take a projectile to the chest in Iraq?  Is leadership really the same across all organizational structures?  Join us today to hear from an excellent leader retired from active military service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and most recently West Point.

This is the podcast where we discuss leadership and innovation for teenagers.  I can't wait to introduce today's guest!  We've been counting the days until Jonathan retired from his position at West Point so we could interview him for the show.  While in active military service, he wasn't allowed to speak publicly about his experiences, and having previous experience as a researcher in civil service with the Navy, I understand why the military has such strict policies.

Why should we be interested in the opinions of a retired military officer?  I have asked myself that question having been in the bureaucracy of the Navy, and eventually left because my free entrepreneurial spirit could not be reconciled to long term service as a civil servant.  So why would I interview a retired military officer for our podcast?  To be honest, there are still aspects of the military that call to my heart such as the Navy Seals training in San Diego.  The discipline and serving for a higher cause still calls to the heart of every red-blooded, patriotic American--regardless of your beliefs about the current politics.

The US is still the leader in innovation world-wide, specifically because we are so free thinking, but free-thinking requires solid, robust protection.  Many brave Americans pledge their lives and relinquish some of their freedom of choice to protect the ideals upon which our free-thinking is built.

I also believe that strong innovators must believe in the future and their innovation with the same discipline that a soldier holds to the commands and structures put into place by an honor-bound military.  So I had to interview Jonathan Silk to learn more about his philosophy of leadership.  You'll find Jonathan's story and perspectives irresistible.  Join me today as I interview an American hero.

Original Release Date: 11/12/15

Category: Business Professionals

Show Notes | YouTube | iTunes

Must you be technically inclined to have a career in science and engineering?  Can something as simple as a Dragon Fly change the course of a person's career?  How soon is NASA planning to have astronauts on Mars?  Join us today for a fascinating discussion about science and technology from the perspective of a science communicator.

This is the podcast where we discuss curiosity and innovation for teenagers.  I can't wait to introduce you to Sarah!  Today she and I will be discussing the path we take to our ultimate career.  Often when students finish college to enter the work force, there is a bit of a haze as they begin choosing where they will work.  This confusion is normal if they've never taken the time to actually understand themselves.

Now, I'm not here to suggest that teens cannot become deeply self-aware.  I'm just pointing out that education is often not concerned with helping students learn about themselves but rather with understanding the world around them.  As a result, the path to a career is often circuitous after college.

I believe that more exposure to the career world and more reflection are the key to having an earlier revelation of one's loves and passions as it regards a choice of careers.  In fact starting in January, I will be leading an exclusive, charter group of teens through this process to jumpstart their career exploration early!  If you know a freshman or sophomore willing to push themselves, explore themselves, and grow more than anyone they know, send me an email at stevekurti@ttinvent.com and mention RIF.

Sarah Marcotte is a science and engineering communicator.  She began her career in museums with Art History but through a bizarre experience on a New York City sidewalk, she fell in love with science and engineering--subjects she'd never given a second glance in high school.  Join me as we follow Sarah's path to an exciting career!

Original Release Date: 11/05/15

Category: Innovative Educators