For everyone else, I spent last week in Mexico with QlikTech, my current employer. We are rewriting a very interesting space in the software industry, but more importantly, are doing it with a culture that I believe will compare favorably to zappos, Apple and Google when our story is finally written.
Marlay, my oldest, asked me this weekend what the best part of my trip to Mexico was. I immediately was drawn to tell her of the story of Phil Wall. Phil told a story that simply can not be done justice by simply in retelling it, but I will try.
He described what we all know. A sub-Saharan Africa filled with poor, uneducated and at risk youth. Yet, I have never been so moved by the story. His comment that the most at-risk human beings on the planet were the female children residing in that part of the world moved me. The specifics made me cry, literally. Surrounded by 1000 of my peers in a conference room in Mexico, I lost it.
Lives spent on the streets, infected with HIV, raped by relatives, sniffing glue to survive, immediately made me think of my two young girls and the fortunate place we occupy in this world.
Phil left Africa and started Hope HIV. This year they have rolled out the 10-10-10 challenge. He gives everyone he speaks to $10 out of his own pocket (myself included) and challenges us to spend the next ten weeks turning that $10 into $100 (multiplying it by ten in honor of their 10th anniversary).
I don't ask you to care as much as I now do. I ask for something much simpler. Help me teach my daughters the impact they can make in this world. At the time of Marlay's question we were making cookies.
Over the next ten weeks we will be making cookies, brownies, you name it, for anyone willing to donate to Hope HIV (just let us know what you want). Jen, Marlay, Maddie and I will be matching all of those donations dollar for dollar as well.
For any of you still reading, please let me know if you are willing to support our quest to make Phil's $10 grow into $1000 or more (because $100 would be too easy). The Nolan's will match every dollar donated.
For the sales people from the top of the note, just give me $100, trust me, it's worth it.
With Love,
Marlay, Maddie, Jen and Matt
