On the last day, around 4 PM PST, a cleaner who had been diligently working for the past four days approached our booth.
He asked if we had any garbage.
I told him someone had already taken it, but I offered him two handfuls of toffees for him and his friends.
His eyes lit up, and in that moment, a connection was made.
Then, he surprised me with a question:
Could he ask me about his startup?
I was astonished and excited.
He shared that he and his friend in Mexico were running a taxi startup (on-demand ride service). They were taking the ride request on phone right now and arranging the taxis for the customers from the taxi vendors.
The region they were catering was small and local.
It was an early stage a business but they were making sales, and profitable since day 1.
He had to run his life as well as this new baby, so he was doing random day jobs.
He talked about technology, features, and expansion plans.
I was thrilled to listen and shared my experiences.
This was, without a doubt, one of the best moments of the entire event. It reminded me of a powerful lesson:
Never judge a book by its cover.
You never know who might have a brilliant idea or an inspiring story to share.
This experience reinforced the importance of kindness, open-mindedness, and being willing to connect with everyone, regardless of their role or appearance.
