The Power Transformation Podcast
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The Power Transformation Podcast
132. Reimagining Education Through Play and Innovation with Anthony Hall
What if education wasn’t just about preparing kids for the future—but empowering them to build it? Anthony “Grandpa STORK” Hall is doing exactly that. From a life-changing moment with his newborn grandson to launching a global movement that fuses imagination, movement, and innovation, Anthony has redefined what’s possible in education. In this powerful conversation, we explore how his STORK framework transforms children from passive learners into visionary creators—proving that with the right guidance, play can shape purpose, and curiosity can change the world.
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Episode 132's Affirmation:
I am a fearless innovator turning imagination into influence and lighting the path for future generations.
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What if the future of education looked more like play than pressure? Well, today's guest, anthony Hall, also known as Grandpa Stork, he is doing just that because he's an educational trailblazer, reimagining how kids learn through creativity, curiosity and kinetic intelligence. He's the founder of the Rose of Education organization and mastermind behind Grandpa Stork's House of Flying Dragons. Anthony is building bold new learning ecosystems and he is definitely getting people to see education through a whole new lens. And, with that being said, welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast.
Alethea Felton:I am your host, alethea Felton, and if you have not done so already, go ahead and follow and subscribe to this show, and I thank you for your continued support, and we're on all platforms, so I look to see you there and I am just so grateful for you joining Anthony and me today for this conversation. We're going to begin with our affirmation, as we always do. I'll say the affirmation once and you repeat it I am a fearless innovator, turning imagination into influence and lighting the path for future generations. I am so excited to have Anthony Hall, also known as Grandpa and Grandpa Stork, capital S-T-O-R-K and we'll talk about that here on the Power Transformation Podcast. He is moving and shaking, doing so many incredible things for so many lives. So welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast, grandpa.
Anthony Hall:Thank you, alethea. I'm so honored to be here and listening to your shows and the wonderful guests you've had, so I'm definitely honored to be here.
Alethea Felton:Oh, the honor's all mine and I'm so excited that we were able to connect through our mutual friend, Candice Snyder, who's also a podcast Give a shout out to Candice, yeah.
Alethea Felton:Yes, candice is such a good-hearted person that sent me so many wonderful guests, and just her spirit just lightens up a room, as does yours, and I'm just excited about this. So we're going to jump into this, where I always like to ask a fun, lighthearted, icebreaker question. Okay, you are a well-traveled person. You've been to many places throughout the world, but what I would like you to answer is what is the one place in the world that you have not gone to yet and would love to visit?
Anthony Hall:That I haven't gone to yet, but I'd love to visit.
Alethea Felton:Mm-hmm.
Anthony Hall:Hmm, hmm, egypt.
Alethea Felton:Tell us more.
Anthony Hall:I mean no, I've been to. No, I should clarify that.
Alethea Felton:Okay.
Anthony Hall:I've been to Egypt, but only on a layover for four days, so I didn't get a chance to Doesn't count.
Anthony Hall:Yeah, that really doesn't count. That really doesn't count. But really, you know, history is, uh, something that I've gained an appreciation of, love and love for, and especially in my travels, as I've been to countries, especially, like you know, when one of the first countries I went to was germany, a beautiful country, but then you see these old churches and walls that were 1,000 years old, and even here in Ireland you had these Neolithic constructions that were 4,000 or 5,000 years old, and so it's really been, you know, to see history live and really have an appreciation for the ingenuity and imagination and creativity of our forefathers and mothers. So, yeah, but yeah, egypt, I'd love to spend some more time there, even though it's hot, but that's all right. You know, jesse, that's kind of the vibe, but there's so many places, you know there's so many places. Jamaica I haven't been there yet, not there.
Anthony Hall:I think I spent some time in Jamaica too.
Alethea Felton:Mm-hmm, yeah, that was a stop there when I was on a cruise, but in terms of actually visiting and traveling, not really. But I like what you said about Egypt having the creative innovations and you know just the whole theme of imagination, and that's a big part of what you do and we'll get into that. But what I'd like to ask you now simply is who is grandpa?
Anthony Hall:Who is Grandpa? Who is Grandpa? Well, you know, really I had to answer that for myself, you know, and really kind of grow into that and really just embrace that. You know, 20 years ago I watched my daughter become a mother. I was in a delivery room where a blessed miracle was and to welcome my first grandchild into the world, and so, and it was the opportunity then to kind of relive my life. And, you know, you think about all the things as a parent that you maybe wish you would have um done or you wouldn't so uptight about things, and you wish, you know, I've always thought myself that was going to be the type of father would be a fun dad, blah, blah, blah. But that didn't end up how it worked now.
