From a Blank Notebook to the Tradeshow Stage: My 24-Week Journey with DiverseCity

When I first joined the DiverseCity incubator, I walked in with a blank notebook and a head full of questions. All I carried with me was curiosity — and a small dose of courage.

In the beginning, everything felt new and exciting. Everyone in the four cohorts had different dreams — tech startups, creative studios, social ventures — and I was building something deeply personal: a regenerative tech startup.

🪶 The Beginning — Curiosity and Courage

The blank notebook I carried was more than just pages. It was a metaphor for the journey ahead, filled with possibilities and questions. There wasn’t a single person or moment that inspired me to join; it was simply a calling to explore, create, and grow.

Then came the challenge of collaboration. I couldn’t connect with someone suitable to collaborate with, as everyone was working on different things. Still, my advisors and mentors became steady guides. Their feedback, along with insights from books, slowly helped me find my footing.

💡 The Journey — Challenges and Learning

One breakthrough moment came when I realized that entrepreneurship isn’t about competing — it’s about becoming. It’s like walking through caves of doubt, carrying a small torch of purpose, hoping your light might help someone else see their way too. Also, the deeper you go, the more you discover your ability to bring real value to the world. That shift in perspective changed everything.

I remember one night feeling self-doubt and listening to one of my favorite poems: “If you are going to try, go all the way; otherwise, don’t even start.”

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”

Those words became my compass through uncertainty and fatigue.

Week after week, I kept showing up — sometimes inspired, sometimes tired, always curious about what might unfold next.

🤝 Mentorship and Community

I chose to fully commit to the journey, and I’m glad I persevered. Feedback from mentors and peers not only shaped my project but also my mindset, teaching me that growth comes from openness, dialogue, and patience.

🚀 The Tradeshow Moment

By the time the tradeshow arrived, twenty-four weeks had passed. I was ready to share what I’d built. Standing there before 150 people, cue cards in hand, I took a deep breath. I looked down at my notes, then looked up and chose to set them aside. In that moment, I stopped presenting and started connecting. I spoke from my heart.

It wasn’t flawless, yet it was real. And that was enough.

As I looked around the room filled with founders and guests, I felt something powerful — like we were all seeds growing into different kinds of trees, rooted in the same soil. DiverseCity had been that soil — nourishing, challenging, and full of care.

When they announced I had placed fourth, I felt grateful. The position wasn’t the reward — the journey was. I had truly gone all the way.

Gratitude

My goal was learning over competition. What mattered most was going all the way and trusting my process. I’m deeply grateful to my mentors who believed in me, peers who pushed me forward, and the courage that kept me turning the pages of that blank notebook.

I’m most proud of one of the products we created — HeartfulJournal — and the growth I experienced as a person along the way. Compassionate journaling is now more than an idea; it’s a tool to help people learn and practice it daily.

🌱 Reflection and Inspiration

If I could speak to myself from 24 weeks ago, I would say: “Believe in your vision. Don’t dilute it. Somewhere, there’s at least one person who needs it — find them.”

For anyone starting a similar journey: trust the process. Every challenge, every mentor meeting, and every late-night brainstorming session is part of a journey that shapes you, your ideas, and the impact you can make.

The first page may be blank, yet the story you write can change you — and everyone’s life — forever.