Dano is off to Rwanda tonight!

Dano and the Crocketts leave for a 12 day trip to Rwanda tonight. We've started a "cause" on Facebook called the Jukanoviches and Crocketts in Rwanda. We explain about the incubator we plan to launch in this cause. We hope you'll consider joining our cause.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/255545/16087822?m=cc366e79

The girls and I are holding down the homefront and will spend four days in Bend, OR visiting my best friend, Suzanne Baker. Twelve days is a long time without their dad, but we are thankful for modern technology that will hopefully let us see each other via video a few times during his trip. This is an exploratory trip to meet with Rwandan entrepeneurs, business folks, government leaders, potential investors and others who've heard about our incubator and want to help us get to Rwanda to launch it. Kerry will be spending a lot of time exploring life in Rwanda - visiting the school, looking at potential houses, hanging out in the markets, etc. They have the 12 days packed with meetings. Please pray for safety and health and a very fruitful time.

Help us get to Rwanda!

Bridge2Rwanda has offered to accept donations on our behalf to get us to Rwanda. Once we are in Rwanda, we will be setting up a for-profit organization and we are meeting with private equity funds to get this established. However, there are immediate moving costs for two families to move to Rwanda by this summer or early Fall. Thank you for considering this.

https://secure.bridge2rwanda.org/donate/

Just indicate these gifts are for the Jukanovich/Crockett business incubator. Thank you.

Fast Company Article on Rwanda

If you have a minute, read this article in Fast Company on the development of Rwanda. Several of the people mentioned are folks we are engaging with (Dan Cooper, Joe Ritchie, Dale Dawson, Francis Gatare). Also, we have received incredible counsel from some folks this week and have decided to take their counsel to become a for-profit. We will still be seeking initial seed capital from friends and family to get there, just like initial venture capital because it will take a while to get the actually corporation formed, but this attorney is going to help us with that for free. Incredible.

I also went to a lecture last night by Richard Dowden, president of the Royal African Society/former Africa editor for The Economist - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Africa-Altered-States-Ordinary-Miracles/dp/184627154

Caroline Peixoto went with me (Caroline is moving to Rwanda with us. I knew her mother when I was six years old. Now her 21 year old daughter is moving with us - crazy). It was like he was speaking right to us. He completely affirmed the direction we are moving in and provided invaluable insights. I was able to talk with him and in his words what we are setting out to do is “Brilliant.” Just a little encouraging. There also happened to be four Rwandans there who are interning at RealNetworks for three months. I talked with them for a while and will have them over for dinner. Just a really encouraging evening.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/special-report-rwanda-rising.html?page=0%2C0

Dano leaves for Rwanda with the Crocketts next Thursday night on the redeye. They’ll be gone for 12 days. We'll post updates from that trip.