On Thursday, Sarasota hosted the first PINC conference conducted in America. PINC is a handmade conference that started in the Netherlands 15 years and has been repeated annually. Nelleke van Lindonk, the widow of the founder, heads up a team looking for speakers throughout the world who not only provide a unique message, but dynamically present their message. Yesterday at least half of our speakers came from outside the United States from far flung nations such as—Bhutan, India, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, etc.

At Sarasota, we were fortunate that under the leadership of Larry Thompson, President Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD), we fully supported the PINC.  Team.  (Larry is both a risk-taker and innovator.) They formed a successful alliance in order to have overcome the challenges necessary to launch this breathtaking conference. In my judgment, PINC should reach out to other colleges and universities throughout the nation, especially those that support extensive adult education programs with the hopes that PINC conferences could take place in a dozen or so locations in America. My hope is that the enormous costs of bringing speakers from around the globe can be defrayed over a larger number of conferences.

The conference started with a Continental Breakfast at 8:00 AM and ran past 6:00 PM. We heard at least sixteen speakers. The conference was broken up into 4 sessions—each with four speakers.

Over the years, I have wanted to attend nationally known investment and economic conferences.  The costs of these are far beyond the PINC’s $425 ticket charge.  While I would still love to attend these high power seminars, PINC does not take a back seat to any venue! It was first rate.

Lastly, I will mention the speakers that participated yesterday, but I recommend that you go onto Facebook or YouTube to get a fuller insight into why I am so excited.

Ernest “Doc” Werlin

ewerlin@verizon.net

  1. John Barker, Professor of Experimental Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery is attempting to harness the body’s inherent regenerative capabilities to regrow patients’ own faces and skin. His team has successfully implanted hands.

  2. Pieke Bermans, designer, has worked with diverse materials in her repertoire—clay, glass, steel, plastic, and other synthetics. Her work has been exhibited by museums from Tokyo to London to Milan. She made her name for herself with mouth-blown crystal that coagulates into fluid forms.

  3. Dickson Despmmier, founder vertical farming project, demonstrated the world’s need to grow crops vertically given the world’s ever increasing population.  If vertical farming is successful, he can repair the world’s ecosystems and save our dwindling water supply.

  4. Joost Elffers, publisher and creator ‘play with your food.’

  5. Michael Ferron is a photographer and artist. As a virtuoso photographer, Ferron considers himself a relentless translator of the contemporary condition.

  6. David Gallo is part of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world’s largest ocean research facility. He told of the wonders of the deep sea as well as the threat to our oceans

  7. Jon Jefferson is a crime novelist who investigated some 50 murders at a “reform” school in Florida. He has written many mysteries.

  8. Alexander Kumar is a British-born, Indian medical doctor who has traveled over 80 countries to bring medicine and scientific progress globally. He now specializes in Infectious diseases and tropical medicine.

  9. Christopher Lloyd is a journalist, author and publisher. He wrote What on Earth Happened? 100 Species that Changed the world which opened insight into mankind’s place in nature.

  10.  Alan Moore, Author and Consultant, wrote No Straight Line. This means by which we deliberate, share and discuss with each other to unleash our intellectual creative capital.

  11.  Miles Rohan provided a humorous insight on “The Corduroy Appreciation Club.

  12.  Bunker Roy is the founder Barefoot College. Is the only college built by the poor for the poor. He showed that sophisticated technologies such as solar power can be disseminated by poor rural men and women who can barely read and write.

  13.  Nadja Schnetzler is founder the Brain Store, the world’s first Idea Factory—a method for systematic idea development for over 600 projects.

  14.  Robert Swan is the first person to walk to both the North and South Pole. He is very concerned over global warming.

  15.  Dorji Wangchuk is a documentary and journalist focused on Bhutan.

  16.  Lastly, we had a gentleman who taught himself to swallow a sword, lived in isolation for 7 years, and undertook other arduous tasks.

In brief, PINC should grow from its Sarasota debut to a national forum in order to help entertain and educate our populace.