Anthony Hall:But, uh, being grandson's life, you know, was very early on, you know. You know you know his first cry, his voice, you know I love his voice still, and that really opened up to me to think about yeah, who am I? What have I been? What has my life been? And so I'm holding my grandson in my arms and it was a transformative moment, to say the least, because I was really actually kind of transported through time First, reviewing my life and what my life had been up to that moment. And you know, like many of us, I found myself wanting, and so I wanted to be able to do more. And so, as I thought about it, I'm transported 50 years into the future. I'm imagining my grandson holding his first grandchild.
Anthony Hall:What will the world be like? What will the state of education and opportunities? My background is not only in construction trades, but professionally as well. It's been the last 30 years in the IT, hardware and software development field and learn these processes, and so my role as a director of sales and business development was to project into the future.
Anthony Hall:What will be the trends? What will be the platforms that we need support? What are the customers asking for? Where's the money going? Where are the state of for? Where's the money going? Where's the state of archive and compliance going? And so at the time, I applied that you know that kind of kicked in when I'm thinking about the future Okay, so what's happening? Where will the money be? What will we be looking at during the 2060s? And so why? Naturally, which was kind of interesting what popped into my head as I'm holding my grandchild was like OK, what? And so all this is going on just just in this flash, and so I'm thinking about, well, in the 2060s or, well you know, 20 late 2050s. The 2060s will be celebrating the US and the former USSR, and Russia will be celebrating the centennial of the space program.
Anthony Hall:We'll be talking about all the achievements that we've done and then up to that point, whether it be space colonies, new space tourism businesses and all this stuff that's going on but will my grandchildren have a stake in that? Will there be opportunities for them? What about other kids? And so that was kind of what I was left with thinking about okay, how can grandpa make sure that my grandchildren's grandchildren can be stakeholders, innovators, not a captive audience, but captains of industry and enterprises, and what can I do to be a part of that? And so that kind of led me on this path of where I am now, having been on the road for the past celebrated 10 years on the road. In February of this year you know, february 1st 2014, I landed in Dar es Salaam, tanzania, on a two-week investigative trip to see if these concepts, these play-based learning concepts and games that I need to make for my great-kids. So I landed there, and it'll be only two weeks and now it's been two weeks and now yes.
Alethea Felton:And let me jump in here because I'm going to definitely talk about that, because everything you said was loaded but necessary, and I wanted to bring up the fact if we could just go back some in terms of your earlier origins, prior to you getting to this place and space that you're in now is that your career began in IT, as you said, and that at times, you found yourself occasionally to be the only person of color in different corporate meetings and trade shows and things of that nature. So take us back to those early days and talk to us about just what were some toughest challenges that you faced in that space. But how did those experiences shape your resilience and your drive to actually create what you do now? And if you could talk about that some.
Anthony Hall:Okay, then I have to give all credit to my parents to our parents as far as how they carried themselves, how they thought of themselves, but also how they raised us to think of ourselves as being no less and no greater than anyone and deserving of the same amount of respect, and that the gifts that we had were our responsibility to develop and to give back. And so, but, um, there's no, um, you know no, handouts in life. You know, um, that we have to be able to make our own way and we have to be responsible and accountable, but you know, you know. You know, look at somebody in the eye, shake my firm hands, shake, I mean, that was drilled and instilled into us, especially one thing of my stepfather, you know, you know, uh, you know, you know, and my mother, they were, they were involved in the civil rights movement and really about, you know, how do we, as you know, africans and africans in the diaspora, and whether it be of any African, or even that we have to be ourselves more than this past 400 years and so that we have a rich history and legacy and connection throughout the world?
Anthony Hall:And so the kind of conversations that were going around in our homes my parents would have rap sessions with folks in the neighborhood talking about what's going on and how can they be a positive influence in the community. I mean all those things kind of filtered down to, and so I would say that, as far as so, I didn't have any really typical difficult situations, because I was. It always came down to how I viewed myself and how I presented myself and how I went going in. I didn't go into these situations anywhere with a chip on my shoulder, you know. I mean, I mean I grew up in mixed neighborhoods and with school it wasn't in predominantly white. Well, early on it was predominantly white, but that quickly changed.
Anthony Hall:But I think it was the confidence in ourselves that our parents instilled in us, and strength and resilience that you know they didn't, you know they didn't coddle us yeah you know, they held us accountable and responsible early on, and, and, and I guess because I saw how people of different races responded to them, to my parents, and how they got along and how they treated everybody as the same. They didn't talk any different, they didn't behave any differently, they were themselves. And so, even when I find myself in situations like you know. So, my, my, my, my first job in the IT field was at a laptop computer company. They hired my power company there temporary to answer the phones. So I'm answering the phones. He's about to take a drink.
