Chapter Spotlight? Yes please!In honor of the holiday season, I'd like to share a bit of sunshine that hit my inbox this week. SU Montevideo Chapter Leader Federico Heller sent me the following bio, which I'm excited to pass along to you all. Take it away, Federico!- - -
"Greetings! Hello, hola, aloha, ciao, alo, salut, oi, hallo, halo, 你好, こんにちは, 여보세요, or hi in whichever language you use the most!First off, I’d like to thank Lila, Anuka and the SU community for the opportunity to introduce myself. However, you have put me in a very challenging spot, for to describe oneself accurately and holistically one has to go (in the words of Jules Verne) on a “journey to the center of the Earth”, and ask the question: Who am I? Which implies: What defines me the most? What makes me, me? Which are my priorities and my contribution in the world?I could fall into the simplistic description we see everywhere, based on the four (rather cliché) pillars of conventional descriptions: “Nationality”, “Job Title”, “Academic Degree” and “Most pertinent hobby/passion”. Some would even add those characteristics that are cause of discrimination and recent schools of thought recommend (and rightly so, in my opinion) to keep out of one’s CV/Résumé: age, gender, race… As if that defined the mind, the heart and (if you choose to believe in that) the soul/spirit underneath that.
So let us start there, and then move on to the most interesting bit. I was born and currently live in Uruguay (South America), and I currently work as a Resource Planning Analyst (Supply Chain data / business intelligence analyst), let’s say) for a company called Tenaris. I also help in the general management & financial strategy of the family business (a Dentist clinic) and I teach a course on Management & Business Strategy at the University where I got my degree at. My degree is Food Engineer (which is like Chemical or Industrial Engineering but with a focus in food technology).As for the last pillar: I have way too many hobbies, but my current, longest-standing and the one I dedicate more time to (at least, I did pre-COVID) would be acting / theatre. I have been acting in relevant productions for over 12 years, and I have been a member of one of the oldest English-speaking independent theater companies in South America: the Montevideo Players Society, of which during 2020 I was honored with being elected President, and for this following year (2021) I was re-elected. Also I’m part of the leadership of the Montevideo Chapter of this wonderful community.Alright... Way too much information for the “surface” information. Thank you for making it this far! Now, for the fun and most interesting part. As Peter Diamandis often says in his articles: let’s dive in!
I am lucky: I was given the opportunity and the tools to build myself and be prepared in the broadest and most universal ways I could dream of.Regardless of the rituals and symbols any religion, culture or creed one can live by and/or profess, as long as we are here and now we have an amazing opportunity to be, to do, thus having the right and the responsibility to be aware, to learn and contribute within our possibilities.I am a life enthusiast, a dreamer, a brother, a thinker, a friend, an actor, a son, a musician, a sportsman, a podcaster, a reader, a learner, a writer, a curious mind, a worker. But I'm still learning how to be all those things.I believe I am just another lucky learner, just another person amazed by our universe, trying to perfect himself freely and trying to become a beacon to others. Happy to be a part of one of the most amazing communities in terms of making me think, re-think and realize every day that, more often than not, what is possible beyond our own imagination: the SingularityU community.I have been in many roles in my life, and had many teachers. And you know what excites me the most? Knowing that (hopefully) I have still many other roles play yet, and many teachers to encounter in my path ahead.I’ll wrap this up with seven quotes which have inspired me and still inspire me every day:
1. “A joke is a very serious thing.” Winston Churchill2. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry3. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Henry Ford4. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” Stephen Covey5. “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams6. “Always look on the bright side of life / For life is quite absurd / And death's the final word / You must always face the curtain with a bow” Eric Idle (from the song “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”, from the Monty Python’s movie “Life Of Brian” OST).And finally:7. “Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” Groucho MarxThank you very much for reading :) I’m here to talk with whomever wishes to reach out!Stay safe, hope you enjoy the Holidays and have a wonderful start of this New Year.Federico HellerMontevideo Chapter"You can learn more about SU Montevideo below:
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About Chapter Spotlights: Once a week I will be highlighting a person or event in our Global Chapter Community to ensure we learn more about each other’s accomplishments, passions, and personalities.
If you’re want to highlight an upcoming Global Chapter human or event, send me a DM with details!
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This article originally appeared as First Look content, as a member benefit to SU Global Community members, inside the SU Global Community here.