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Nick Stone is a Lead Director and Board Member for Wilderness. Known for its once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences, Wilderness was founded in Botswana in 1983 with the goal of introducing visitors to the country's natural beauty while protecting the environment and providing local jobs. Today, the company has more than six million acres of land under its stewardship and provides an economic support system for the communities where it operates, creating durable, well-paying jobs for roughly 2,600 people from more than 20 different ethnic groups and supporting local farming and infrastructure. Nick is also a board member of LedderTech and Kelvin Inc. For his day job, Nick is a Partner at FS Investors, a private investment entity with long-term capital. Nick graduated cum laude from Harvard and was an Arjay Miller Scholar at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this episode, we discuss: ● How combining tourism with conservation is changing the economic model for protecting nature ● How expansive wilderness can be a catalyst for deepening interpersonal connection ● The outsized influence of company culture in setting the trajectory of a business Key Takeaways: ● There's an elusive quality to the energy a place holds. Anyone who's attempted to capture a sunset in a photograph understands how it pales in comparison to the real thing. It's a mere two-dimensional representation of an experience that's inherently three-dimensional and engages all five senses. Nick mentioned the difficulty of articulating the essence of a journey with Wilderness, and I can't help but think there's a similar challenge at play here. How do you convey the profound experience of venturing into the unspoiled wilderness, where the world still echoes with the rhythms of millennia, when our daily lives have drifted so far from that primal connection? It's akin to stepping back in time, immersing oneself in a natural equilibrium unlike anything we're accustomed to today. ● Exposure to different cultures is a transformative journey of self-discovery. As we engage with diverse customs, beliefs, and perspectives, we gain valuable insights into the human experience, fostering a deeper awareness of our own values and biases. Through these experiences, we become not only more culturally sensitive but also more compassionate and empathetic individuals, contributing to a more harmonious and interconnected world. ● The tragedy of the commons occurs when individuals, acting in their self-interest, deplete shared resources. It's a collective action problem that often arises with public goods - like open wilderness - where individuals have an incentive to exploit the resource to their own advantage. We see this with deforestation across nations, overfishing the oceans, and the shrinking African wilderness. The business model Wilderness has created develops a more attractive alternative to the tragedy of the commons by using the natural resources of the African wilderness to educate on the importance of conservation, to earn funds necessary to support the conservation of the land, and to increase economic opportunity for local communities through well-paying jobs. Where else can we change the economic model away from the tragedy of the commons—which in the short term profits a few—to a model that values community building, increased access and education, and protecting resources for generations to come? References: ● Wilderness website ● UNESCO page about Okavango Delta ● Children in the Wilderness ● Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress by Christopher Ryan ● The Rise Fund Connect & Share: If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading them! If this episode resonated with you, I ask you to send it to a friend. Help bring even more visibility to these leaders that are using business as a force for good! Subscribe to the Purpose and Profit newsletter to make sure you don't miss future episodes. This podcast is for you, the listener. I'd love to hear what resonated with you, or if you have a suggestion on who would be a great guest for this show. Please send me a note at info@KathyVarol.com.
Welcome back to the latest edition of the SoccerNation Podcast powered by soccerloco! Today I caught up with Nick Merrit and Will Griffith to talk about the Aztecs for SoccerCity movement that they kicked off along with another student on the Mesa. These young men feel strongly about the SoccerCity San Diego expansion bid and have mobilized on campus to support the process. We discuss a number of topics including allegations that the kids have been paid by FS Investors, the communications that have come from leadership on campus, the plans that the Aztecs for SoccerCity have in the coming months and much more! Enjoy the show! Be sure to leave a review on iTunes/Stitcher/GooglePlay or wherever else you listen to podcasts. Send questions, comments, concerns and any other feedback to news@soccernation.com
Mark welcomes back Nick Stone from FS Investors on the Soccer City plan to revitalize the property upon which SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm Stadium) sits and how the SD City Attorney has compared both their plans and SDSU West's plans.
