Recap: Inaugural “My Friends Your Friends” in Dubai

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” — Helen Keller Here’s my video wrap-up of Raj Kotecha‘s successful “My Friends Your Friends” networking event on March 1st at Dusty’s Dubai. “My Friends Your Friends,” is a social gathering where everyone is connected through mutual friends. Attendees are invited by the hosts (of which I was one), who will ensure you have a great time and get the most value from attending. Hosts are responsible for bringing along friends with an eclectic mix of stories, interests and goals. The hosts will ensure you always know…

Boldly Going: Being an Extra on Star Trek Beyond

On October 15, 2015 I boldly went… onto the set of Star Trek Beyond. I first learned about the opportunity in August 2015 from the Facebook page of the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. After auditioning, I was invited to act as an extra on the final day of filming at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The production had been previously filming around Dubai in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) (where some set shots were captured). First I had to get fitted for a costume.  The outfit they had planned included an alien head, but the headpiece was too tight. So we tried Costume #866:…

Meeting a Reader of My edX Book in Dubai

Delighted to have met Mohammed Alsiddiq, a founding partner of Eight Creative Technology, in Dubai on Thursday, July 28, 2016. This was the first time I have met a reader of my book, edX E-Learning Course Development, and by coincidence he also lives in the United Arab Emirates! Founded in 2015 and based in Twofour54 Abu Dhabi, Eight Creative Technology is Khalifa Fund‘s first initiative focused on digital innovation. Their services include ‪digital‬ ‪strategy‬, platform development,‪ social media‬, business ‪applications,‬ and ‪ecommerce‬. They collaborate with industry leaders to deliver a broad range of ‪training‬ programs and‪ workshops‬ in areas of digital ‪marketing‬, social…

Flaunting My “Freak Factor” with Dave Rendall

On Thursday, April 14, 2016 I experienced David Rendall‘s “Freak Factor” motivational speech at the American University in Dubai. This was just one of 21 presentations he will give in seven countries this month! I’ve virtually known David since 2012 when I was an Associate Content Manager for the Business Segment at Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning); this was my first chance to meet him in person. Anchored by the motto “what makes us weird also makes us wonderful; what makes us weak also makes us strong,” the nearly 90-minute presentation encouraged those in attendance to “think differently about being different.” His…

Learning Lessons from a Major Malfunction

“Roger, go at throttle up.” — Commander Dick Scobee, STS-51-L. I showed the June 2014 The New York Times documentary “Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: Major Malfunction” in my MGT 205, Organizational Behavior class at the American University in the Emirates. The documentary is about the Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia disasters; it explores how poor decision-making resulted in the death of the astronauts in both ill-fated flights. Notably, the documentary is complimented by an article about the same subject matter from January 28, 2016 titled, “The Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster, 30 Years Later.” I shared this article with my students to…