a snowy mountain tops with a meteor in the sky

Rising into the Unknown

Life is a journey, let’s chase the summits and relish the adventure all along the way.

latest adventure posts

DealBook Summit: Leading in an Existential Moment

Talk about an innovative meeting of the minds! The DealBook Summit in New York showcased leaders in politics, business, tech, sports, and entertainment to examine some of the world’s most crucial concepts. I watched every single discussion led by Founder and Editor of DealBook, Ross Sorkin, and I feel inspired and more educated because of it.

The Clark Family Branch is Coming Along Amazingly!

Libraries aren't just quiet spots to read; they are vibrant places for people to gather and connect. I had the chance to tour the Clark Family Branch of the St. Louis County library system with Jane. The two-story, 74,000-square-foot development is coming along amazingly well! St. Louis County Library’s original headquarters needed greater efficiencies and infrastructure to support the evolution of its patrons – so we decided to do something about it. The Clark family was humbled to donate $6 million to the new HQ and towards educational programming to further the library’s mission. Clayco’s partner company, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, is designing the modern and spacious building into a powerhouse destination for employees, students, families, and authors.

In Memory of John "Dale" Perkinson

I think of the unlikely and extraordinary success we have had in both the Clark family and at Clayco in a series of notable moments. Seminal moments. Starting Clayco in 1984 with basically no experience and no capital, with only a pickup truck and willpower, we began doing simple interior finish projects: carpet, painting, drywall, and doors. That led to an account at Mercantile Bank doing the same work. A lucky break came in meeting the bank’s VP of facilities, John Ward, and eventually the bank’s chairman, Don Lasater. I got an even bigger break building multiple banks for Mercantile when I was partnered with a well-known, local St. Louis architect, Robert (Bob) Boland.

In Memory of Jim Crown

I am deeply saddened to hear that my colleague from The University of Chicago, Jim Crown, passed away on his birthday yesterday following a motorsport accident. Jim was an unbelievable business and philanthropic icon, and his commitment to improving the lives of others had a direct impact on his hometown of Chicago and beyond. Jim served in various leadership roles, including Chairman Emeritus of the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Civic Committee's Public Safety Task Force. He was also a member of the Intelligence Advisory Board to the Obama Whitehouse, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Forbes Op-Ed: Dissecting Diversity on Juneteenth

If celebrating diversity and assembling a multicultural workforce wasn’t a substantial incentive simply for cultural and moral reasons, it’s also good for the bottom line of business. Guiding a team with innovation and equity creates an environment where people feel free to be the best version of themselves and do their best work.

Countdown to the World Expo 2027 Vote!

My former bosses Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Under Secretary of State Liz Allen, and Senator Amy Klobuchar, are helping me promote the final push to bring the World Expo 2027 to the United States! Next week on June 21st, the U.S. will present our bid for the exposition to come to Minnesota to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member states. Minnesota is the perfect place to host the first World’s Fair on American soil in 40 years. The state has world-class infrastructure, one of the nation’s most diverse economies, and ranks first per capita among the 30 largest U.S. metro areas in the concentration of Fortune 500 companies.

ADVENTURE

Building Buttercup

a fence in a field with trees in the background

I can’t describe the powerful emotion I felt at this moment, for everything lost and gained in my whole life. It was a spiritual experience, from my heart.

ADVENTURE

Climbing Capitol Peak

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Adventure

Adventure is in my DNA

Ever since I read the stories of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, I’ve looked at all of my life as an adventure. Listening and learning from my father was amazing story in history over the course of 40 years taught me that adventure was in my DNA at conception.

I’ve always been able to keep calm and have a level head and every situation I can remember. The only exception of this rule is that I don’t believe a person should not panic if they’re drowning. I would definitely drown panicking.

Beyond that all of life’s twists and turns good and bad ecstatic or heartbroken all add up to the different color crayons in your crayon box. That was a quote from my dad upon hearing some shocking news about my own colorful life.