There’s nothing like breaking nearly every bone in your body to inspire a new business idea. After a fall that left him with 15 broken bones and skull fractures, Larsen Jay swore the get-well bouquets he received helped him heal faster. Leaving behind a job as a...
Most people don’t give bugs a second thought—other than to swat them away with a rolled-up newspaper. But for Riley Tedrow, an entomologist at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, thinking about bugs is his life’s work. One insect in particular fascinates him—the praying mantis, or the sucker with the...
When we’re at the office, we basically speak our own language. A mix of clichéd metaphors and hyperbolic buzzwords such as “mission critical” and “scaleability,” the ubiquitousness of which will make you feel like you’re taking crazy pills. Because if you work in an office long enough you know this seemingly innocuous office jargon is...
With the help of master artisans from the African country of Namibia, twin brothers Chris and Doug Akin have started the Base Project, an eco-friendly fashion brand that brings locally sourced bracelets, cuffs and hand-sewn bags to the U.S. They’re giving back, too, by re-investing their profits in Namibian humanitarian...
Frank Verga can make iron bend to his will. Of course, he does so with the help of a massive fire, which burns at temperatures approaching 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit — as hot as lava. A working blacksmith who also teaches his trade at the American College of...
When President Obama recently called to remove tax breaks from 529 college savings plans, he was loudly booed, Snoopy-at-Christmas-pageant-style. Not a big surprise considering that a college education—whether our own or our children’s—is pretty much the new mortgage. For instance, a traditional four-year college can run anywhere...
With a chisel in one hand and an oar in the other, Roman Horoszewski combines his two passions: woodcarving and rowing. A former competitive rower, Roman now cuts through wood instead of water, constructing custom pieces for clients and auctioning off other examples of his handiwork to...
Getting free of a car lease used to be a no-win situation. If you went to the dealership, you had to shell out the entire remaining balance, plus pay an early termination fee. It might end up costing you $5,000, or more, just to not drive your...
Ever thought about running a marathon in full firefighter gear? Neither have we. But it’s an experience that fireman, triathlete and DSC member Jose “Fireman Joe” Zambrano knows full well. Of course, running with roughly 45 pounds of gear on your back sounds crazy, but Jose does it...
Figuring out how much money you need for retirement is enough to make you drink. Some quick math: Say you need $50,000 a year to live. And say you plan on retiring at 65 and living to 85. That means you need to save roughly $1 million...
For most people, curling is a sport that only takes place during the Winter Olympics—or in Canada. But not for DSC member Matt Galas, the co-founder of the Windy City Curling Club. Since April, Matt’s been hard at work in the Chicago-area getting people hooked on the...
This week, we’re profiling Ryan Sayles. Ryan is a co-author of Trouble In The Heartland, a collection of crime stories inspired by the songs of Bruce Springsteen that includes a contribution from Mystic River author Dennis Lehane. When did your interest in The Boss grow from casual “Born...
