Yossi Vardi has made my time here in Davos simply incredible. I am in deeply in his debt for what he’s personally done for me. The Shabbat dinner he took me to last night was simply incredible. I filmed an intimate traditional ceremony there. It is the one video I’m keeping for myself and I will treasure those moments more than my walk with Mark Zuckerberg.
How special was that? Well, Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, told me that it is his favorite event of the whole week. You can’t get in without a private invite and it was one of those things that you just can’t believe you’re part of. I was pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Who is Yossi? You can read about him here but that really doesn’t do it justice. He has the ear of the Israeli president and is very influential in Davos. If you ever get a chance to go to Davos and Yossi wants you to go somewhere you go. Yesterday I had paid about $80 for a lunch and he walked up and told me “you aren’t going to go to that.” He then said “follow me” where he brought me to a lunch where there I got a lot of the photos on my Flickr stream. When Queen Rania of Jordan walks into lunch (she’s talking to the head of Columbia University in this photo) you KNOW you are in an interesting lunch.
Thank you Yossi for your friendship and mentorship. It’s not many people who’ve had such a deep impact on the future of my life as you’ve had. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Yossi has been a friend of mine for 12 years now. We met after I started one of the first Web sites to support and evangelize ICQ (his kids started that, which they sold for $407 million to AOL after 18 months in business). Everytime he meets me he greets me with a good joke, a big hug, and a warm personality. He treats everyone the same, by the way, from world leaders to everyday people he meets. He’s really an incredible person and someone I feel very blessed in knowing.
UPDATE: I just filmed Yossi Vardi who talked about this morning’s breakfast he hosted.
Scobleizer 
Thanks for all the videos, photos and blogging from Davos Robert – sounds like you’ll be on a high for some time to come after this experience!
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Thanks for all the videos, photos and blogging from Davos Robert – sounds like you’ll be on a high for some time to come after this experience!
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Yossi Vardi also protects us from .. hm.. local warming🙂
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Yossi Vardi also protects us from .. hm.. local warming🙂
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Thank you for your great coverage of Davos, Robert!
Seeing the World Economic Forum through the eyes of a blogger (or more) has definitely been different and a welcomed change than the usual journalist-reports in the traditional media outlets.
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Thank you for your great coverage of Davos, Robert!
Seeing the World Economic Forum through the eyes of a blogger (or more) has definitely been different and a welcomed change than the usual journalist-reports in the traditional media outlets.
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Of course I am jealous that you got to go, but I am also grateful to you for sending all the videos. I just saw the one of Yossi Vardi and I think I would love him. What a nice man! I had no idea his kids invented ICQ!
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Of course I am jealous that you got to go, but I am also grateful to you for sending all the videos. I just saw the one of Yossi Vardi and I think I would love him. What a nice man! I had no idea his kids invented ICQ!
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Incredible pictures….
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Incredible pictures….
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I’ve told you conferences are fun and you never know who you may meet and what you may learn.
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I’ve told you conferences are fun and you never know who you may meet and what you may learn.
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In a world of coal, Yossi Vardi is a diamond. He is among the wisest and most generous people I have met. You are not just fortunate to have been at Davos, you are blessed to have had Yossi usher you around. He did the same for me my first year at PopTech.
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In a world of coal, Yossi Vardi is a diamond. He is among the wisest and most generous people I have met. You are not just fortunate to have been at Davos, you are blessed to have had Yossi usher you around. He did the same for me my first year at PopTech.
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Yossi’s a pretty special fellow…great post, Robert.
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Yossi’s a pretty special fellow…great post, Robert.
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In Davos, did they discuss whether or not Scoble’s QIK videos amount to torture under international law?
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In Davos, did they discuss whether or not Scoble’s QIK videos amount to torture under international law?
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One day tell us about the ICQ story and your initial meeting with him – how it came to be
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One day tell us about the ICQ story and your initial meeting with him – how it came to be
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Robert, thanks for all the blogging and interviews from Davos. Your experiences have been an inspiration to many and I certainly look forward to your continued participation in similar forums. Hopefully I’ll run into you at a conference in the near future–maybe even Davos next year?!
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Robert, thanks for all the blogging and interviews from Davos. Your experiences have been an inspiration to many and I certainly look forward to your continued participation in similar forums. Hopefully I’ll run into you at a conference in the near future–maybe even Davos next year?!
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Robert, thanks for saying what many of us feel. Friendship + mentorship key words.
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Robert, thanks for saying what many of us feel. Friendship + mentorship key words.
