Spencer Smith, founder of AmpliPhi Digital, visited the club on January 18 to help us better understand cryptocurrency. Spencer broke down the tenants of crypto by comparing it to a batting cage token. You purchase a batting cage token, but the token technically has no value. The value is the access to the batting cage. The same is true for crypto: the money you invest gives you access to a blockchain (a super database that is so secure it cannot be altered), but has no monetary value. Smith’s best advice? Never invest more than you can lose.
Fellow Rotarian CHRIS KOLAKOWSKI, Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, provided members and guests with history and context around the Taiwan Straits conflict.
The roots of the conflict go back to the Chinese Civil War in the late in 1940’s between the Nationalists and communists. These two sides are still at war today, as there was never a resolution. A delicate balance exists because both sides deeply believe in “One China.”
Kolakowski did not prognosticate the future but discussed some current pressures, (e.g. economic slowdowns, Covid and the Russo-Ukraine war) that could upset the balance.
Nic Mink, an academic and entrepreneur, was looking to open a pizza restaurant when a completely different opportunity presented itself. Nic came upon an old cheese factory on the banks of the Sugar River, and through many conversations and research, moved his focus to honoring and preserving the building’s important history. Mink is in the process of restoring the building, which he has named Seven Acre Dairy Company. The complex features a restaurant, café, boutique hotel, micro-dairy plant and outdoor space. Nic is hopeful the building will be as relevant today as it was for generations of the past.
Before speaking to members and guests, Ja’ Malik, the Artistic Director for the Madison Ballet, treated us to a small snippet of The Nutcracker featuring three ballerinas from the Madison ballet. He then shared with us his vision of diversity, inclusion, opportunity and exposure to the arts that he encouraged members to help facilitate as they consider their consumption and support for the arts.
This can be a life-changing experience, just as it was for him as an 8-year-old child of color. He was enthralled after seeing a performance of The Nutcracker with his mother and ballet ended up being his career. It has taken him around the nation and world. The performing arts changes lives, and his vision of accessibility to all seeks to make that a reality.
Dr. Niraj Nijhawan’s presentation, Brain Science Discoveries to Boost Resilience and Character, revealed the role brain neurology plays in communication of “the lower brain,” largely the limbic system and “the higher brain,” largely the orbital prefrontal cortex, i.e., our selfish side and our better character side.
He described how the Life Ecology Organization (LEO) teaches individuals in groups “Hope Narratives” that can control or limit the effects of the “Destructive Narratives” we get from our “lower brain.” Data was presented showing the positive effect of LEO with adults and teens in the areas of meaning, love and purpose, while significantly reducing suicidality, anger and selfishness.
–presented by Bob Sorge, Member Recruitment Officer
Our Member Recruitment Committee continues to encourage all of us to think about individuals in our circle of friends, work colleagues and family members who would make good additions to our Rotary Club.
The committee created an award several years ago to recognize a member who is exceling at sponsoring new members into our club since this is key to maintaining the size of our club. The award is named the Mitch Javid Award to honor Mitch who holds the club’s record for sponsoring the highest number of new members. Since 2014, we annual recognize the member who has served as the primary sponsor to the most new members for the past 3 years–and who are still in our club.
For those who did not know Mitch Javid for which the award is named, Mitch was a member our club from 1968 until his death in 2021. Mitch sponsored 56 members and co-sponsored another 10 members. This distinguished and very busy member who was chairman of the UW Department of Neurosurgery used to say, “I love Rotary. It is very dear to me. I believe in it and so I want to share it with other good people.” Mitch received the first award in 2014. Melanie Ramey and Rob Stroud are past recipients as well as Susan Schmitz who received it for 3 years.
This year’s recipient, for a second year in a row, is Ron Luskin. Ron joined our club in 2014.
Since joining, Ron has been active on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Ethics Symposium, Program, Rotaract and Swarsensky Award Committees. He also chaired our Vocational Opportunities Committee and is a mentor to one of our Rotary scholars. Ron also served as our club’s Member Recruitment Officer last year.
Ron has served as the primary sponsor to 11 new members since 2019. They are:
Kalvin Barrett, Jason Beloungy, Shawn Carney, Bill Connors, Baltazar De Anda Santana, Rebecca Dopart, Jason Fields, Peter Gray, Alan Klugman, Kyle Nondorf and Jeremiah Robinson.
Congratulations, Ron, on receiving this year’s Mitch Javid Award!
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 