I’m a Solver – Thomas Stowe
Thomas Stowe is a Solver from Texas who recently won the InnoCentive “Send A Solver” Contest. In addition, Thomas won the Challenge seeking “High Refractive Index Polycarbonate”
I’m a twenty-something year old Texan with heavy interests in science and engineering. My favorite educational past-time as of late is studying statistics relating to various markets and economic trends. My favorite hobbies are researching historical sites and scouting for artifacts with my metal detectors and spending time with my wife at parks and on other outings, enjoying rural and natural environments. I try to keep abreast of the technology trends, science news and keep informed on matters relevant to my interests.
I stumbled upon InnoCentive while looking for knowledge markets. I’ve been successful selling my skills and expertise and once I found knowledge markets, and I found that what I had to contribute was very appreciated. I’m nothing if not obsessed with information and knowledge — I’ve become quite savvy when it comes to informatics and data mining because of these passions.
I decided to work on the Send-A-Solver project because of the interest I’d had from my colleagues at work in “water cooler talk” I’ve initiated about Innocentive. The idea of winning the amount paid for most solutions on InnoCentive’s site makes the geeky people I work with drool. I like to help people find opportunities based upon the benefits of my experiences. Whether it’s a sure-fire telecommuting job to supplement savings in between employers or a cheap small business project they can undertake with little money in their spare time, I like the response I get when I present 110% real, concrete concepts that have been tested by myself and others.
I’m spending a little more than half ($600) of the $1,000 award on IT certifications that I’ve been wanting for a while. I’m going to use that part of the money to gain my Cisco CCNA and Microsoft MCITP: Server Administrator credentials so that I am able to find a better paying position. I’m spending the rest of the money augmenting my swing trading account. I’ve been trading stocks for the past month and I’m up 300%. This new capital will hopefully enable me to turn that $400 into $2,000 in one month. I have been averaging 30% gain per trade, three times per 10 day rolling period.
I donated the $1000 Global Giving gift certificate to a cause that is local to me and near to my heart, “Born to Read” which is run by an organization in Bexar County, Texas. Per the Global Giving web site, “Born to Read provides 25,000 bilingual literacy kits, one to every baby born in Bexar County. Kits include 2 books (1 bilingual), a library card application and helpful tips on how to raise a reader.” I donated on behalf of my mother and sent this personalized note on behalf of my brother and myself. “Mom – you managed to give my brother and I joy and later hope to read, learn, gain skills and stand on our own. I hope that we achieve more than you prayed for. With Love, On behalf of Jerome and I”.
Without my mother and her passion for reading and learning, not to mention supplying us with books and educational tools (computers, art supplies, typewriters), my brother and I would be educationally bereft. My mother enabled me to pursue any subject that interested me and teach myself. Luckily I’ve found a wife that’s as encouraging as well. They both definitely approve of my donation.
I’ve recently started plans for creating and owning a small business, following in the footsteps of my mother and grandmother. As I’ll be providing my services and products from my home office, I feel I’m also following in most of my past employer’s footsteps by giving life to my ideas, drawing from my experiences working in the fields of e-commerce and providing services, whether it’s software of skilled work. Lately I’ve been working on projects for my businesses, Stowe Consulting, and Unified Informatics. I have achieved great progress recently and my life keeps getting better and better but more importantly, my long term goals are becoming closer and closer. I’d love to hear from others who would like to hear more about my business – if you’re interested, send me an email and I’ll respond as quickly as possible.
Thomas
Attention InnoCentive Solvers!
