This is the last post for awhile. On April 18th we hosted an experiential screening of our short documentary, Before the Bridge. We also showcased Rewired, an empathy game about automation. The night was also a celebration of my tenure at 72U/72andSunny. John Boiler gave a beautiful send off. Here is my love letter to 72andSunny and all the 72U participants from that night:
John, you and 72andSunny will always have a place in my heart - right next to Brooklyn. :)
72andSunny has given me a priceless gift. It’s not one thing and it’s hard to sum up into words. You’ve given me the ideal conditions to be my best.
Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about collaboration for many reasons - collaboration pushes you out of your comfort zone, it extends your abilities of what is possible, and collaboration amplifies.
The last four year have been a magical collaboration between 72andSunny, the participants and me. I think we’re all surprised by what came out of this experiment.
John, 72andSunny - you gave me a blank canvas, trust and resources. That was the winning combination that brought out the best in me. You introduced me to an ideal environment for fostering creative growth. I couldn’t have designed a better scenario. In fact, before I became Director of 72U, I wrote out a dream job description as an exercise. Then 72andSunny came into the picture and your job description kicked my job description’s ass. And yours came with a paycheck!
During these four years I experienced what top notch leadership looks and feels like. You are amazing role models; showing generosity, trust, vulnerability, light-heartedness, humility and grace. I will never be satisfied working for a company that doesn’t have strong values, that isn’t purpose driven. That doesn’t know itself well. This is a blessing and a curse.
What makes 72 great is the culture and you can’t have culture without people. It’s so easy to get sucked into one’s own world - thanks to all of you who contributed to 72U.
I also want to thank all the participants - you quit your jobs, you moved across the country or to another country, blindly. You signed up for this three month adventure without knowing what you’d even be working on or what would happen after the program. That requires some serious trust, sense of adventure, investing in yourself, courage. Thank you for saying yes and giving everything you had. The program is only as good as the people in it.
We are all on a journey. Collectively and individually. I spent the last four years getting very close to 12 different cohorts only to release them back into the wild three months later. In total I coached/mentored/creative directed 80 participants. I could not be more proud of all the work we made together. Sometimes they stuck around 72andSunny but often times they moved on. This process made me practice embracing change - one of 72andSunny’s values. Embracing change is fundamental for the creative process.
And now it’s time to pass the torch onto the next 72U Director. Traecy, know I am cheering you on and I can’t wait to see what you do with the next chapter of 72U.
72andSunny, thank you. I am walking away with a full heart.
Love, Maria S











