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Dana-te Boston
CEO and Founder of the Raise Institute
Dana-te Boston is the CEO and Founder of the Raise Institute and best Selling Author of the book I AM A RISING WOMAN. Prior to starting the R.A.I.S.E. Program Dan spent 18 years as an Executive in a number of ICT Multinationals such as IBM and EMC. In 2010, Dan left his career to pursue his passion for helping the youth.
Through his dedication Dan has managed to transform the lives of over 60,000 youth from around the world into focused, goal orientated individuals ready to conquer the world. He has also created a platform for over 40,000 women enabling them to compete and collaborate, shattering the glass ceilings that have previously held them back. And finally, he has opened the door to a world of possibilities by bringing innovation into our classrooms. In February of 2015 Dan was recognized as one of the 16 most influential people impacting the lives of youth globally.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Raise is an acronym and stands for:
R – Reap what you sow
A – Aspire to be the best you can be
I – Invest in your future
S – Start now
E – Education is the key to success
What is your background as a professional?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: Currently I am the CEO and Founder of the Raise Institute and best Selling Author of the book I AM A RISING WOMAN. I completed all my education in Australia and have a Bachelor of Business with a Triple Major in Economics, Marketing and International Business. Prior to starting the R.A.I.S.E. Program I spent 18 years as an Executive in a number of ICT Multinationals such as IBM and EMC.
What are the challenges faced when setting up R.A.I.S.E? How were they tackled?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: The R.A.I.S.E program is a unique program that is breaking new ground in the evolution of education. For that reason the biggest challenge probably has been educating the different stakeholders in terms of the value the program can bring to young people around the world. Tackling this challenge has required consistently performing, monitoring and reporting success stories and forming strategic partnerships with organizations that can make our program more visible. Once we overcame this challenge the next step was to find innovative ways to commercialize the program. Again overcoming this challenge required a little bit of trial and error. The key to success has been understanding who our target market is and their buying motivations. In other words what is important to them, how our product helped them meet their needs and how much would they be willing to spend for that service. We then had to build a sustainable model that fit those criteria.
How does R.A.I.S.E work?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: Raise is an educational program that helps young people discover their purpose and then empowers them with the 21st Century skills to help them reach their full potential. The program is delivered globally using a combination of face-to-face seminars and some of the latest technology in online learning. The program itself focuses on those skills that employers are actually looking for and is divided into three broad areas: Personal Development, Professional Development and Career Readiness, and Inspiration and Motivation.
What inspires you to motivate others?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: I believe that we all have a destiny something that we were simply born to do. It is the responsibility of each individual here on earth to find what their destiny is and then live it. I am fortunate enough to have found mine. I have always had a sense of fairness and as a result my goal is to help as many people as I can have a fair chance in this world to succeed.
What is your take on success and happiness in life?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: Success for me is waking up every morning and doing something that is truly amazing; working with people I love being around; making an income that allows me a financial freedom and allows me to choose what I want to do and when I want to do it. Having fun, laughing and just being there for my children is what makes me happy.
What advice would you give to job seekers and career individuals?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: You have to take the time to get to know yourself. More specifically; what your core skills passions and values are. Once you do that you can then map your unique personality to a career path. Once on that path just work harder than anyone else around you and possess a continuous desire to learn.
What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs in Uganda?
Mr. Dana-te Boston: In my opinion while youth unemployment is at record levels all over the world it has never been easier to start a business. So it just makes sense to me that young people should be looking to become entrepreneurs. Go for it, the key to success is building a brand that is unique and offers your customers something of real value. Finally use technology to innovate and get ahead of your competitors.
Thank you Mr. Dana-te Boston, it has been a great pleasure gaining some useful knowledge from you.
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