Millennials Rising — Mike Derheim

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Mike Derheim, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

MIKE DERHEIM

Mike Derheim

Mike Derheim, born in 1978, is cofounder of The Nerdery, a Minneapolis-based custom software design and development company. The Nerdery made Inc. magazine’s list of 5,000 fastest-growing companies for seven years running.

After switching majors three times, I dropped out of North Dakota State College of Science in 1998 to work in tech support at a small, growing company called Minnesota Internet. The owner was a super entrepreneurial, kind of take-over-the-world guy named Tim Davis. I worked for the Internet Service Provider half of the company. The other half did custom software development for legacy systems on old green-screen terminals.

I hit it off with Tim right away and he became my de facto mentor. I rose up the ranks very quickly because I worked so hard and learned so much. Within a year, I was doing system administration and networking. I worked ridiculous hours and

Millennials Rising — Yaritza Thompson

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Yaritza Thompson, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

YARITZA THOMPSON

Yaritza Thompson

Yaritza Thompson, born in 1982, founded Cookies & Cream Couture, an online boutique and community for biracial families. Her flagship product is the T-shirts she co-designed to celebrate the beauty of being biracial. She and her husband are grade-school teachers in Florida.

When my daughter, J’adore, was born she was indescribably beautiful. I’m Puerto Rican and my husband, Ronnell, is black, and it didn’t take long for her to notice she was different. She wanted to look like Mommy, but I’m light-skinned with wavy hair and she’s darker and blessed with a head full of curls.

Almost as soon as she could talk, J’adore started asking me about her skin color and begging me to have straight hair. She was twenty-two months old when our son, Zion, was born. He came out very fair-skinned so that led to more questions: “Why is Zion a boy and he looks like you and I’m a girl and I look like Daddy?” I’d tell her, “You are not just a beautiful girl physically, God created you uniquely beautiful inside too. You are also biracial; you are an Afro-Latina. You come from two rich cultures.”

I wanted to make sure that J’adore took pride in her heritage because I knew she would be exposed to

Millennials Rising — Ximena Quan Kiu

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Ximena Quan Kiu, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

XIMENA QUAN KIU

Ximena Quan Kiu

Ximena Beltran Quan Kiu, born in 1987, is a founding partner of C1 Revolution, a Chicago-based creative agency specializing in brand amplification through the integration of influencer outreach, social/traditional media relations and event marketing.

At twenty-seven, I had a tough decision to make. I could either take a well-paying job doing something I loved to do, or I could take a big chance and launch a business of my own. I decided to do the safe thing: accept a job at Walgreen’s and start climbing the corporate ladder. Then I remembered the seven avocados.

I had recently seen a photo of seven avocados lined up in a row. Under the first avocado were the words “Not yet.” Under the next four, the same thing: “Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.” Under the sixth one was one word: “Now.” Under the seventh was “Too late.” I thought, Yep, it’s go time.

One year earlier, I wouldn’t have dared to

Millennials Rising — Shaun Redford

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Shaun Redford, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

SHAUN REDFORD

Shaun Redford

Shaun Redford, born in 1980, is an attorney and shareholder at Olson, Lucas & Redford, a Minneapolis real estate and business boutique law firm. He is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Minnesota Law School, teaching a legal writing course to first-year law students.

I met my wife, Darbie, in college in September and we were married by May. Two years later, in mid-June, we learned we were expecting twins at the end of October. We were a little shocked but had no time to process it. Right after seeing the sonogram, Darbie headed off to work and I drove to campus to take the LSAT.

We couldn’t wait to welcome our new babies. Turns out we didn’t have to. A month later, Darbie went into labor at twenty-four weeks. The doctor told me on the phone, “Get to the hospital right now!” I did the classic “hop in the car, pedal to the metal, run through red lights” routine. Darbie delivered the twins via emergency C-section on July 17, 2004.

Brittan and Corbin each weighed about a pound and a half at birth. Brittan was stabilized first, then was transported via helicopter from the hospital in Orem, Utah, across town to the Neonatal ICU in Provo. Corbin followed shortly thereafter via ambulance. Two weeks later, they both needed surgical procedures that required even more expertise so they were transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, about fifty miles north of Provo.

