“Dare Mighty Things,” A 2024 Mantra for Entrepreneurs
Three words—“Dare Mighty Things”—from a landmark speech by Teddy Roosevelt, one of our nation’s boldest leaders, strikes me as a perfect touchstone for 2024.
TR, as he was called, believed in the collective power of individuals, that people can accomplish things together that they could never do alone. He led by example. He was the ultimate advocate for connected human action—even when those actions failed.
Imagine how Teddy Rosevelt must have looked at each new year—an entire calendar with days, weeks, and months of possibilities driven by new connections and creativity.
Here in Ohio, we call those connections our Backyard Effect—a collaborative entrepreneurial spirit and ecosystem that together make our region a national standout in startups and scaleups. This community sparks TR-like optimism as the year turns. Somehow, milestones that feel like such a heavy lift in the fourth quarter sit a little lighter, seem a little more achievable, and just feel much more possible.
A new year is a new launch. As a person who has always been fascinated by the exploration of space, I was inspired to learn that that parachute used by the Perseverance rover during its landing on Mars contained a secret message in binary code—you guessed it: “Dare Mighty Things.”
A mantra that’s good enough for Teddy Roosevelt and NASA, has to be good for the rest of us. Right?
Welcome to a New Year!
Dare Mighty Things!