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Robert – I left a comment on Dave Winer’s blog, but thought I’d leave a similar message for you directly here. While its inspiring to read these posts and the tremendous coverage of Davos that you have given us, one thing that I always wonder is how actionable these great ideas and visions actually are. As Dave mentioned, the key is to nurture it and build something from it. I sincerely hope that once you return, you will share with us some of your next steps and the tangible actions to come out of Davos. As an eternal optimist, I always do believe that individuals can improve and change the world around us. As Magaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
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Robert – I left a comment on Dave Winer’s blog, but thought I’d leave a similar message for you directly here. While its inspiring to read these posts and the tremendous coverage of Davos that you have given us, one thing that I always wonder is how actionable these great ideas and visions actually are. As Dave mentioned, the key is to nurture it and build something from it. I sincerely hope that once you return, you will share with us some of your next steps and the tangible actions to come out of Davos. As an eternal optimist, I always do believe that individuals can improve and change the world around us. As Magaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
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You are right, “he treats everyone the same, … from world leaders to everyday people he meets” – as an everyday person I had also the pleasure and honour to have met him a couple of times, thanks to ICQ, and he is one of the warmest people with great humour I know.
Thank you for your posting…
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You are right, “he treats everyone the same, … from world leaders to everyday people he meets” – as an everyday person I had also the pleasure and honour to have met him a couple of times, thanks to ICQ, and he is one of the warmest people with great humour I know.
Thank you for your posting…
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Thanks for this post Robert ! Many of my late mothers family live in Israel, I have brother in law from Israel and Monte Silver of World Podcast Forum is my pen pal in Israel ,he is Mobile Monte the “Mobil Phone Maven !” It it very kind to you to introduce this Man who I don’t know him , but would break a bagel with anytime
Promoting human interest is a very kind Gesture !
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Thanks for this post Robert ! Many of my late mothers family live in Israel, I have brother in law from Israel and Monte Silver of World Podcast Forum is my pen pal in Israel ,he is Mobile Monte the “Mobil Phone Maven !” It it very kind to you to introduce this Man who I don’t know him , but would break a bagel with anytime
Promoting human interest is a very kind Gesture !
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Thanks for your hard and sleepless work in Davos, Robert, much appreciated.
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Thanks for your hard and sleepless work in Davos, Robert, much appreciated.
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I never actually knew who Yossi was although I have heard many people talking about him. Thanks to your post on who he actually is .. Was also wondering would you be interested in reciprocal linking to my site
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I never actually knew who Yossi was although I have heard many people talking about him. Thanks to your post on who he actually is .. Was also wondering would you be interested in reciprocal linking to my site
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I’ve loved your comments from Davos. It’s thrilling to see how your tech skills have landed you in such heady company. After “Naked Conversations,” you need to start another book about “Vital Conversations” and how traditional and “emerging” content channels can be used to change the future.
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I’ve loved your comments from Davos. It’s thrilling to see how your tech skills have landed you in such heady company. After “Naked Conversations,” you need to start another book about “Vital Conversations” and how traditional and “emerging” content channels can be used to change the future.
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We should thank Yossi for speaking so eloquently about how we can achieve peace. He is a true mensch and I hope that he gets recognized for his efforts.
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We should thank Yossi for speaking so eloquently about how we can achieve peace. He is a true mensch and I hope that he gets recognized for his efforts.
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LOL. It’s great to see you having so much fun and excitement here, Robert. However, I’d rather be hiking a mountain than talking to all of these people.
Fun to read your reports though.
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LOL. It’s great to see you having so much fun and excitement here, Robert. However, I’d rather be hiking a mountain than talking to all of these people.
Fun to read your reports though.
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Thanks for sharing not only your experience, but your heart with us. I appreciate the human element
I read an article recently about Yossi Vardi. I had never heard of him, but was so impressed that I shared it on my Facebook account. Here’s the link: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb2008012_744161.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz%20index%20page_top%20small%20business%20stories
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Thanks for sharing not only your experience, but your heart with us. I appreciate the human element
I read an article recently about Yossi Vardi. I had never heard of him, but was so impressed that I shared it on my Facebook account. Here’s the link: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb2008012_744161.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz%20index%20page_top%20small%20business%20stories
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I’m happy for you that you had such a great time in Davos. Thanks for your reports on what’s going on there.
It’s always great to have people around that have been accompanying you for such a long time…
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I’m happy for you that you had such a great time in Davos. Thanks for your reports on what’s going on there.
It’s always great to have people around that have been accompanying you for such a long time…
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There’s something incredibly unintimate and untraditional about filming a Shabbat dinner…just sayin…let’s leave our cameras off sometimes?
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There’s something incredibly unintimate and untraditional about filming a Shabbat dinner…just sayin…let’s leave our cameras off sometimes?
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http://valleywag.com/350038/live-nude-bloggers-at-fast-company
One surprise after another with you
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http://valleywag.com/350038/live-nude-bloggers-at-fast-company
One surprise after another with you
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