This special edition is the result of a special friend who is doing something special that includes raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital while daring greatly at the same time.

We touched base this week and he told me what he was up to. As you'll see, I was a little bit surprised at first, but then, not really.

Because this is a story about someone else, it will serve as a respite for those tired of running stories and stories that are 50+ years old.

This story is happening today, this week.

The number one quality I admire in people is Aspiration. There is nothing more inspiring than someone who tries hard to be better or to achieve. Someone who still dreams like a kid.

You might say that Ruben has taken aspiration to new heights.

Remember when you were a kid and had big dreams? Me, too. 

This is the story of a a guy who is close to reaching that big dream, and I am trying to help him on that journey, and you can too.

We all need our space. Some need more than others, right? Ruben might call me a mentor, but he is extremely accomplished and totally dedicated to mom and baby health (guess where we collaborated?)

He has already changed the world.

He recently told me he wanted more space.

Before I tell you what he is dreaming about, I wanted to briefly share our history together, and then have you help me help him reach the biggest dream of his life. In fact, it is the biggest dream anyone I’ve ever met has ever had.

Our story starts six or seven years ago. He was referred to me by a volunteer. On my way to meet him in a non-descript building that was an incubator for start-ups in Cambridge two things I try to avoid happened to me:

So, after the MBTA bus was done spitting fumes at me on Western Ave, I pulled into the only parking spot for this meeting, right next to the dumpster.

Ruben, his marketing guy and I huddled in a small community conference room just a few weeks before Christmas: his company was too small to meet in their own space. 

We both had a problem to share with each other in that meeting.

It was “kinda sorta” a match made in heaven.

It was obvious to me that the thing we had in common was our desire to change the world, each in our own way. As the dad of a premature girl, Ruben had transformed his passion and focus into making a difference so others wouldn’t have to go through what his family did.

Those that know me recognize those words because that phrase has been my go-to message for more than 35 years: preventing other families from going through what ours is going through.

With this kind of combined inspiration, we came up with an innovative plan to provide an incentive to physicians in his study to enroll women: Ruben’s company would make a donation in their name to the non-profit I represented for each new enrollee.

In exchange, I agreed to wash his car by hand in the parking lot. Ok, I also offered some visibility benefits at our events, but I'm sure it was the hand car wash that closed the deal.

The plan worked in a spectacular fashion with Ruben driving it. In three weeks, his study was full, and my organization had raised more than $80,000 through his efforts. It was just in time for inclusion in my Performance Review, phew!

Our relationship didn’t stop there, however.

This week he shared with me that he had created a benefit corporation with his daughter called URLimitless.org to advance STEM education for young girls. And for a limited time, to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, a location I've visited many times.

I should have nicknamed him Ruben ‘Eventually’ Salinas because after he told me about the foundation he proceeded to tell me what ‘next’ was going to be: he wants to go into space as a civilian astronaut.

Sure, Ruben.

Some people just can’t ‘think small’ no matter what they do.

The two-minute nineteen-second video that you can view with the link below, explains…him, better than I can. It highlights that new foundation he started with his daughter, born too early, who is now a teenager. (Pictured here with Mom and Dad after winning a grant from a national STEM competition)

It explains, at least to me, why he wants to go into Space.

At the time of this writing, the video on Twitter has more than 1,400,000 views and several hundred retweets (Confession: I need my son’s advice when I retweet).

Judges will weigh the Twitter numbers when making their decision.

If he is successful, I will be friends with…an astronaut! How cool would that be?

When he described to me how he was trying to get on a Space-X rocket for a four-day vacation in space, I asked if I could help. He said yes, explained how to do it, and you can help too.

If you’d like to help me send Ruben to Space here’s how.

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