Derek Baynton
We met up with Derek at Madison Square Park during the only sunny afternoon this past winter in NYC to hear what he had to share about his time on Good Street…
Good St. is about making giving a part of our daily routines… What is a quirky daily routine of yours?
I create a lot of lists. I think I’m like a case study for all these notes and productivity startups trying to make things more efficient, because I’ve tried just about everything. So if there’s one quirky routine…I guess finding the best way to get the most out of my day.
Whats one GOOD change you’d like to see in the world?
I would like to see some improvements to our education system. There are far too many areas throughout the world with limited access to education. As privileged as we are here in the U.S., there are still so many under-educated areas of this country. With the access to technology that we have now and the ability to distribute messages out to so many people, it’s a problem we can get closer to improving. There are a lot of great companies out there trying to do this, but there’s still so much to be done. And I think a lot of that comes from solving the problem at a very early stage, making kids want to learn and grow and put in hard work, and I hope that’s something we’re able to change.
What is a cause or organization your particularly passionate about? And why?
I recently read Adam Braun’s book, ‘The Promise of a Pencil’, a really inspiring read. And talking about education, he’s doing a lot of great things making a huge impact in developing countries that have little or no access to education. So the growth they’ve seen in such a short amount of time is really something amazing.
Inspirational quote?
“When you look back at yourself six months from today and don’t feel embarrassed by your naiveté, there’s a problem. That means you’re not learning, growing.” — Nathan Bashaw
Why is Good St. meaningful to you?
It’s great because you know there are so many causes out there, so many things people are passionate about and there is a reason why they contribute so much of their time to giving to these organizations… One of the hardest parts is discovering these amazing causes, and each of them are all struggling in their own way to have their voice be heard. Good Street is a great way to be exposed to all these different causes and show them some love.
On Good St. we believe that small change (like our quarters) can lead to big change… can you think of a particular experience in your life that you believe changed you, whether in a big or small way?
I was working at my first job out of college at a pretty large organization. I really learned a lot there and always wanted to give it all I could and excel, but I never really felt all that connected to it. I went to a meetup that was startup related, something that I found myself having a more genuine interest in. It was that small meetup and that small moment that helped open my eyes and got the momentum going to really make a big change in my life.
Rapid Fire Good:
Good Bar?
Employees Only (NYC)
Good Restaurant?
L’Apicio
Good Band?
Of Monsters and Men
Good Movie?
Gangs of New York
Good Idea?
Ha, may sound kind of gross but we’ve all been there. When you are in a crowded, public place, finding a public restroom can be tough. I want a way to find all available ones around me. We could crowdsource the info, and some businesses might even want the foot traffic, maybe they’d sponsor a search result. Google’s gotta get on this.
Good Gift?
Good Street… Or Food
Good Excuse?
There aren’t really many good excuses.
Good Word?
Mindfulness
Good TV Show?
Game of Thrones
Good Date?
Anything that involves being on the water.
Heads or Tails?
Tails never fails.
Originally published at goodst.org.
