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Tinkering with OCE

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šŸ“§ How to get people to ACTUALLY respond + other leadership tips

Hey Changemakers, Today marks 4 years since the wrap up of our inaugural OCE cohort. And boy oh boy has there been a lot of learning these last 4 years for me. Starting OCE, property management biz, and on a mission to bridging cultures. It has me thinking often about leadershipā€¦ So today, allow me to share my reflection on the leadership lessons I most wish I could pass on to the 17-year-old Lena. And PS: 2024 cohort application is due end of this month, apply here ASAP so you don't miss...

5 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 3 min read

If youā€™ve been following OCE on IG or TikTok (which you should), youā€™ve probably seen the shocking graph reporting pessimism among US high school seniors at an all-time high. Youth happiness is in decline due to a combination of social, economic, technological and ecological pressures. Source- WSJ We now live in a world where teenagers experiences "midlife crisis" before adulthood; a time when young people, historically beacons of optimism, report lower happiness than their elders. It's...

12 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 3 min read

Future Changemakers, Iā€™m guessing you have questions about higher education, starting businesses, landing purposeful career paths. Before you decide to take the plunge, you want to really understand what it entails to work at the forefront of innovation, and to become a founder. Maybe you have some of the same kind of questions we had back when we were in school: How do I start my own business as a teen? Can you actually teach me how to do this? Will this be helpful for my future internship,...

19 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

You know Iā€™m all about learning through hands-on work. And the best way to do so is through an internship, then start your own project. But. Not all internships are created equal. One of my earlier ā€œinternshipsā€ was with a communications agency where I worked in a padded cubicle on a call center line. Iā€™m pretty sure my first corporate experience was where dreams go to die. It was such a party that half of the team left within the first month- including myself. Whatā€™s so bad about it, you...

26 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

S So you want to start the project youā€™ve been thinking about. Something to build skills, to add to your portfolio and maybe even bringing in revenue is a dream for many teens. But the reality of starting anything is that itā€™s straight-up hard work. And it may seem out of reach because many ideas require large upfront capital. If you donā€™t have the funds or investors to back you, youā€™re out of luck. Or so the conventional wisdom goes. But did you know you donā€™t need to put down your own...

about 1 month agoĀ ā€¢Ā 3 min read

I donā€™t usually pimp out sites... BUT if I could go back in time, the tools listed below are what Iā€™d tell young me to use to start ā€œmy thing,ā€ to begin to leave my mark on the world. Each grouping has the steps you should take to ideate, prototype, get the word out, and operate. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCEā€™s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youthā€¦here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: šŸ“ˆ USE THIS: Land your dream (summer) opportunity Read More ā†’ šŸŽØ The...

about 1 month agoĀ ā€¢Ā 2 min read

Iā€™m not sure if you can relate but about 9 years ago, I was interning at this boutique brand consulting firm, chasing after societyā€™s expectations. I was sitting at another company meeting, and a managing director came up to me afterwards and told me ā€œYou need to speak up more.ā€ A little part of me died in that moment. Unless I have an insight or a good question to offer, I generally stay pretty quiet. Why is there a need for everyone to speak up when Iā€™m not even presenting? Ugh. In a...

about 2 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

Job hunting is absolutely the WORSTā€¦ It is a soul crushing endeavorā€¦like worse than being picked last on the school yard. Hereā€™s Why: Prestigious company like Google typically receives 1000s of resumes for each job posting. Isnā€™t that wild?! And even with smaller companies, first resume is received within 200 seconds after a position is posted. Not to mention, LinkedIn members submit 140 job applications every second. Competition is tough, and submitting your resume online through corporate...

about 2 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

So Iā€™ve been told by alumni that one of the best parts of OCE is the network of influential leaders you get to tap into. Thereā€™s a magic that happens when someone influential recognizes your potential. They then share their resources with you, introduce you to their friends, opportunities, advice etc. After all, our world is about who we can connect, influence or build with. Donā€™t believe me? Check out Paypal Mafia. Paypal Mafia members and their ventures Arguably one of the most powerful...

2 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

Today, weā€™re trying something newā€¦ Something I'm planning to do A LOT more in future newsletters. What is it? Telling the stories of purposeful youth working on their passion projects and businesses serving their community. (AKA, OCE alumni.) Weā€™ll focus on their: Incredibly diverse backgrounds Strategies used to start (with $0) Critical wins and learning First up: Lucas Gil, who joined OCE back in 2021. Lucas is currently a student at the University of Waterloo paving an unique path by...

2 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read
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