Alethea Felton:Uh-huh sure.
Anthony Hall:Answer the phone and really do you know. You know forward calls to the technical support department or the sales department and so forth, and so that first week, you know, I'm getting all these questions, and you know, but because of my curiosity, I also went back and wanted to find out, you know, why was this? You know why was this? So, you know, I wanted to understand and I just, you know, even though I was just answering phones, I still want to understand. And plus, I have interest in building things because, you know, early before the it field, I was in the construction trade. You know, digging digits, planting trees, building houses, fences and decks, and so so I had an interest in, you know, high tech in the construction trades.
Anthony Hall:Oh yeah, we had, we know. So, yeah, I didn't talk about some some uh, and so for me that was on par with a laptop computer. I mean the type of machinery that we worked with and tools that we had. And then a laptop was just another type of tool. But then, once I saw how the laptop was being put together by the engineers or the tech guys, and then that connection really became clear. You know, to relate, you know how building a laptop and putting that together is not that dissimilar from building a house, putting in electrical and plumbing and all that other stuff. So the veil of mystery dropped for me. Then I understood. It was like aha. And so by the end of the first week of me answering the phones, I was no longer transferring as many calls to the tech or sales department.
Anthony Hall:I was able to answer them myself because I was getting a lot of the same answers, but then I was also able to share what I had learned as well.
Anthony Hall:So, after that first week they hired me full time in the sales department. That was in 1992. And I haven't looked back. Silicon Valley has been my playground and school and I got paid to go to school. I got paid pretty good to go to school, to go to these different countries and to really appreciate that opportunity, how we can turn our imagination into an application, into a product. That's what these cats were doing in the early 80s and 90s and being a part of that, watching that happen and so that really, and so because I was able to really relate that the technology process and creative process and you know the technical and engineering process of that with my background in the construction trades, then I was able to relate stories and then, and so, even though at that time, yeah, you know this job I got hired into in the sales department of this laptop computer company.
Anthony Hall:I was the only black kid there you know, so, but also I was older okay, that was the thing, I was older.
Anthony Hall:I wasn't, you know, 92, I mean, I graduated in 1977 and so that was 15 years later, and so I'm in my 30s, but I mean I'm young, 30s as it were and so, you know, I had a base of experience as well and so, um, and, and a more of a surety of my identity at that point, more maturity as well, and so I, you know, I, I, I kind of sometimes I gloss over, I I read a red minute, I don't make that connection but that that played a big part of it as well, because I was older and comfortable with myself and comfortable talking to strangers and being just, you know.
Alethea Felton:Exactly.
Anthony Hall:But ultimately, it's really just about the relationships we build and how we open ourselves to relationships and taking responsibility for how we present ourselves, and so it's like something that your interview with Michael Gersh you know, a few weeks ago.
Anthony Hall:I enjoyed that interview and he made a point that I really echo and really believe in is that when we take responsibility for everything in our lives, and we take responsibility for everything that's happened, for how things have gone, and no longer looking to blame, but just realizing what our role is and that we have our to that you know we could have changed the narrative with a few decisions. We can look back and see that and so we can understand the trajectory of our course to this place that we now find ourselves.
Alethea Felton:So, and let me just kind of add in here too, is, with that experience in IT, coupled with the birth of your grandson, talk about the vision you had for stepping outside of that realm and creating your own business, your own platform. Ok let's talk about that. How did that vision come about? And then, more so than just how the vision came to be, but how did that vision evolve into creating a platform that actually affects children worldwide?
Anthony Hall:Right, right, ok, great, I appreciate that question. That's a great question. Connect their gifts and cultivate them in such a way that they could see themselves as having a career in the it field with encoding a program. You know, an innovator, you know, like I said, turning their imagination center, application, being able to articulate that. And so I was looking for games in order to find games that maybe out there that could help point them to, that. That would you know what would engage them and what, well, look, point them to that would engage them. What would engage me? I consider myself a big kid, anyway. I'm looking for something that would be engaging, that would be fun for a young child and on up.
