Reflecting on 2009, it’s really been one heck of a ride and a transformational year in my life. 2009 was a year of new beginnings and new friendships. I started this blog, MarcoPuccia.com, back in January focusing the content on my personal passion: the interrelationship between business and global development. Through this site and Twitter I’ve made many new acquaintances, many of whom I now consider close friends. The site has grown dramatically over the last couple of months, now attracting readership from 70+ countries!

2009 // A Year of Many Conferences

In March, I attended the Global Engagement Summit at Northwestern University where, for the first time, I found myself in the company of fellow students from around the world interested in social entrepreneurship. We spent the week formulating new friendships and sharing our visions for a more just tomorrow. The friendships forged that week — based on a common foundation and passion — continue to this day. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting up with fellow GES alumni in San Francisco at SOCAP09 and New York at The Feast.

The Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP09) in San Francisco was an exciting experience – the coming together of many of the leading thinkers and driving forces of the social capital / social entrepreneurial movement. I met an array of absolutely amazing people doing amazing stuff. The nerdy side of my was thrilled with the opportunity to “talk shop” about many of the issues surrounding the field with some of the leading experts and practitioners from around the world! (See my blog posts from SOCAP here)

The final conference I attended in 2009 was The Feast in NYC.  Structured in a similar fashion as TED talks, I thought The Feast was definitely a conference model others should take note of. All Day Buffet did an awesome job organizing this event, and it was really a blast to hear from the lineup of speakers and engage with the awesome audience of attendees.

2009 // Transition From University to Real World

2009 marked the end of my undergraduate career, and what seems like the end of life’s certainties and securities! I graduated from American University in May, and have since moved home with my family in Terre Haute, IN. My plans to jump right into running International Transparency Solutions and moving to Kenya by June were put on hold indefinitely until the appropriate support can be lined up. My residency in the cornfields of Indiana has been extended, proving to be a challenging place to launch a career with my background and interests!  However, being free from the reigns of the syllabus-driven world that is college has proven quite relaxing and fascinating! I’ve been able to dive right into my area of interest, reading blogs and books that I want to read rather than need to read!

2009 // Trying to Launch a Business

Building on that, 2009 has been host to my ongoing struggle to get Transparency Solutions up and running. With the reneged support of my family, I’ve been forced to re-strategize and find funding to get our pilot moving forward. New challenges always present new opportunities when you know to look for them, though! And with this challenge I’ve taken the time to learn about Drupal as I built the business’ website from scratch. Furthermore, my search for support has taken me to many great places and introduced me to many interesting new people! Most importantly, I’ve gained a strong appreciation for what entrepreneurship is really about: following a passion when the odds are stacked against you.

2009 // Sharing My Passion With Others

Aside from the tremendous success of my online presence, I’ve had the opportunity to share my passion before several live audiences. 2009 afforded me two speaking engagements, the first at my recent alma mater (American University) where I joined two new friends on a panel discussion on the role of the private sector in global development. Just a few days later, in New York City, I stood up in front of a room of fellow entrepreneurs and a panel of venture capitalists to present my 5-minute pitch of Transparency Solutions at The Feast Kitchen. While the pitch itself didn’t yield the results I desperately needed, the experience was a whole reward in itself.

2010 // Looking Forward

As I look out into the yonder that is 2010, I have a lot to search for and hope to find! First and foremost is a source of income and the ability to become financially self-sustaining. I hope to move out of the cornfields of Indiana and enter a new and exciting environment that will bring both personal and professional success.

In the coming months, I will head to Boston to attend the StartingBloc Institute and I’ll be heading to Miami for the Social Venture Capital / Social Entrepreneurship (SVC/SE) Conference where I’ll be speaking on a panel about corruption. I’m awaiting word on the Echoing Green and Unreasonable Fellowships, either of which would provide a great deal of traction for Transparency Solutions. However, if the right opportunity for this business does not arise in the coming months I will need to reconsider the path that I am on. I’m anxious to go out into the world and start living my life! Hopefully something will come up soon, because waiting is becoming less of a viable option with every passing day.

As we close door on 2009 and begin our journey into the New Year, I want to thank everybody who has made this website the success that it has been! I continue to enjoy the relationships and friendships that have been born through this site, and look forward to new and continued friendships in the coming year!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!