The Alabama Build-Vention 2015. Who and When!
On April 8 to 11, 2015 I will be co-hosting the 11th Annual Alabama Martial Arts Teacher Build-Vention in the little southern town of Greensboro, Alabama. The Build-Vention is part martial arts teacher and business convention and part build project --where instead of sitting in chairs discussing how to be better school owners and instructors, we pick up hammers, saws, measuring tapes, and paint brushes and we build and renovate structures for a rather amazing non-profit, www.HeroHousing.org, run by my even more amazing friend, Pam Dorr.
I say I’m a co-host of this event, as this year’s Build-Vention is a group efforts by some rather remarkable people; people you can meet and get to know, when you come help us make martial arts history, again. Allow me to introduce you to some of the people involved.
Hosts and Co-Hosts of this Year’s Build-Vention:
Pam, as I mentioned above, is the head of HERO Housing, the Hale County Empowerment and Revitalization Organization. Her work in Alabama has been covered by the likes of CBS News, Al Jazeera, Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, Elle Decor, Fortune, Fast Company, and on This American Life. Pam’s a change-maker extraordinaire and someone I want you to meet, observe, and interact with. She’s not only a strong and powerful female role model for the young people you might bring with you to Alabama --but watching her do her work is an honest-to-goodness course in leadership 101.
Zen Planner (www.Zenplanner.com)
Zen Planner is a software company that I consider a business leadership role model in the martial arts community. They contacted me a few years back and asked me if I might help them promote their school management software; I told them I liked their work, but that I simply didn’t endorse or work with ANY company that didn’t have a humanitarian arm. In response and since then, Zen Planner has stepped up to offer free software and support to non-profits working in the martial arts community, like Alexandra Fuller’s Level Ground Martial Arts in Boston, a program that helps at-risk inner-city youth. Zen Planner’s sending some of its staff out to build with us --and they’ll talk school management to those interested in improving their game.
Dave Kovar is a martial arts teacher’s teacher. He’s also an author, a multi-school owner, and a world traveler who has, for years now, brought a more-than-noteworthy sensibility, enthusiasm, and level-headed leadership to the international martial arts teacher’s community. Dave’s coming to build --and speak to us about teaching and business the art of doing what we do, better.
Julia was named by John F. Kennedy Jr., in George magazine, as one of the twenty most influential women in politics. She’s a world renown environmental activist and an author whose works include The Legacy of Luna, One Makes a Difference: Inspiring Actions that Change Our World, and Becoming. Julia is coming to work and to speak with us about care for the environment and its relevance to the work of the master of the martial arts. We are VERY fortunate to be on Julia Hill’s event list, as she is in demand, worldwide, for her speaking skills and message.
Keshia is, by way of her action in the world, an icon for compassion and social justice. She’s coming to speak with us about those very subjects --and to work alongside us as we do for others.
OK, it’s me, and I launched this event a decade ago with Pam Dorr. For me, it’s about guiding instructors to a more PARTICIPATIVE relationship with their communities; it’s about the people one “hangs out” with and the impact the right people can have on your own work, your beliefs, and your motivation; it’s about showing the martial arts community that we have work to do --and the we can, with right action, redesign the role of the martial arts teacher and the martial arts school in today’s world.
To attend the event, reach out to me, Tom Callos, at 530-903-0286, on Skype at tomcallos, or at my gmail account, TomCallos@. I am also on Facebook, here: https://www.facebook.com/tomcallos
Go to www.herohousing.org to make a direct donation --and please, whether you donate $10 or more, your participation is greatly appreciciated.