Anthony Hall:I couldn't find anything that got me to think okay, if you can't find it, okay. Well, okay, grandpa, what you got, you got to make games, and so I decided I've always created games out of everything, and so I just turned now this newfound experience and understanding of application development and focused on okay, what could I? What could, what could I? You know what am I good at? You know what are some of the key things that would be. We need would be a way to focus on innovation, that they don't have to learn anything new, but it can take what they're already doing and then expose them to technology and show how it's embedded and how they're riding a skateboard or how they're creating a rap or poem and just unlocks some of those things to how it connects to technology and where it's going. And so that was where I started thinking about okay, you know really what, if I wanted to build something, if I wanted to build something, if I wanted to create something for them, for my grandkids, then it has to be dope it has to be of great value and continue
Anthony Hall:to give to them that it can grow and grow up with them. It had to give more value than what it would cost as far as building a product, but that that will continue to give value, continue to kind of. You know that'd be something that would ignite their internet intellect, you know, inspire their imagination and inform their identity. You know so that it really should really. So that was my thing. Okay, so if I'm making for my grandkids then it's like this is my heart. You know, this is what that's going to, this, this is my gift to them. And so you know, and also thinking okay, so, but not just for my grandkids. What about other young black boys and girls?
Anthony Hall:At the time, you know, I was trying to say say, focus on the who's your target audience?
Anthony Hall:Let's say six, six to nine. You know minority kids going up in inner city, urban, rural communities, but now that's turning to just, you know, kids of all size around the world. And so that you know, really it's been about unlocking not only curiosity and imagination but also also reconnect, connecting us, you know, young ones to that inner genius. You know that they all, we all, exhibit up to a certain age, but then certainly starts to wash down, but still resides within us. And so how do we reconnect to that child? We are inside, and so that was really what I was looking to do create something that, for me, would also connect to that child. We are inside, and so that was really what I was looking to do create something that, for me, would also connect to that child that I am inside. And what better way than to imagine okay, I'm nine years old, but with 50 years of experience in IT and all this work experience, okay, so, okay, we'll see what you got, grandpa, and so that then.
Alethea Felton:Real quick. How did you come up with the name of it?
Anthony Hall:Because it's Okay, so Trio, right, yeah, so the Rose of Education Organization.
Alethea Felton:Uh-huh.
Anthony Hall:Okay, so the Rose of Education Organization began as a article I wrote in like April of 2010. Yeah, and it was just my kind of rant as I'm, you know, because I was just experimenting now. Then, okay, start getting stuff out there, start connecting with people, because I already had this idea for the company and I was trying to figure out which way I was going to go. But I, doing this around and the article was called america. We have a language problem. I'm talking about language and how we use language and misuse and abuse it, and that we should think more of language as, like you know, to me, rose symbolizes universal language. I mean, with the rose, you can talk architecture, engineering, astronomy, you can talk, you talk art and science and all things. It speaks all of those languages and and compassionate. And so for me, you know, it really is about. You know, how can we turn, how do we turn our language into something that's as a gift, like a rose, our language into something that's as a gift, like a rose, and how do we, you know, how do we create this new way of being and speaking with each other? And so the idea, I liken, you know, the rose to language, and so the language of education, the rose of education, the language of education. That really really what we think about. You know, how do we change the language to and really attract all and really to engage and compel and inspire. You know, more entirely, and how do we speak to them in the many different languages that they speak, whether it be kinetically or the words, through um, through artwork, and so I wanted to make sure that how could I speak to all of these? These were not just one sensory input, but how can we develop for multiple sensory experiences, making more experiential and so and but so Trejo, so they have experiential and so and but so Trejo. So they have Trejo, so the Rose of Education, and so on, but Trejo as far as.
Anthony Hall:So let's go back to the vision, then, because that really would tell you, as far as I'm thinking. So I'm thinking about, okay, 50s in the future will be, you know, so I calculated 50 years. You know, november 24th, 2060, whichs and the 50s in the future will be, you know, so I I calculated 50 years, you know to, you know, november 24th, 2060, which would be the 50th anniversary of treyo, which is, um, you know so it was formed in november 24th and 2014, and so I'm 2010. And so, when the goal was so, how could, how could I make sure that my grandchildren's grandchildren will have stake, be stakeholders in this future?
Anthony Hall:And so it's like, well, um, um, you want to predict the future, you got to build it. So it's like, okay, all right. And so, um, that became then, um, my timeline you know that that and that became also helped me to focus on what did I see that we could do? That would be a big vision, but also, really, ultimately, to build a legacy. And so Freyo is a space tourism industry startup developing operations in education, entertainment and exploration. Our vision is to be the answer to the question what kind of games and sports will humanity play in space?
