I want to let you know that one of our Gen Y Project experts, Ben Casnocha (only age 18) has just released his new book:

My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley. I am not getting an affiliate fee or any type of profit by letting you know about this book. I am letting you know about this book, because it is amazing. Ben started his company at age 14, and he is knocking it out of the ballpark. His story is inspiring, and we want you to know about the book and how to pick up a copy. The Amazon link is here. Just copy and paste the entire link into your browser, and you should be good to go:

Order a copy here from Amazon.

Learn more about Ben at: http://www.mystartuplife.com

It will be in B&N and Borders in the U.S. later this week.

And…if you don’t believe me…read these testimonials, and you will see what I mean:

You will enjoy this provocative, honest, and fun romp through an entrepreneurial achievement, which will leave you determined to embark on your own enterprising endeavor - and inspired to find your own way to make a difference.
— Marc Benioff, CEO and Chairman, salesforce.com. Author of the book’s foreword.

This is a remarkable book for so many reasons. First, it is over-flowing with incredible advice and perspective. Beyond that, it is written with the kind of style and grace that you usually find in a great essay or novel. If you have any interest in entrepreneurship - or business, for that matter - you’ll definitely want to read this.
— Patrick Lencioni, New York Times bestselling author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

I was blown away by how much learning Ben has packed into his (relatively) short entrepreneurial life - and how engagingly and effectively he passes it on in this book. This is such a fun read that you won’t even realize how much you are learning. A must-read for first-time entrepreneurs, but equally enjoyable for fellow travelers who have already been down these roads.
— Heidi Roizen, Managing Director, Mobius Venture Capital

This is an inspiring perspective on the dynamics of succeeding in Silicon Valley. You may as well read this book today, because sooner or later we are all going to end up working for Ben.
— Chris Sacca, Head of Strategic Initiatives, Google Inc.

This book is extraordinary. I predict it will be a New York Times bestseller. While the world is filled with inspiring stories, there are few as insightful, enlightening, and powerful as Ben’s.
— Brad Feld, Managing Director, Foundry Group

A disarming story of the ups and downs of a business from startup to sustainability, filled with reflections on practical business and personal issues facing any entrepreneur. I recommend it to my students as a refreshingly honest account of the rollercoaster ride of startup entrepreneurship.
— Deborah Streeter, Professor of Personal Enterprise and Small Business Management, Cornell University

This book is a candid, hilarious, and surprisingly profound entrepreneurial guide-cum-autobiography…Casnocha has an easygoing, articulate and humane voice that already puts him in the upper echelons of “business” writers.
— Stephen Silberman, Editor, Wired Magazine

I highly reccomend this book. It is a great personal journey filled with interesting anecdotes, tidbits, and words of wisdom. Ben is worthy of our support - please buy the book on Monday. I personally plan to buy 4 copies.
— Auren Hoffman, CEO, Rapleaf

This article about one of our Gen Y Experts, Mari Moss, appeared in THIS ‘N’ THAT on May 9, 2007.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
THIS ‘N’ THAT
CHARITA GOSHAY

Mari Moss’ frustration about the violence in Canton, and what she says is a lack of vision in addressing it, resonates in her voice. Five years ago, Moss, 28, returned home from New York City, where she worked for the Apollo Theater, and launched PEACE TV, a multimedia youth outreach program being run on a budget that’s tighter than a banjo string.

“Poverty of the mind.”

Moss said pervasive poverty is at the root of many community ills. The introduction of crack cocaine and the disappearance of good-paying, blue-collar jobs have been the one-two punch for many cities, decimating those communities that can least afford an economic setback.

“It’s also poverty of the mind,” she said. “As long as we have people feeling like nothing will ever change, nothing will ever get fixed.”

Moss, who is working on a documentary about violence in Canton, said boredom and a death of real opportunity also fuel violence and crime.

“If a person can make $1,000 a day selling dope to take care of their families, that’s what they’re going to do,” she said. “I know people, African- Americans, with master’s degrees who can’t find work. What does that say to the high school student? They feel hopeless … . The pressure’s on us as a community to make them aware of opportunities and resources.”

Moss said adults also must swallow their fears of young people.

“A lot of kids are putting on a front,” she said. “It’s a wall to keep people away from them. They figure people are already rejecting them, but it’s a facade. Someone must be bold enough to reach out to them with compassion.”

Recalling a visit by noted Harlem educator Geoffrey Canada, Moss said, “This is our Harlem. We can’t keep doing things the same way and expect a different result.”

‘Brain decay’

PEACE TV broadcasts weekly on Canton City Schools TV (Warner Cable Channel 11). Last year, the program operated on $15,000.

“Kids write me all the time,” she said, “Half of them don’t even realize there’s a world beyond their ’hood.”

Describing some entertainment aimed at young adults as “brain decay,” Moss said the media has a major influence on young people. Understanding this, she tries to provide PEACE TV participants with stipends in exchange for their public service. They also receive training in media production.

“We try to convince them that they do have power and to use that power for positive things,” she said.

Moss counts retired educator Laura McIntyre, Rainbow Repertory founder Lois DiGiacomo and her own parents, the Revs. Walter and Darleen Moss, among her mentors.

“I’m lucky in that regard,” she said. “That’s what keeps me going. Evert time I want to give up, somebody will e-mail me, or call, or stop me on the street.”

Moss said communities must do unconventional things to reach an unconventional generation.

“Adults think ‘They’re too far gone,’ so they say, ‘We’re just going to work with the little kids,’ ” she said. “But you can’t skip an entire generation. You still have to deal with them, one way or another.”

To watch clips of PEACE TV, visit youtube.com/peace tv

For information about PEACE TV, contact Moss at mari_moss@yahoo.com

If you have not yet had a chance to visit The Glimpse Foundation, I encourage you to do so. There is a wealth of information made available to the public…great articles written by students who are studying and traveling abroad. This is a great site for anyone…parents, students and world travelers. Check it out!

Main site: http://glimpsefoundation.org

Glimpse Abroad: http://www.glimpseabroad.org/