October Newsletter
What I've been up to this month 🎃
About Me! 👋
Hey! I’m Peyton, a 16y/o who is super passionate about making an impact on the world 🌎. A little bit about me, I am an Innovator at TKS (just started my focus in blockchain), very interested in business and entrepreneurship (in fact, I have even founded two start-ups) and I’m a triple threat. 🎭💃🎶
October has been a busy month to say the least. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get into it!
The Knowledge Society 🚀
Second month down at TKS ✅ and the sessions keep on being amazing. One weekend we were creating real world application ideas for blockchain, while the next week, we were learning about our Toronto directors’ life stories and lessons. Then most recently we discussed the implications of human longevity.
For those of you who are not familiar with this program, let me fill you in. TKS is a 10-month long human accelerator designed to train teenagers to solve the world's biggest problems through training in emerging technologies and mindsets. 🦄
This month I have also begun Velocity which is an add on program for TKS innovators who want to push past their limits. Every Wednesday, I have Velocity sessions starting at 6:30am, really early I know, but I'm loving it! 💯
TKS 🔑 takeaways this month:
You don't have to wait around and get a degree in order to get started on something you love. ❤️
Make hesitation your trigger for action.
The only actual way to get rid of fear is to directly face it. Use the courage mindset and do that thing, despite being scared. 💪
🥁 And my focus topic is…
This month we were required to choose our focus in TKS and I decided to choose BLOCKCHAIN! After completing the Blockchain Explore Module, I was instantly interested. For those of you who are not familiar, Explores are a way for TKS students to quite literally explore a new topic, gain insights and knowledge through articles and videos on an emerging technology of their choice. I was deeply fascinated by the wide variety of applications of blockchain and its potential to really impact the world. Stay tuned 😉.
During the TKS Blockchain session, we were given 90 minutes to create an application of this technology along with a pitch. My group and I utilized blockchain to better track who purchased recalled food items so that communications can directly go to those who have bought the faulty products. 🛒 As a result of this application, there would be less food waste (specifically from those who throw out a product that’s been recalled despite their batch actually being safe and not affected), a decrease in fear mongering along with food-related illness in the country. 🤮
Attending the C2 Montréal Conference
From October 19-21, I was fortunate enough to virtually attend the C2 (Commerce and Creativity) Montréal Conference. C2 Montréal is named one of the most forward-thinking business events and holds the title of best conference for 4️⃣ years running. 🌟 Each and every speaker brought so much value and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about their experiences, careers and the industries they are in. However, one of my favourite sessions was a Fireside chat with Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar. 🔥
Top 3 🔑 takeaways:
Failure is one of the best things in life, we are given the chance to learn from it and evolve.
You're gonna become irrelevant, so you might as well take creative risks anyways. 🤷🏼♀️
At Pixar, they had to come together and dig deep to create a comfort zone so that risk takers would feel compelled to take risks and be bold with their decisions. 🎨
Goals and What to Expect in November:
Publish my Learn article on Medium for my Blockchain Focus 📝
Further myself and expedite my personal growth in Velocity 🧠
Integrate meditation into my morning routine 🧘♀️
If you’ve gotten this far, be sure to sign up to receive future newsletters down below :) I hope you enjoyed reading this newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you next month!
Feel free to connect with me on Linked.In ➔ https://www.linkedin.com/in/peyton-verhoeven-661a53185
Awesome newsletter Peyton!!