You get a crash course in neonatal medicine when you have premature babies. Corbin got the worst of it. Within a few days of his birth, doctors noticed a

Millennials Rising — Dirk Bak

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Dirk Bak, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

DIRK BAK

Dirk Bak

Dirk Bak, born in 1978, is part owner and president of Minneapolis-based SDQ Ltd., a family-owned holding company for businesses ranging from janitorial services to corporate facility management to real estate investment properties.

My seventeen months from hell started on a beautiful May day in 2008. As former chair of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in Minnesota, I was at a high-powered lunch with the editor-in-chief of The Economist, the former chairman of Cargill, a few other business bigwigs and my dad, who had once been a top executive at Medtronic.

I was twenty-nine and feeling pretty good about myself. When Romney was in town, which was often, I accompanied him on meet-and-greets with local executives. I was president of the building maintenance company my mom had founded and a freshly minted law school graduate. My wife, Evonne, and I had a five-year-old son, Jaxon, and a two-year-old daughter, Liv, and she was pregnant again. If it sounds like I had a lot going on, yeah, I was running. Hard. I’d get four hours of sleep a night and hop back on the treadmill.

Lunch had barely started when my phone rang. I kicked it to voicemail. It rang a second time, then a third. I was a bit agitated. I excused myself from the table, checked the phone, and saw Evonne’s number. Now I was really agitated; I had asked her not to call during important meetings. I called back and said, “What is going on?” She said, “I’m in labor and we

Millennials Rising — Melissa Bass

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Melissa Bass, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

MELISSA BASS

Melissa (Missy) Bass

Melissa (Missy) Bass (nee Hofmann), born in 1980, is a freelance global event planner for both corporate and social events worldwide.

I’m an adventure seeker. I’ve gone bungee jumping in New Zealand, skydiving in Switzerland, parasailing in Mexico, and sailing in Croatia and Thailand. There’s not a lot I’d say no to. Oh, and when I first met my husband, I was dressed as a hamster.

On the outside, I look like your average Midwestern female: five foot four, blonde bob, athletic build. But on the inside, I have a life-threatening disease called

Millennials Rising — Jon Block

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Jon Block, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

JON BLOCK

Jon Block

Jon Block, born in 1980, is the founder of Speaker Venture, a national training and networking organization for speakers designed to transform individuals and businesses. Their live events help entrepreneurs master public speaking, land more speaking gigs, and launch and spread their global movements.

When I was seven years old, I knew I was going to be a Hollywood screenwriter. Even then, it was clear to me that my life’s work would be driven by passion and purpose. It was also clear to me that most adults don’t live that way, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand why.

Thanks to my parents’ emotional and financial support, I got into what is now called the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the best film school in the world. My favorite class came during my senior year. It was taught by a literary manager who had just landed a couple of deals in the seven-figure range for USC grads who were only a few years older than me. At the end of the semester he

Millennials Rising — Joseph Sehwani

You’ve likely heard the stereotypes about millennials: They’re a generation of entitled misfits. They lack a strong work ethic. They’re only interested in activities that offer immediate gratification.

You want the truth? This generation isn’t going to wreck the world. They’re going to save it.

If millennials feel entitled to anything, it’s the opportunity to be passionately engaged in a vision they can pour their entire heart and soul into. Show them what success looks like, then get out of the way and watch what awesome looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Joseph Sehwani, one of nine millennials I interviewed who have faced and overcome significant obstacles that stood in the way of their goals and dreams. It’s a privilege to share their inspiring life stories with you here.

Click here to see all the Millennials Rising stories.

JOSEPH SEHWANI

Joseph Sehwani

Joseph Sehwani, born in 1994, is a student at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He is the founder of the Dreamscape Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who are struggling with disease or disability.

It all started in my high school Spanish class on September 21, 2011. After rubbing my left eye, the words and colors on the whiteboard all