Substance over sizzle. I make no promises about the cadence of this email. I do promise it will be worth your time and mine. -Dave
Parting Shots
Before tech platforms eroded journalism and, arguably, television news to an embarrassing standard, in the 1980s and 90s ESPN broadcast The Sports Reporters every Sunday morning. Moderated by esteemed journalist, Dick Schaap, three (3) well-researched journalists opined on topics Schaap thoughtfully broached before the show’s final block offered the panel — and Schaap himself — ~60 seconds each for a “parting shot”. This is when folks like William C. Rhoden, Mitch Albom, or Mike Lupica brilliantly wove together narratives connecting sports and race, religion, politics, and economics. There were no diatribes, nothing outlandishly shouted in hopes of going viral, no charades. But always, the viewer was left with something substantive to gnaw on. Here’s Stick & Move’s parting shot for 2022. Let it marinate…
No Girls Allowed
The success of America’s nation-building efforts have long been debated. After 2+ decades and $2.3T (link) spent on the war in Afghanistan, the United States elected to leave the country midway through 2021. A year (and change) later, the Taliban has banned all education for girls (link) and, in November, the U.S. Department of Defense failed its 5th-ever audit when officials found that the department couldn’t account for about 61 percent of its assets. My, oh, my what have we done?
Apathy or…?
What’s worse - to be apathetic or deceitful? It’s an uncomfortable question that New Yorkers, in particular, are facing as the 118th Congress arrives in January 2023. George Santos is a newly elected Republican lawmaker representing Long Island in the House of Representatives. Santos campaigned on his professional background as an employee at investment banks Goldman Sachs and Citi. The problem is, neither bank has any record of Santos’ employment (Bloomberg). Have we come to a point where due diligence has no place in nominating candidates?
Last One Out, Cut the Lights
Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, was selected as the new president of the NCAA. Baker assumes a thankless job with little enforcement power during the most transformative moment in collegiate athletics’ 100+ year history. Naysayers deride Baker’s selection as evidence that America’s current crop of administrators within higher education are “kicking the can” for a few years before they all happily retire, having squeezed a few million each out of an antiquated, unjust system. Cowardice wins again.
An Intentionally Rare Personal Note…
It was bittersweet to step down as CEO of Orchestra Macrosystems in 2022. What started as an intellectually stimulating trip into an area of society I knew little about (national security) spawned a venture-backed software company developing critical, approachable tools supporting the recruitment and training of those willing to preserve freedom at home and abroad. The problem Orchestra solves is huge, and I’d argue, our bold solutions are timely. Unfortunately, capitalistic principles have no place in federal procurement. That’s the game if you want to play it. We remain hopeful despite reality.
I’m blessed though. In 2022, I’ve been given the opportunity to resurrect The D10 and to do so in the capacity of a Private Banker at J.P. Morgan. It’s a return of sorts, a return to the daily push-pull of capitalism, and a return to The D10’s mission of funding bleeding edge pediatric cancer research.
More so, it is a return to accountability. What becomes of a world devoid of accountability? It’s a question I ask at a personal level and at higher echelons. Perhaps you do too. Courage and accountability, arguably, are a package deal. One might elect to spurn accountability, especially when it’s tolerated. But what becomes of a man who spurns courage? That question should cut deep.
In 2023, choose courage over cowardice.
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