(photo by GoKateShoot)

Happy birthday to my good friend Eric Schulze! Technically it was a few days ago, but the celebrations begin tonight. If you live in DC, you probably have heard of Thirst the social concept he co-created with his lovely lady, Lori. “ThirstDC aims to create and foster thought leaders both on and off stage by crafting an informal environment where world renowned experts socialize, interact with, and inspire attendees in a lounge atmosphere.” Basically you get to hang in a cool spot in the city, listen to some smart and engaging professionals talk about a multitude of intriguing subjects, drink a beer or two or three, hear cool tunes from some awesome dj, and ask people why they are “utterly fascinating.” Whew, that’s a lot!

It is always a good thing when you are surrounded by such inspiring and creative people. Happy birthday dear!

P.S. Did I mention he is a fantastic dresser?

Oh yes, and in the spirit of creativity and thinking outside of the box, here are some links from around the web that I hope will foster that goodness.

 Social Innovation Rockstars…. People you should know because their work matters.

Food incubators in DC. Genius.

Nate Silver predicts a Seahawks vs Patriots Superbowl Matchup! My homestate is Washington so this makes me one very happy lady.

5 ways to start thinking outside of the box NOW.

A TED talk that discusses why fear is actually a story/why entrepreneurs use fear as a productive paranoia/why it is important to read your fear like a scientist/ and how a stranded ship had to choose between being eaten by cannibals, being battered by storms, or starving to death.

Have a great weekend!

Katalina