The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) announced today that Jonathan Starr is to speak on his founding of the Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme at 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371. Members and guests are encouraged to RSVP via online registration, but walk-ins will be accepted.
Starr will present on the seemingly impossible success of Abaarso School, whose accomplishments have been featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes and in the New York Times, and show that its “against all odds” triumphs were neither due to great luck nor great talent. In addition to shedding light on the fields of international development and education, the talk has implications for career choice and maximizing one’s own success.
A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., the presentation will follow SECWAC’s Annual General Meeting with announcements from the Board of Directors at 5:45 p.m., with the main event beginning at 6 p.m. The presentation is a part of the SECWAC 2019-2020 Speaker Series.
For non-members, tickets ($20) may be purchased at the door; ticket cost can subsequently be applied towards a SECWAC membership. Attendance is free for SECWAC members (and their guests). Membership September 2019 through June 2020 is $85 per person; $25 for young professionals under 35; free for educators and area college and high school students; a corporate rate of $1,000 is also available, with unlimited access for employees.
Immediately following the presentation, SECWAC meeting attendees have the option for $40 to attend a dinner with the speaker at the Old Lyme Country Club. A reservation for dinner is required in advance by the morning of Thursday, Oct. 24. Pre-register and pay securely online, call 860-912-5718, or email info@secwac.org to make your reservation (vegetarian option available if reserved in advance). Checks payable to SECWAC or credit card payment are accepted before the meeting by Courtney Assad.
Starr is Managing Director, Headmaster, and Founder of Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland, Africa. From 2004 – 2008, he founded and led Flagg Street Capital, a private investment firm that managed $170 million of assets. Prior to Flagg Street, he worked as an Analyst at SAB Capital and at Blavin and Company. His career started as a Research Associate within the Taxable Bond Division at Fidelity Investments.
In addition to his full-time responsibilities, Starr sat on the Board of Directors of Pomeroy IT Solutions, a publicly-traded IT company generating $500 million of annual sales. His board responsibilities included acting as a member of the Audit Committee, the Advisory Committee, and the Special Committee (strategic alternatives) of Pomeroy.
Starr graduated from Emory University, with a B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Economics and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is the author of “It Takes A School: The Extraordinary Story of an American School in the #1 Failed State“, a story of David and Goliath proportions that describes how Starr created a unique school in Somaliland whose students, against all odds, have come to achieve success beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
SECWAC is a regional, nonprofit, membership organization affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA). The organization dates back to 1999, and has continued to arrange 8-10 Speaker Series meetings annually, between September and June. The meetings range in foreign affairs topics, and are hosted at venues along the I-95 corridor, welcoming members and guests from Stonington to Old Saybrook, and beyond.
SECWAC’s mission is “to foster an understanding of issues of foreign policy and international affairs through study, debate, and educational programming.” It provides a forum for nonpartisan, non-advocacy dialogue between members and speakers, who can be U.S. policymakers, educators, authors, and other experts on foreign relations. Learn more at http://secwac.org.
