"gatekeeper" for #UNLEASH2018

Stop! Who would cross this bridge must answer me these questions three.

Last year, I was part of the first cohort of "SDG Talents" in UNLEASH Innovations Laboratory, held in Denmark. I had a very good experience at UNLEASH so when there was an opportunity to help out for this year's talent intake, I volunteered almost immediately. 

Little did I know that it was a gargantuan task: Because there were so many applicants this year, UNLEASH got its evaluators to check out more applications than we have expected!!

BUT, it's well worth it because we (working in the background) could see how the next cohort might act during the Innovations Lab in Singapore. As I read through the experiences and the insights being provided by these people, mostly younger than me, I kept asking myself: What have I been doing with my life?!? Where did they find the time to do something heroic during their free time?!?

Singapore is hosting this year's UNLEASH cohort. I am looking forward to the solutions that they will come up with. In the meantime, I'm tasked to screen applications; in my own little way, I get to pay back to the organisation that gave me an excellent experience in accelerating innovation. I am one of the "bridgekeepers" who make sure that those who join UNLEASH are the right mix of young leaders and innovators... just like the animated wizard who screens characters from crossing the bridge.

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