All the conservation efforts in the world won't be enough to make a dent in the oncoming sustainability crisis our planet faces.

Call it the Tiger Mom effect: In the business world today, failure is apparently not an option.

We owe it to our children to equip them with all the capabilities they'll need to thrive in the limitless world beyond the classrooms.

How important is failure - yes, failure - to the health of a thriving, innovative business? So important that Ratan Tata, chairman of India's largest corporation, gives an annual award to the employee who comes up with the best idea that failed.

There are as many ways to help another human being as there are people in need of help. For some, the urgent need is as basic as food and water. For others, it is an opportunity to develop a talent, realize an idea, and reach one's full potential.

My own philanthropic efforts have always included an educational element, whether it's expanding opportunities to educate a promising mind or extending the brain's ability to learn.

I worked for Microsoft until 1996, till I had a different angle to view life. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and control my own destiny.