
Some collisions are good collisions
When I signed up for the AVMA conference this year it was because I had the funds and I needed some CE to ensure my veterinary licenses remain in good standing. Afterwards, I discovered the keynote speaker was Shiza Shahid, founding CEO of the Malala Fund and current head of NOW Ventures, very short shrift to her list of amazing accomplishments. But really, the important thing here is her dedication to ensuring girls around the world have access to education. Sound familiar?
Sometimes you go into these things hoping for the best and ending up disappointed; not so for this one. Shiza is a phenomenal public speaker, which is perhaps not surprising given her vast experience over the past decade or so. What makes her so good, though, is the passion and conviction with which she speaks. It also helps, of course, that her passion echoes my own, but let’s not take do anything to take away the gift she has in this arena. We already follow Malala on Instagram (malalafund – so you can, too), and I’ve reached out to Shiza to see if she’s willing to open a conversation between us and her. But even if she never gets back to me or isn’t interested, if you ever have the chance to hear her speak, DO IT. You won’t regret it – it may even inspire you to do something you never thought possible.