Mark makes fun of the liberal/Democrat politicians bemoaning the new tax bill that's on the way to President Trump's desk, and yet nobody made as much as a peep when Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama increased the deficit up to $20 trillion. Nick Stone with FS Investors stops by for an update on the Soccer City proposal and what they want to do with the Mission Valley land on which SDCCU Stadium sits.
mark and rich hr 2 06-30-17
loose cannons hr 2 06-29-17
The Mark And Rich Show hr 3 06-20-17
Dike and Nate are joined by the Johnny Appleseed of American soccer, Peter Wilt to discuss the forthcoming National Independent Soccer Association, or NISA as Peter calls it. This new league is set to launch in 2018 and the guys pick Peter's brain about the origin and impetus for launching this new Division III enterprise that will fill the void between NASL in Division II and NPSL/PDL/UPSL and all the other USASA Elite leagues. We chat briefly about the Open Cup and the underlying changes happening in American soccer before letting Peter go, and then transition the conversation back to jolly old San Diego where the MLS expansion push by FS Investors is now in the hands of City Council as the elected officials of San Diego weigh in on whether or not to schedule an election that will enable FS Investors to move forward with their planned redevelopment of the Qualcomm property in Mission Valley. The guys wrap up with talk of actual local soccer with updates from SoCal Surf and Albion PROS' weekend action. Enjoy! Follow us on Twitter at @DikeNatsai, @NateAbaurrea, and @soccer_nation. Email us at news@soccernation.com Special thanks to Patrick Erhard (ashwilliamstheband.bandcamp.com) and Alexandar Bang.
The Mark And Rich Show hr 3 06-13-17
The Loose Cannons hr 3 06-13-17
Dike and Nate come together once again for a conversation regarding Major League Soccer in San Diego. Can soccer replace the NFL? Can SDSU and FS Investors coexist? These existential questions are asked and answered in this episode. The guys also chitchat about the closing stages of the European club season, spending some time recapping the FA Cup and Copa Del Rey Finals, before touching on the Liga MX playoffs and culminating in a discussion about this weekend's UEFA Champions League Final. Who do you think takes home the prize?? Get at us on Twitter @DikeNatsai, @NateAbaurrea, @Soccer_Nation and use the hashtag #SNPod! Feel free to email us at news@soccernation.com and/or leave us a review on iTunes! Every star counts!
The Mark And Rich Show
Hardwick & Richards: Mayor Faulconer Endorses FS Investors
Loose Cannons hr 1 05-22-17
Nate and Dike step back into the SoccerCity conversation with a broad recap of the narrative up until this past week, and the statements that came out first from SDSU, then FS Investors, then Mayor Kevin Faulconer, then the tea lady, then the Captain of the USS Midway, then the kit man, and so on. Can MLS in San Diego still survive? What is SDSU's real motivation in attempting to kill off SoccerCity? All this and more in this latest episode of the #SNPod! Following the MLSinSD conversation, the guy swing south of the border to lament the season of our beloved Club Tijuana who fell over two legs to Tigres by a combined score of 4-0. Quick shout outs to various champions of European leagues and a very happy birthday to Georgie Best!
The Loose Cannons hr 1 05-19-17
Hardwick & Richards: Are the FS Investors keeping SDSU's best interest in mind?
Mark & Pete talk about the latest developments with the Mission Valley site with Nick Stone from FS Investors.
Nick Stone from FS Investors is talking Soccer City with Mark & Pete.
Now that SDSU has backed out of the FS Investors plan for Mission Valley, what does this mean for SDSU football? Mark & Pete discuss.
Now that SDSU has broken off talks with FS Investors, what's next for the Soccer City plan? Mark & Pete discuss.
The Loose Cannons hr 1 05-17-17
The Loose Cannons hr 3 05-17-17
The Loose Cannons hr 2 05-17-17
The Loose Cannons hr 1 05-16-17
The Loose Cannons hr 3 05-16-17
Nick Stone from FS Investors joins Mark & Rich to discuss the latest news with the Soccer City project.
Landon Donovan, the reigning all time leader in both goals scored and assists created, the man who Major League Soccer's MVP Trophy is named after, recent San Diego transplant and even more recent FS Investor joins Dike Anyiwo for a candid discussion regarding the current status of youth soccer in San Diego and how that status may or may not change with the arrival of an MLS team. Thursday's news that the lawsuit against the MLS Player's Union by youth clubs Crossfire Premier, the Dallas Texans and the Chicago Sockers has been dismissed is just the latest data-point in an ongoing struggle for American youth clubs to be allowed to receive reimbursement for the development of players in the form of Solidarity Payments and Training Compensation fees. Donovan and Dike wade into the weeds on the subject of monetary compensation for youth clubs for developing youth players who go on to become professionals, and examine whether or not the widely accepted practice around the world has a place in the United States. The two then wrap up with a summary of where the SoccerCitySD project stands at present, including a frank discussion of why San Diego State and FS Investors appear to be at an impasse when it comes to negotiations over the development of Mission Valley, the merits of the Public Land, Public Vote campaign and concluding with a preview of what citizens of San Diego can expect to see from FS Investors in the weeks and months to come now that the signature gathering process is complete. Don't miss this episode of the SoccerNation Podcast - Powered by soccerloco! - https://www.soccernation.com/youth-club-lawsuit-dismissed-by-u-s-district-court/ - https://www.soccernation.com/battle-over-san-diego-soccercity-site-heats-up-in-public-arena/ - https://www.soccernation.com/usl-announce-plan-to-launch-third-division-pro-league-in-2019/
United States Men's National Team all time goal scorer, assist leader and second highest appearance maker Landon Donovan joins SoccerNation Citizen Carrie Taylor's Women Talking Football program to talk about his role with FS Investors in the SoccerCity SD plan. Donovan also talks at length about his childhood and what he'd like to see in San Diego's MLS franchise in the event the city of San Diego adopts the proposal advanced by FS Investors.
