JohnH

From sand to software…

November 9, 2017JohnH

Just wrapped up an amazing week in Israel meeting with friends and colleagues from High-tech, Real Estate, VC and more. One of the highlights was seeing the progress on a project I’ve been involved with since 2010. The Gav-Yam Negev Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) in Be’er Sheva Israel. It has grown from a concept to a thriving technology community in the southern desert. It was great to see not only established technology companies expanding there, but a quick tour of the WeWork facility revealed something special. It was buzzing with local startups. It was so nice to see how the collaboration between the Real Estate Developer, the Municipal Government and the local University were enabling businesses to thrive.

An insightful night on the town.

October 18, 2017JohnH

My wife and I are fortunate enough to be subscribers to the Boston Speaker Series and have been since it’s inception 6 years ago. Once a month throughout the school year, we visit Symphony Hall in Boston to listen to to a noteworthy speaker. We have heard from diplomats, authors, historians, scientists and even a comedian ( John Cleese ). The series is really an amazing way to gain insight into the world around us. I have certainly liked some speakers better than others, but it is always worth the investment in time and money to attend.

Last week’s presenter was the Former Prime Minister of the U.K. David Cameron. He came across as intelligent, thoughtful and even concerned. His talk was interesting and the Q&A was great as usual. It made me think just how lucky we are to live in a city that can support such an enriching program.

While it has been sold out since it started, you can generally get a random seat and it is well worth checking out.

Boston Speaker Series

Human Sensor Network Conference

September 29, 2017JohnH

Thank you to B. Eric Graham for inviting me to the second annual Human Sensor Network Conference sponsored by CrowdComfort. It was good to see how technology is evolving and enabling so much change in the traditional brick and mortar business of Real Estate and Facilities. The speakers did an excellent job demonstrating how new technology can be leveraged to increase end user satisfaction, improve efficiency and reduce cost in a rapidly changing environment.

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The New Commuter

March 24, 2017October 18, 2017JohnH

In an attempt to save the word, I purchased an Electric Assist Bike. The Trek Super Commuter. As an avid biker, having a motor seemed like I was selling out, but I have to say, the experience has been incredible. I have taken to running most errands with bike already. I’ve used it to attend meetings as far away as 13 miles. The motor allows me to ride in two ways. If I just ride as I normally would, you still get a workout, you just go much faster, particularly up hills. Instead of 9 MPH I might go 18 MPH. If I need to go to a meeting without looking like a rode in on a bike, I can take it easy, let the motor do most of the work and still cruise at 15-17 MPH. In bad traffic, I’m generally going faster then most cars! Hopefully these bikes catch on quickly in the US!