Today’s guest is a fascinating man with an incredibly personal story who has played an important role in the lives of thousands of children’s lives through his non-profit organization. Before that, however, he was busy following a similar path that many of us also followed . . . he did well in school, worked hard and followed the influence of his parents into a career that didn’t quite match his internal desires. Ultimately, however, he found his path to follow his gut and wound up exactly where he and the world needed him to be.

I’m very excited to have Savinay Chandrasekhar on the show.  We’ve known one another for a number of years since meeting at a fundraiser.  Since then, I’ve got to see his leadership first hand as Executive Director for Minds Matter of Colorado – whose mission is to support the educational dreams of high-achieving high school students from low-income households across the state by providing them with the help and guidance they need to get into and succeed at the college of their choice. I’M a huge fan of the organization and have been a donor for a number of years now.

Savinay has had an incredible impact in the lives of so many students in Colorado and as I mentioned, has led a fascinating life of struggle. From an early age, his experiences and circumstances have helped to shape his personal mission to do good in the world (he’ll dive in on more specifics in the show).

On the show we discuss deep topics including how to find your place in the world, the importance of education, the value of teaching and teachers, the value of a better educated population, the value of college, how to strengthen your family bond, poverty, the power of exercise and movement to better learning, or how to better your mind while meditating, silence retreats, and much more — you’re in for a treat with this show.

Time Stamps:

(05:07) How he contracted and survived a tropical disease
(09:41) How said experience impacted his life
(12:40) On wrestling with the 3rd culture first generation issue
(17:13) What real financial poverty is
(26:26) His thoughts on pacifism
(31:10) What he gave up to follow his heart
(33:04) How he knew it was the right time to follow his heart
(36:15) His advice to people whose work makes them miserable
(38:15) What the Broad Center is all about and what he did there
(40:37) What he learned in Kurdistan
(42:20) What the “achievement gap” is
(45:52) The essence of Minds Matter
(51:05) His 10-year plan
(54:54) How educators can impact children
(59:45) The importance of diversity in education
(01:02:34) Some of the most innovative ideas in education today
(01:07:30) His thoughts on the education system
(01:14:45) His thoughts on standardized testing
(01:19:01) The importance of embracing risk in education and innovation
(01:22:07) What the Vipassana meditation technique is all about
(01:26:05) His advice for those who would like to improve their meditation practice
(01:31:06) Line he wants imprinted on his tombstone
(01:33:36) Person whose life he’d like to experience for a day
(01:35:06) Book that has had the most impact in his life
(01:36:32) How people can reach out to him

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ABOUT JOSH
I’m Josh Dorkin, best known as the Founder and former CEO (14 years) of BiggerPockets, and former host of the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, father of three, and now host of the Undeniably Curious Podcast. For more on me, visit http://www.joshuadorkin.com