I am excited to launch what I hope will become a network of idea generation and sharing with leaders and readers around the globe. Each month, I will be exploring a topic and engaging global thinkers to share their thoughts  about the month’s theme. I anticipate Speakers’ Corner will be a chance for leaders otherwise reduced to soundbite or snapshot a chance to explore in long or short form their passions. I encourage readers to participate and share their stories, that way we can connect content to the market and create a new option for a media world coming undone.

This month’s theme is giving. It’s all around us – the ads, the Black Friday hype, the holiday decorations put up even before Halloween was done encouraging us to spend spend spend. Let’s begin a discussion that’s not so focused on if retailers are going to be profitable this holiday season. I say sell out your retail portfolio, companies like Coach’s stock price are going up based on fluffy hopes. It’s my gut call based on the fact they called to invite me to a store event and I haven’t purchased anything in years; they are digging deep to try to get dollars.

So instead, my first guest writer in Speakers’ Corner – philanthropist, publisher and author Ellen Sabin discusses teaching children to be charitable. Full disclosure: I have a two-year old daughter and I want to raise her to understand how lucky she is to have  so many things so many children around the world lack – a family, love, food on the table, access to health and education, equal opportunity, never mind the gazillion toys. Ellen has wonderful ideas to teach  children to make the world a better place one small step at a time.

I will be writing about my passion – the developing philanthropic tradition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia which is currently being driven by its top billionaires . More on that later.

Next month, we will be looking at what 2010 may bring,  lessons learned from the previous year and successes in a year many thought was negative.

February is arts month.  More on the editorial calendar as we go forward.

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