LEAPing Back to Zagreb

Friday, March 29, 2019
Zagreb, Croatia
We arrived back in Zagreb in one piece, thank goodness. The organizer of Voogle had hooked some of us up with speaking slots at LEAP Summit. LEAP Summit is a multidisciplinary conference which gathers more than 3,000 participants from 40+ countries – entrepreneurs, young professionals, and leaders - who are changing the world. LEAP Summit brings people from all over the world at one place to learn and network together in order to solve most pressing challenges of our time. You can read more about it here: https://leapsummit.com.
 
We were dropped off and walked into the conference center and immediately we were impressed. LEAP was much, much bigger and much more organized. The group wandered into the main stage, where I was scheduled to speak, and I almost puked. It was a massive space, holding about 1,000 people. We had all been given different stages to speak on, so some were more intimate with only 100 – 300 people. They were all nicely decorated and all felt very official. This is a very different game from the day before.
 
The schedule worked out so we were all able to watch each other’s presentations and take photos and cheer each other on. Once again, I am so grateful to have met all of the wonderful, intelligent and kind people on this trip. The last few days have honestly felt a bit like summer camp where you make fast friends and feel like you’ve known them a lifetime.
 
Debra was up first up on the Ideas Stage and blew it out of the water. She presented on the importance of social and emotional learning and how her company, Design Dance is helping kids in K-12 schools implement these principles. She’s incredible. Next up was Trisha on the Digital Stage. She spoke about the overall tech community in Chicago and her knowledge on talent and recruiting. She got some tough questions and handled them like a champ. Finally, it was my turn on the LEAP Stage.
 
Waiting back stage I was so nervous my hands were shaking. I got my mic all hooked up and the MC introduced me. Once I hit the stage the nerves melted away. It was one of the coolest moments of my life. It all felt very natural and I had so much fun during the entire presentation. I’m proud of myself and our little team for killing it! Chicago made a great impression on the young entrepreneurs of Croatia and we’ve all had a lot of requests on LinkedIn to keep in touch with them after we return home.   
 
With a huge sigh of relief, we finally checked into the Esplanade. After working in hospitality for 12 years, I know luxury, and this place checked every box. What an amazing place to call home for night! After our farewell dinner as this was our last night as a complete group, we all enjoyed the amenities and the fluffy, comfortable beds. The best thing was the incredible breakfast buffet that we all enjoyed the next morning complete with an almond milk latte!
 
Debra, Corey, Trisha and I had until 9 pm the next day to kill before the airport so we got to explore the city a bit. We found the central market, the cathedral and the old town shops. It was a lovely way to spend the last few hours with a few of our favorite fellows. We all got to the airport and on to our prop planes that would take us to Sarajevo and Skopje, respectively. Trisha and I landed close to midnight and it was a bit hairy getting into the city center, finding our hotel and getting ourselves settled. We’re staying in the Holiday Inn, and while tired, it is very comfortable and has the most comfortable bed I’ve slept on the whole trip.
 

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