Recently at the Social Ventures Institute I
had the chance to participate in the Marketplace of Ideas. This is a high
energy event in which people get 120 seconds to pitch an idea or passion
project. It's fast-paced, diverse, and one of the highlights of SVI.
As my turn approached, I held the
Awesome Award named
"Olatunji" closely to my chest and prepared to take the stage (Olatunji
is the name of the building we were in as this award was created for this
moment). As I stepped in front of the 150 people there, time seemed to shift as
I shared the story of the Awesome
Awards and how they were created to cultivate happiness and celebrate
awesome people. As my two minutes came to a close, I turned to the side and
revealed that this award was actually going to recognize someone right then,
and that person was in the room....Heidi Hartman!
Now if you meet Heidi, you know
instantly that she is an awesome person! Not only is she super smart and funny,
she has a heart as big as you'll ever find. Heidi is a friendly and joyous
spirit, generous with her time, positive, compassionate and endlessly
energizing - all things that make her an amazing community builder and friend
to those lucky enough to know her. She puts her heart into everything she does,
and it really shows!
Heidi was pretty surprised to
receive the Awesome Award that day and I think we were both overwhelmed by the
amazing response from the crowd as she accepted the award. To be able to
recognize Heidi for her amazing qualities in front of her peers at an event she
helped organize for years, was a moment that I think we will all cherish for a
long time. I also hope that the people watching were inspired by Heidi's
character and that they started thinking about people they would like to
recognize in other communities they are part of.
I have no doubts that Heidi will
continue to inspire and support and bring joy to the people around her, and if
she ever needs a boost of inspiration she can think back and be reminded of how
awesome she already is. Heidi, thank you for making the world a better place
for all of us, you're truly awesome!
Photos by Sarah Dent, saradent.ca