There has been one person in my life that has influenced me more than anyone else and that is my Grandpa, Peter Duisberg. My grandpa passed away this summer.  We had a small funeral at that time and just recently had a public memorial service.

My Grandpa was a very driven man. His life mission was to promote world peace. I know it sounds like such as lofty mission that one might not take it seriously but, he worked tirelessly at it. There was a Peter Duisberg Peace Award given out every year at the world peace day event held on New Year’s Day. He was very involved politically, in the media, and with leaders from other countries.

I always respected my Grandpa because he was a man of action. There are a lot of people that talk about doing great things but there are few that actually carry out their words. I learned this in the startup community as well. I’ve found that there is a lot of talk and it has made me really respect the entrepreneurs who quietly are able to execute. I already know all too well how incredibly difficult it is to do.

Another thing that my Grandpa taught me was that the world was bigger than myself. He always encouraged me to keep learning, to keep growing in all areas of my life including professionally, in education, and personally. He valued the idea of broadening your experiences. He believed that we can learn a lot from a better understanding of other people, cultures, and through diversity.

Two things that I will always remember from him that influence how I approach my life and how it relates to running my company:

• Be a person of action. Take all the ideas and conversations and start working on them to accomplish something. Whether what you accomplish is small or big, it’s important to put yourself out there and put your ideas into action.

• Do things that are bigger than yourself.There is so much more than our own little world and what we think is so important and such a big deal. Living beyond yourself pushes you to grow, through new experiences and gives you a greater sense of purpose and mission in life.

Here is a picture of my Grandpa in the middle with my Dad and me.