Speaker(s)

Steve Sheppard

Session

Closing Keynote

Track

Keynote

Day & Time

Friday, May 7th, 11:30 -12:30p

Description

After 31 years at Foldcraft Co., including 15 in which Open-Book Management was a hallmark, Steve Sheppard took the leap of his life: he retired in order to “do something else.”  That “something else” turned out to be work within a private foundation which provides grant-making and micro-lending to rural Nicaraguans, among the poorest people of the western hemisphere.  Winds of Peace Foundation seeks transformational experiences for its partners in Nicaragua, whether through educational experiences, access to capital, institutional strengthening or just plain personal accompaniment.  On its face, Winds of Peace might seem to be worlds apart from the for-profit world of Foldcraft’s furniture manufacturing, but the unexpected similarities were almost instantly evident.  Steve will tell the story of his own history within “The Great Game,” Foldcraft Co.’s early and continuing use of open book strategies and, most amazingly, where and how these concepts have emerged as critical initiatives in a place like Nicaragua, where the average income is less than $2.00 per day for many people.  Within the stories and portraits of the people with whom the Foundation works, Steve will make the case that the basic concepts behind the great game are not simply progressive management tools, but that they also underscore fundamental human needs