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   Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM
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   Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 4:31 PM
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   Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 1:19 AM

Summer RISE — "Who are you letting in the room" (LinkedIn, exec frame)

A young man is about to step into Fail4ward this summer through MCPS's Summer RISE program. He chose to bet on himself when most of his peers were betting on summer break. I see myself in that decision. When I was his age I had questions I didn't know how to ask, ambition I couldn't name, and zero clue what the daily work of building actually looked like behind the highlight reels. What I needed back then was somebody to let me in the room. So this summer I'm being that person. Real work, real stakes, a real seat at the table for someone who is years away from being able to ask for one. Here is what running Fail4ward has taught me: the cost of letting a young person into the room is almost nothing. The cost of keeping the door shut compounds for decades. The talent you develop now is the leader another organization hires in three years. Most of us got our first real shot because one person opened a door before we had earned the right to ask. Who are you letting in the room this year?