Sam Spear

Sam Spear is the founder and CEO of jumpintotomorrow.com a website that lists and honors breakthrough technology and innovative thinking. Everyday, the site is updated and each day the site hands out its award for the "Technology of the Day" (with the exception of weekends). The site spans 24 different categories, from aerospace to sports technology, information technology to biotechnology with more than 100 different innovations in between representing one of those categories. Though every technology and innovation on the site is selected by a committee of people (academics, professionals, technologists, doctors, engineers, savants and misfits, to name a few) who know the respective spaces, the goal is to make what appears to be subjective choices for items on the site objective. And though we select the Technology of the Day, our visitors can vote for those breakthroughs they feel deserve their endorsement. The technology or innovation that receives the most votes each week wins our "Voter's Choice" or "Technology of the Week" award.

The primary criteria for something residing on the site is its ability to be game changing, disruptive along with its inherent ability to make a difference in the world. Though there are a multitude of products and products that are forthcoming on the site, there are also just incredibly great ideas, companies representing products or ideas one can invest in, causes one can join and more. The site launched on April 15, 2008 and has been the culmination, in many ways, of a life and career swirling around innovation, solutions and insight.

To begin:

I've always been good at chemistry. Not so much the kind I studied in 11th grade, but the kind that happened when I got involved with other people. I just came into the world with the ability to listen, and used it to help me obtain a graduate degree in clinical psychology along with an undergrad degree in journalism. It was there I honed my skills of inquisition, and found myself employed as a reporter for a bit. Then I cast all that education and training aside. Sort of.

Recognizing how much resourcefulness permeated what I liked best about journalism and psychology, I found a way to combine my interests, working at a number of large and boutique advertising agencies as a copywriter, and later, a creative director, accumulating 17 years worth of know-how. I gained experience learning the ins and outs of what made these companies unique, based both on what was spoken or written and what was unspoken and unwritten. More importantly, I learned how to convert attention-deserving uniqueness into attention-getting work. It was nice to find myself doing things that satisfied my clients – along with a few awards committees along the way. But something happened when I started getting involved with products, companies and innovative thinkers that were, by any measure, breakthrough. The more this went on, the more I thought: why not use my ability to discern what's important from what's unimportant – and what others respond to – to effectively help bring more attention, on a larger scale, to those products, services, companies and individuals doing those things that make our world better?

So I did.

With the help of some very committed advertising, marketing, branding, academics and IT people, jumpintotomorrow.com was unveiled. Thanks to the proliferation of bloggers and social media networks, coupled with access both by and to these technologies like never before, the timing couldn't be better. To say this work is satisfying is an understatement. To call it inspirational is a beginning. Every day we find someone somewhere doing something that's going making things better for all of us. It's impressive when you look at the specific breakthrough. It's awesome when you look at the bigger picture. We not only get to find out about these great stories, we help these people tell them.