Activating Substack & Summer Updates 🌞
Transitioning Platforms, Learning Journeys, New York Homecoming
You are receiving this email because you previously subscribed to Andrew’s mailing list, which is now migrating to a new platform called Substack: a more writer and community builder friendly platform. It’s an experiment! An new context to bring more of my writing into the world.
⭐️ Avra Home
This is the fourth newsletter I’ve written since the start of 2021 (see one, two and three). I’m enjoying the regular opportunity to recap the season and share what excites me.
With the switch to Substack I’m thinking about writing more frequent newsletters and shifting focus from “The Andrew Show” to.. I’m not quiet sure yet. Perhaps more sharing learnings, questions > answers, curating others’ work > promoting mine. I’m welcoming opportunities to make writing a more regular creative practice. What would you like to read about?
re: the name, you may know I’ve been enjoying name play over the last few years. In reconnecting with Judaism I’ve come to appreciate my Hebrew name Avraham (meaning “high father”) and various derivatives. “Avra” has been coming up for me lately, and on this year’s Spring Equinox I had the idea to bring it to life by naming my consulting practice “Avra Home” (get it? like Avra Ham..) which has many levels of meaning that I imagine will continue to be revealed. In this moment it represents a perpetual “homecoming” feeling: to nature, to my body, to the life I am creating for myself and loved ones.
Meanwhile, lots happening since the mid-Spring newsletter. Here’s the update:
✒️ Writing
I finally published the big essay on savior complex in two parts:
Part I (My Story) Autobiography of a Silicon Valley Savior ⛔️💪🏻🌍
Part II (My Analysis) Disrupting Colonizer Consciousness in Silicon Valley 👾⌫
God knows how many hours I put into these. And I’m still not fully satisfied.. there were moments I wasn’t certain if I would ever publish. The enormity and complexity of the topic only grew the more I poked at it. But at last the time came for this perfectly imperfect baby to life. And the reaction has been heartwarming and constructive! This is the highest Response to Read ratio of anything I’ve written, indicating that I created something of value that strikes a real chord with my target audience. I’m celebrating this milestone as a writer. What do you think?
I’m not sure about next steps with this work. I could continue researching and writing on the topic, facilitate community conversations, adapt for larger publications, or a mix of everything. Let me know if you have ideas!
📚 Learning
While my courses on Decolonization, Permaculture Design, and Earth-Based Judaism have concluded, I’m grateful to have consulting work that overlaps with the things I want to learn about (work-life balance -> work-life integration -> work-learning integration!). Some key areas include:
Ethics - I’m working with an awesome wellness startup called Autopilot to create an Ethical Startup Playbook and corresponding Alignment Plan, which necessitates my own learning journey into the latest thinking and activity in the field of ethical business and tech. Feel free to ping me if you know some things about ethics.
Education - With my intention to participate in the new paradigm education space, I’ve accepted a Mentor role at an innovative online high school called The School of Humanity, where I will specifically be supporting students in centering ethics in their projects, while learning about progressive pedagogies. I am also excited to support the Center for Humane Technology’s upcoming Fundamentals of Humane Technology course.
[New] Economy - As a long time Zebras Unite evangelist, I'm thrilled to become a co-op member and get a real taste of what it’s like to participate in a multi-stakeholder co-op, which seems to hold some clues for creating more ethical and inclusive business.
In the last newsletter I listed some questions that were alive for me. I don’t have the answers, but here are some ways I’m living into the questions:
How can the laws of nature inform more harmonious economic models?
Attending the Indigenous Economics Summit, participating in a working group on alignment protocols for original principles, planning to attend a volunteer project at the Hopi Reservation, and helping to organize a Psychedelic Economy Summit.How can I translate decolonization ideas in an inspiring way to those with power?
Despite using some justice-y language, only a handful of readers of my savior posts took issue with the slight political bend. I am actively trying to understand the tensions here, while inquiring about the role of politics in startups. Also reading White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals.What and how should the next generation of business and technology leaders learn?
In addition to the aforementioned collaborations in the education space, I’m taking cues from friends at Wild Vessel, and re-reading The Effective Choice,What are the most effective integration frameworks for peak experiences?
I’m most inspired by growing initiatives within Judaism (Shefa, Jewish Psychedelics Summit and Jewish Entheogenic Society) to provide people with a Jewish framework for direct spiritual experience.
And new questions that have arisen since:
How can I more deeply embody the values I desire to cultivate (reciprocity, humility, embodiment)?
Which communities, relationships and places do I want to invest in moving forward?
What are the next steps in my learning journey for reconnecting with Judaism?
What’s in your learning journey? I’m having fun working with several old and new friends to craft their own. I would love to learn with you!
☀️ Life
Whew! This season has been a massive New York homecoming: my first extended period of time in the area since I left in 2013. I’ve been spending equal parts time between Brooklyn, the suburbs, Hudson Valley and trips around the region (Delaware, Boston, Maine). Catching up with old friends and communities, making new ones, connecting with strangers, having FUN, getting inspired by participatory art.
I was especially looking forward to being in the city during the confluence of its post-COVID opening up, the start of summer, and Pride. I’m realizing this expansive time of year is an annual reminder and invitation to connect with and nourish precious aspects of my life experience as it relates to being queer.
I’m planning on hanging in the region through the summer and fall. Seeking short-term (1-2 week) spaces in the city. Lmk if you’re going on vacation and looking for a sitter / subletter! Heading to the Pacific North West for a couple of weeks in July, and looking forward to the Hopi trip in September, Miami in November, and TBD for winter!
Finally, I want to give a big warm cuddly special shoutout to our beloved Zoey, who passed away suddenly last week. Our first and only dog (Bichon Shih Tzu) brought so much love and joy into our family home over the past decade, helping us through tough times and teaching us about play, connection, care. May her memory be a blessing 💙
With love,
Andrew
Armonk, NY
Ancestral land of the Lenape Peoples past and present