Anthony Hall:First thing you begin thinking about is Treo, and so we're developed. So that was kind of the vision that we will develop the games and sports humanity will play in space. But we'll also make sure that the children of the world are, like I said, not captive audience but our captains of industry, and so that that the platform, the company, would then be not only reaching out to my grandkids but the grandchildren around the world that it could be a vehicle for. Then you know that these games give a way to you know, identify, nurture and cultivate these young geniuses around the world and make them a part of this grand vision from the future, because in 50 years they'll all be grown. And so you know we, we're looking, that we have to build now.
Anthony Hall:If we're like you know, I, as a solopreneur, you know, know, have this big goal of building, competing with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson, and just end up at NASA, be a vendor from NASA or work for these, be part of the payload on some of these initiatives and ventures that I don't have to start building now. But how do we create a pipeline? So, since? So then what, what comes into play then is okay.
Anthony Hall:So how did I you know, when I was the sales director, director of business development for a software company, you know I managed to relate to strategic partners and relationships and manage the sales channel, you know build the relationships with partners, and so for me, that that was the way to build an international platform to launch our space ambitions would be to take those same things I did when I was in the corporate field and with my company. The ambition is too big for me to do on my own, but we know how to connect and connect the dots has always been one of my favorite favorite. We know how to connect. We know how to connect the dots. It's always been one of my favorite games, as well as puzzles.
Anthony Hall:And so then it became a matter of how does this puzzle come together and how do you connect all these pieces meaningfully? So not just all haphazardly, with no thought or strategy, but it's with a focus of building something with intent. And so you're connecting these pieces like you're building an engine or that, you're building an application or a house, and so there goes this planning and architecture, design. That's that's involved in that, and so those kind of you have to approach it that way as well. So, but I think yeah, answer the question yes yes, yes, you did so I gave you.
Anthony Hall:I gave you yeah, no, go, I'm sorry, go ahead yes, uh-huh.
Alethea Felton:so what? What I I want to do is ask this, because you've often spoken about the importance of nurturing unique gifts and talents of children. So, grandpa, reflecting on your own childhood specifically, I'm curious about this because, although this legacy is being built for your grandchildren, as well as other children around the world, think back to your own childhood, share any obstacles that you encountered in discovering and even cultivating your own gifts, and how you overcame that.
Anthony Hall:OK, I was very shy growing up. I stuttered.
Alethea Felton:Really you were shy.
Anthony Hall:Yeah, I hid behind my mom and said go out with these people.
Anthony Hall:Wow, yeah, you know, I mean, because it was, it was, it was hard for me to to get the words out because my brain was working so fast I couldn't get the words out.
Anthony Hall:But then, also, talking to people, it was like, you know, I couldn't understand folks, you know, like what they're saying didn't match their body language or their tone, and so it was just, I always get this, it's disconnect, and so I just, you know, I was, I was off my own head, but, but, and so, while I was shy in that aspect and it was hard for me to talk, and you know, and even sometimes, but not, but not that much with my friends, but because I was gifted athletically and excelled on the on the football field or baseball, you know that opened actually that.
Anthony Hall:You know that opened me up to more, having more social interactions with kids, and kids that I didn't know and and and gave me a lot of confidence, even though I didn't have as much confidence with adults. But I really, when I was thinking about this the other day, I was just kind of getting my mind around the interview, was that that really kind of helped me a lot to come out of um and and be not afraid to be to explore, because I grew up always being the first one picked or being people.
Anthony Hall:I wanted to, you know, or made captain. I never want to be a captain. Because I didn't want that response, I just wanted to play but you know. So I mean, I didn't, but, um, as far as you want to speak to people, you forget about that, or to be, you know, boisterous or company, but you know so it's like Michael Jackson, in a sense, that you know football, the football or baseball. That was my stage, that was my, I was at home there.
Alethea Felton:Yeah.
Anthony Hall:And so, but outside of that, you know, I was at home in my own head or at home there, yeah and so, but outside of that, you know, I was at home in my own head or at home, and so that was kind of where, where I lived, and so um and yeah but um no, so yeah, it was it was so it.
Anthony Hall:It was hard for me to make that connection. I mean, I just I don't know, I'm trying, I'm trying, I was trying to think about that, how that? You know that, that that made me cause that, you know that. You know I was in a good place as far as that's concerned.
Anthony Hall:But in other ways, but I didn't. But I didn't feel like any better than anybody, it was just fun and I didn't know, not ostracism or ridicule in certain sense, because I couldn't play ball or something like kids do. But stuttering, kids tease you about my big hands, my big feet, my big lips you know juicy lips, I mean. So I was teased incessantly, you know, because you know I was wearing a size 11 and I was in seventh grade. You know we're looking at this. I'm looking at this picture of myself on the on the seventh grade. You know the junior high school basketball team and I'm looking at these big boats. You know that I have with my feet.