Nate and Dike are joined by Rob Guardado, owner of Riverside Coras of the National Premier Soccer League in the lead up to the start of the 2017 NPSL season. Guardado tells a story about how his team's name and affiliation came to be, and give the guys a forecast for what to expect from Coras in 2017. The conversation then takes a turn and shifts towards MLS in San Diego. The FS Investors group spearheading the MLX expansion bid have been active in town lately on both sides of the border. Dike recaps the MLS Opening Day viewing party and Nate shares a story from Tijuana. Finally, the guys wrap up with a segment about Sunday March 12 when, FS Investors will join the San Diego Sockers for the legendary club's first round playoff game. The Sockers are hosting a celebrity game at halftime featuring names like Shannon MacMillan, Warren Barton and Landon Donovan. Follow us on Twitter at @DikeNatsai, @NateAbaurrea, and @soccer_nation. Email us at news@soccernation.com Learn more about Riverside Coras USA at @coras_usa on Twitter and http://deportivocorasusa.com/default.asp Special thanks to Patrick Erhard (ashwilliamstheband.bandcamp.com) and Alexandar Bang.
Well here we go! Nate and Dike open up with an ode to Claudio Ranieri who was sacked on Thursday, after Leicester's 2-1 loss in the Champions League round of 16. The guys then check in with an update on the Major League Soccer news of the week. With San Diego State University pouring cold water on the updated proposal on Monday, speculation has picked up speed at a rapid rate. Accusations of land grabs and speculation regarding the true intentions of FS Investors has been rife and now rival plans are taking form in the shape of a local developer named Doug Manchester. In a city where there are constant complaints about how nothing ever gets done, it is somewhat ironic that a group of action-oriented, forward thinking investors would catch blowback about their action-oriented, forward thinking proposal. Enjoy! Full details here: https://www.soccernation.com/details-revealed-for-fs-investors-plan-for-mission-valley/ Follow us on Twitter at @DikeNatsai, @NateAbaurrea, and @soccer_nation. Email us at news@soccernation.com Special thanks to Patrick Erhard (ashwilliamstheband.bandcamp.com) and Alexandar Bang.
Dike and Nate touch on the Champions and Europa League highlights of the week before turning the conversation to the lull that has set in since that Monday on the Midway with FS Investors. In the current absence of MLS, the guys wonder about whether or not NASL and USL teams may look to fill the void that exists in San Diego. The conversation then takes a turn toward development in youth soccer as Dike explains the significance of the DMCV Sharks joining the ECNL and compares that league to USSF's forthcoming Girls Development Academy. SoccerNation regular Alicia Rodriguez's piece on the NWSL's partnership with NY Surf gives the guys hope that things are trending in the right direction, even if there is still lots of work to be done. - https://www.soccernation.com/nwsl-clubs-establishing-bigger-academy-footprint/ - https://www.soccernation.com/will-the-nasl-come-to-san-diego/ - https://www.soccernation.com/san-diego-state-university-head-coach-lev-kirshner-on-the-aztec-soccer-way/ Follow us on Twitter at @DikeNatsai, @NateAbaurrea, and @soccer_nation. Email us at news@soccernation.com Special thanks to Patrick Erhard (ashwilliamstheband.bandcamp.com) and Alexandar Bang.
Dike and Nate breakdown the newly unveiled MLS ownership group in San Diego, and talk about the merits of the comprehensive proposal that was put forth on Monday, assess the odds of the proposal being adopted by San Diego State University, and what sort of bearing attendance at Sunday's USMNT match against Serbia has on the adoption of San Diego as an MLS Expansion city. There are also two free tickets that we are giving away! Simply follow @soccer_nation, @DikeNatsai, and @NateAbuarrea on twitter, then tweet us a reason why you should win two tickets using the #SNPod. Points for creativity will be awarded. Winners to be chosen Friday night!