Craig Scharton

So a huge diversity.

And we're right at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

grew up surrounded by farms and fields and 45 miles, 50 miles to the entrance to Yosemite and about 55 to 60 miles away from Kings Canyon National Park.

So, you know, fishing and hiking and camping and all that was part of growing up.

Yeah.

One of the best things that ever happened to me, I would say, is that I got cancer when I was 23.

And it really shook me out of like the normal life path of, you know, white picket fence and, you know,

having a steady job and always getting a promotion and having perfect kids and all that, I realized that we have one very precious life and I wanted to make sure and do good with the one I had and use it all up.

So it really changed my trajectory and my mindset and has allowed me to do things I would have never done otherwise because I'm not afraid to do them.

Is that something that helped propel your interest in what you're doing today?

Yeah, so I've all, you know, it's, you know, thinking about what your strengths are and what you like, you know, trying to get those two things to blend.

I really like working with people and finding their common goals and helping them move toward and accomplish those goals and then celebrate those outcomes.

So.

whether it's working in a high concentrated poverty neighborhood or with an industry of water technology companies or startup medical device companies, like figuring out what those things are that can not just improve one company, but improve the opportunities for all the people that are engaged.

Well, I'd say Joseph Campbell talks about when you get older, you can't remember why you walked into a room or where you put your keys.

But he said that you could start to see these threads as you look back on your life that you couldn't see when you were in the middle of it.

And so I've been very fortunate and sometimes made less than obvious choices to try to do things that had meaning.

And so I really like that part of my life.

So I've been able to do good work, but also it had a purpose behind it.

And, you know, that drives me, I think, more than just...