Anthony Hall:And so you know and and, and so yeah, so but, and so yeah, and so I grew up with a great inferior, you know, sense of a complex about these things that now look back, man, you know, I mean I've grown into them and I just feel, you know, I feel you know the gifts that they are. So sometimes there are things that we don't recognize are gifts, are gifts. You know we're here and so how do we take what we are naturally and how do we embrace who we are and what we are naturally and make it a part of you know, embracing our identity and not allowing others to. They can't say who we are.
Alethea Felton:They're walking in our shoes.
Anthony Hall:They can't tell us who we are and what our experiences are. We have to do that for ourselves, the confidence of that, then, to articulate who we are. How do we get to know who we are? But how do we? You know, how do we get to know who we are?
Alethea Felton:And so the games really have been meant about how do we, how do we create not only games that are fun but also help you know individuals take a deep dive, if they want, into who they really are and what we really are all about, and discover and explore that, and so, and let me just and and let me add here too, the reason I asked that specifically and I think it's so important that I did and I loved your response to it is the fact that you're so intentional about how you awaken I like to say awaken discoveries in children that they may not have even known existed, and that I think that children need a voice and they all need an advocate. And the fact that you can recognize what your struggles were as a child because then I think it makes what you do for kids now even much more valuable is because you can empathize with that kid that might be that stutterer. I stuttered severely as a child, so I understand that. I understand that if you don't grow out of it after a certain age, you'll still have that stutter. I still have it.
Alethea Felton:But in public speaking realms it's okay, but in private and with my close, close friends you hear it a lot sometimes, but in the public light you don't hear it. I've learned how to control it. But also for that kid that was shy I was never shy, but in terms of that shy child, you give that child a voice also, and so that leads me to just kind of take it to this place in space of the fact that, yes, you are called a grandpa, but also sometimes you see that word combined grandpa, stork and stork is in all caps. So I'd like you to share with us what the creation of STORK and, of course, you will tell us what it means. I have it already, but I want you to share that, what the creation of STORK, that platform, represents. It represents, yes, a merging of. It represents, yes, a merging of passions for fitness, tech, et cetera. But I want you to talk about how Stork will actually shape the future of education and transform wellness for kids, along with a lot of other things.
Anthony Hall:OK, well, it's, you know. So, the stork. You know it's really, you know, and it's a component in the overall vision. You know. You know building a space tourism company. You know want to create these types of games, but also have a vision for a space colony that's designed by. You know, young people, that we will. So, so November 24th 2060, you're invited to a 50th anniversary party, so we'll be unveiling and inaugurating the Eden 3 moon colony. You know this will be a sustainable habitat, off-road habitat, designed by youth and steam teams. You know trails, roads, rockets, steam teams in places like East Africa, india, cambodia, nepal. You know all these. You know emerging countries, that these kids who grew up in these villages and mountainous villages and urban slums, and that they will all have been a part of this design. And so when you're building something like that, you know, okay, so there's a lot it's going to take, it's a lot of pieces and parts, and so the story came together initially. Okay, so what do I really? What do I want to?
Anthony Hall:You know, my vanity project was not a vanity project, but my kind of dream and goal was, okay, to build a flying surfboard like a silver surfer. Okay, so, because that was my first thought so how can I help my grandkids, you know, get into tech and and get interested in that? That's okay. Um, we like superheroes, like the idea of flying and so, okay, grandpa's, gonna build your flying. So I was like, nathaniel, build your flying machine, so we're going to learn how to fly together. You know, I figured I could do it.
Anthony Hall:The idea was to do a project. You know, do this, you know. So this is going to be one of Trejo's flagship props. You know the dragon's wing, you know highly maneuverable flying surfboard. You know for zero and low and um, you know low gravity. You know, uh, transportation, you know so that you know. So we have, we have that's one of the things that's on the drawing board. But that process that you, how would that look? How would I go about teaching them about that? And so the idea of turning it into a game, the development of this, of this flying surfboard, highly maneuverable, you know high speed. You know, basically, flying hoverboard. You know how would you build that, how would you design it and engineer it? And what, what was what? Not only how you build it, but what are the physical and mental rigors on the human body If you're, if you're on something like that, you know it's not as easy as as they make it look you know right iron man three or whatever so the idea was then okay, so how we simulate it?
Anthony Hall:okay, so now we get into application space. And so the idea was then to you know, um, create, you know, go through the process of the process of building and designing and conceptualizing would be one of the ways that could be used to and create, do it as a game, would be a way to expose. You know that you know the science, technology, engineering, art, math to that.
