Lance Gould

The Convergence Residency, 20 - 24 May 2026 | THENGOIFKF The Convergence Residency is a five-day, immersive leadership programme designed to bring together two worlds that rarely engage deeply: the non-profit sector and the corporate world.

If this resonates:
1) Please help spread the word.
2) If you have ideas, partners, or connections that could strengthen the experience, my DMs are open.

Let’s build what comes next.

thengoiff.com/convergence-...

The Convergence Residency, 20 - 24 May 2026 | THENGOIFKF The Convergence Residency is a five-day, immersive leadership programme designed to bring together two worlds that rarely engage deeply: the non-profit sector and the corporate world.

We’re gathering 30 senior Fellows from the private sector and nonprofits for an immersive, no-fluff exchange focused on what it truly takes to tackle complex, systemic problems — and to leave with real momentum, not just ideas.

The Convergence Residency, 20 - 24 May 2026 | THENGOIFKF The Convergence Residency is a five-day, immersive leadership programme designed to bring together two worlds that rarely engage deeply: the non-profit sector and the corporate world.

One answer: bring together leaders from the other two sectors — business and civil society — and give them the space to think, challenge each other, and build next-generation solutions.

That’s what we’re convening in Kenya this May.

Come to Kenya with BSL
How do we actually move the needle on the daunting global challenges ahead — especially at a moment when governments (most notably the U.S.) are pulling back?

YouTube video by GrassrootsEnvEd Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York - "Why Nuclear Power is Neither Low-Carbon Nor Emissions Free"

(Easy NIMBY question for nuclear supporters: would you live within a 20-mile radius of a nuclear reactor?)

Watch the whole program here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvS6...

YouTube video by GrassrootsEnvEd Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York - "Why Nuclear Power is Neither Low-Carbon Nor Emissions Free"

Even though:
* they generate heat that is warming the planet (they are NOT a "green" or "clean" alternative to fossil fuels, whereas renewables are), and
* there are health implications that go hand in hand with nuclear power.

YouTube video by GrassrootsEnvEd Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York - "Why Nuclear Power is Neither Low-Carbon Nor Emissions Free"

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently boasted that she would build more new nuclear generation “than has been built ANYWHERE in the United States in the last 30 years.”

Even though: ...
* there are still no permanent and safe solutions for storing nuclear waste
... (more)

YouTube video by GrassrootsEnvEd Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York - "Why Nuclear Power is Neither Low-Carbon Nor Emissions Free"

Thank you Dr. Marvin Resnikoff (quoted above) and environmental attorney Susan Shapiro, who were the guest speakers on a panel I moderated last week, presented by Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York.

YouTube video by GrassrootsEnvEd Forums for a Nuclear-Free New York - "Why Nuclear Power is Neither Low-Carbon Nor Emissions Free"

Are there ever accidents in shipping hazardous materials by rail?

Uhhhh, yeah.

"When a nuclear depository is built somewhere in the West [of the United States], the Department of Energy's method of shipping [nuclear] fuel there is primarily by rail. There are 76 sites in the United States, and over 100,000 tons of nuclear fuel sit at these 76 sites."

Hmm, having a yellow star on your ID? What a novel concept. Wonder if that's ever been used before, historically...

Now, the program is coming full circle, returning to Denmark for UNLEASH Europe, to be held this summer. If you're a young entrepreneur with bold ideas and are looking for a game-changing experience, please apply before March 3!

unleash.org/europe/

The gathering takes place in a different host country every year, and Brooklyn Story Lab was there to help facilitate the editions in Denmark, Singapore, China, India, and Rwanda.

UNLEASH annually convenes between a few hundred and 1,000 next-gen talents and social entrepreneurs, and helps them develop and then disseminate entrepreneurial ideas that have the power to tackle the world's most pressing problems.

About a decade ago, I started a partnership with a nonprofit that has been game-changing — for the planet, and for me, personally.

#PresidentsDay

So, to my fellow Americans, this Presidents’ Day, enjoy the day off! But remain watchful of those who consider the office of the Presidency as possessing special — even monarchical — powers. The President lives in the White House, not White Castle. (Although, given the current resident's diet...)

He has even attempted to elevate his *own* birthday to a national celebration of military might, a monarchical flex more aligned with Pyongyang than, say, Washington. (Although, to be fair to North Korea, “Pyongyang” means “flat land,” while "Washington" was named for, well, you know.)

Which brings us to the *extraordinarily* flawed current President, who has *embraced* an authoritarian, monarchical manner of rule that encourages mythic adulation.

And then there’s Delaware, which does not recognize the day at all, and Georgia and Indiana, which mark Washington’s Birthday on — for reasons known to their legislatures — Christmas Eve.

Perhaps that tension explains the inconsistency among the 50 states. Some recognize the federal holiday strictly as George Washington’s Birthday; others honor both Washington and Lincoln; still others treat it as a day to remember *all* former presidents.

But they apply even to Washington and Lincoln, who though they navigated extraordinary circumstances to establish the country or preserve it, they were not *so* extraordinary that we should bend the rules or ideals of the founding fathers to commemorate the date of their birth.

These failures span parties and eras alike — Republicans and Democrats (as well as the occasional Whig).

Most American presidents — like all leaders, like all people — have fallen short in some way. They have been imperfect stewards of an imperfect system. Some significantly more than others: Teapot Dome. Watergate. The Trail of Tears.

Having rejected monarchy, they were wary of elevating leaders to near-mythic status. The office was meant to serve the Constitution — not the other way around.

The very concept of a national celebration for the birthday(s) of an individual seems to go against the principles of the country's creation: America's founders were intentional in building a system that did *not* depend on the greatness of one person.

As holidays go, Presidents’ Day is, like most American presidents themselves, imperfect.

Ooops! I did it wrong, trying again:

#lastfourwatched 🍿 #letterboxdfriday 🍿 #letterboxd 🍿 #films 🍿 #movies

Head
Knife in the Water
The Battle of Algiers
The Conversation

My #LastFourWatched on #letterboxd:
Shampoo
The Conversation
Knife in the Water
The Battle of Algiers
(Note: been re-reading "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls")

The NY Film Festival premiere of "Pulp Fiction," during which — in the scene where Travolta trusts a needle into Uma Thurman's heart to revive her — someone in the audience suffered a seizure and the film was paused for about 30 minutes while the person received treatment, and then resumed.