Alethea Felton:So the acronym itself STORC share what that means.
Anthony Hall:Okay, so STORC is an acronym and it really goes into explaining what the organization TREO is all about and what our focus is on and how we're, you know, and actually employs this acronymic naming convention that we're using, which is actually one of the games, a literacy game, you know, using acronyms as a way to teach coding and programmatic concepts and skills, and so we're introducing, even through the names of the games and even with Grandpa Stork, you know that concept, and so Stork. So the first one, first definition is space tourism, operation Real Kids. Real and kids are also acronyms, which I would, you know, explain and then, and it goes into it, will start to demonstrate the concept of how you can turn acronyms into a language, and we're looking to turn acronyms into machine language, to programmatic. You know, you know large language model using acronyms, and so we're starting to demonstrate that through even just the name, like the Stark and so and so. So Operation Real Kids really is about getting kids interested in, you know. So, space tourism. So it's education.
Anthony Hall:The education part of our focus has been first, and so what I've been doing the past 10 years, traveling around the world is is exposing these games and making partnerships and identifying organizations where who, who've seen the vision, they're kind of early adopters of the games that have conceptualized and polar-typed and gone to these different places to test and get some, you know, to iterate and feedback on, and so, as we do that, that's how it was kind of being built, but so connecting, making sure that these kids then would be part of that effort to create, to identify out of those, these groups, those would be part of the team, those who will be one part of the Rose team team that will be using to that will be leveraging and coaching and mentoring, and that they become the leaders and use their creative geniuses to help develop this way forward. I mean, they're they're the real ones who have all the answers, and so so we want to give them a platform to be the developers, be the innovators, and so so the real kids you know these are the ones who will be part of. You know our space academy, you know our space arc, and so we get so I mean the real kids were to create a space academy for them called the Space Arc, so Space Academy for real kids. So we, even so we're looking to you know we're doing the education, for we're building that kind of ecosystem, but also Stork and so but so and so there's this linear component, there's a physical component.
Anthony Hall:So the other definition for stork is sports technology, optimizing reflex kinetics. It's really kind of the discipline and exercise I've been coming up with to figure out okay you're, you're standing on the back of a surfboard or, in the case of the game, a dragon, stay on. What is it going to take? Awareness, balance, core strength, the ABCs of dragon flying.
Alethea Felton:As.
Anthony Hall:Grandpa Stork likes to talk about. Exactly the Stork in that context is the discipline, the flying discipline, to build up that stillness and that balance and that connection of mind-body, that mindfulness, awareness. And so if you practice yoga or you practice martial arts or dance, everything's about balance and being centered. And so standing on a challenging balance, like standing on the back of a dragon or a flying surfboard, how would you stand and move? Could you stay balanced, change perspective.
Anthony Hall:And so part of that.
Anthony Hall:So that, then, is not only exercise for the game and part of the you know, you know fitness program, but also part of the research for.
Anthony Hall:So the games actually, ultimately, are research for building some of the tech things that we have in mind.
Anthony Hall:You know, so, you know how, you know so the dragon's wing, you know a flying surfboard, you know the um acronym, you know programming language, you know maybe, ai, chatbot and all this stuff. So these games, then, are a way for us to give it out there and they become part of our development team, and so we're developing through the crowd and as stakeholders and they have, especially these organizations we partner with then they have an opportunity to um become you know, um, you know to to own, have to have ownership of programs and things that we build together that they no longer have to be as dependent upon you know programming, efforts to get money in, and so that they're you know ways, program and efforts to get money in and so that there are ways that we can work together to you know help, you know where, where all our benefit in and we continue to give back to these places. So so, yeah, so those are. That's kind of a short you know for Stork.
Anthony Hall:But, um, it's really meant to be a way that we can relate. You know the image of the stork. You know stork bringing you know new life, new, you know something new into being. You know like we're delivering a baby.
Alethea Felton:And so so.
Anthony Hall:So, with the stork delivering a dragon's egg, which is the type of MVP that we have that we'll be presenting, is kind of evocative of all these things and all the visions we have for the future. That all within this egg is a symbol of growth for the future, that all within this egg is a symbol of growth and you open it up and everything grows out of that. It's almost like a seed, and so we see this as just kind of just a necessary thing, and so there will be more that will are due to come, and so I mean, we're just 14 years into this 50 year business plan and vision, and so for me that was one of the things to do different not to be an
Anthony Hall:employee not to try to say what these ideas are, that we birthed them. For me, I thought it was like a truly birthing process. I've given birth to these concepts and ideas and you know, giving them a name, giving them a place to live online and you know you speak them through existence, through other conversations with people and all the background you give to them because of your story. You have people and all the background you give to them because of your story, and so doing that and honoring that and not trying to say, you know, this is how you're going to grow up and this is what you're going to be. It's like I wanted to take the time to see what did trail want to be, what did the real names game, or what did the Dragon's Egg? You know what did it want to be. What did the real names game or what did the Dragon's Egg? You know what did it want to be. How would kids in New Delhi play differently from kids in, you know, north Richmond, california?
Alethea Felton:Yes.
Anthony Hall:Or kids in Nepal, or kids in Cambodia, or young people or college students in even in Delhi that I went, so it's not just kids. I visited colleges and universities during my time two years in india and so we did a lot of the game development and play and speaking engagement there. Talking about the, the idea of, you know, imagination as part of the innovation and ideation process and play-based learning being something that needs to be, can help return curiosity to the, to the curriculum. But also, you know um, the drug abuse prevention organization in Tanzania, where you know there were about 12 men from twenties to their sixties and doing the same art, fitness and literacy program, using the dragon's egg and the literacy game to help them tap into their, you know inner youth. You know how would they? You know how do they view themselves in the past, present and the future, and you know how do they express that through through word or through or through their body or through through art, and so it's really multiple things.
Alethea Felton:Exploration, yeah yes, and and say if a person, because our time is starting to come to a close, but say if a person wanted to learn more or even see some of what you're talking about, so that they can help in the cause as well as inquire about more. Where is the best places that people can reach you online? Is it through your website, youtube? Tell us about that.
Anthony Hall:Okay, on YouTube you can find me. It's Grandpa's Story, so at grandpa's story, youtube. Also LinkedIn. And so I mean the Rose of Education. Like I said, it started as an article but then it grew into a. I formed it, I brought it online and gave it a home as the LinkedIn open group. So the Rose of Education September of 2010,. I formed it as an open group so that I can start connecting with and create a place where I can talk to teachers, educators, mentors and technologists about these concepts and to build that network and have a place where I could go and not have to look for them but just have conversations there. And then, when I was laid off in October, to build that network and have a place where I could go and not have to look for them but just have conversations there. And then, when I was laid off in October, of 2010,.
Anthony Hall:After being 13 years at the software company, a month later I incorporated Trail and I kind of saw the handwriting on the wall. So I kind of knew what I want to do that I was gonna start a company. Best way to Develop educational games for my grandkids would be to start a company to do that.
Anthony Hall:So that is what as trails really Focuses, kind of been to not only educate myself on that, on what it would take, because I don't know that about space, space industry, space tourism you know about, you know about, you know. So I need to connect with all those folks and so I spent a lot of time learning it's been the first three years just learning, connecting, networking, and then after that for years.
Anthony Hall:Okay, now it's time to take the show on the road. So in 2014, beginning February. So let's just take these concepts and see how they work in the wilderness. Let's take this rose and see if we can plant it in the wilderness and see what comes up. And so we found fertile soil in every place that we've traveled to, have traveled to. So LinkedIn, you know. So I've mentioned that about LinkedIn, because so that's where I've been documenting this whole journey.
Alethea Felton:That's right. And then also, when I tell you y'all, he has a phenomenal LinkedIn page, as well as just an overall social media presence in terms of YouTube, linkedin, et cetera, and he's definitely somebody that you want to connect with and learn more from. And, of course, educators, principals, directors in school systems. His innovations, grandpa's innovations are absolutely out of this world and you know, I wish we just had a segment where we could go through all of the videos and just look and see what's being done. But I do have a closing question for you and just kind of summarize this in your own words but when all is said and done, when that 2060 anniversary comes, what do you want your grandchildren to look back on and remember most about you?
Anthony Hall:Imagination. You know, I think I kind of made you know the idea of the hashtag for Trails is just imagine, Just imagine, Just in that, to just be able to imagine that little bit of legacy of curiosity and wonder and imagining, and to dream and that I was a powerful dreamer. Yes, indeed. That I was not being afraid to chase our dreams, because they inform us about you, know who we are and what we can be, and so yeah, you know and about itself.
Anthony Hall:By that time, I mean, I'll be, I'll be 101, uh-huh so, and you will be right there that day and so I'm, I'm, that's what I'm trying to be I want to so, besides the uh call, you know, moon, moon colony, I want to be coming in on a prototype of the Dragon's Wing.
Alethea Felton:That's right.
Anthony Hall:Flying in on the hoverboards.
Alethea Felton:I can see that. I can see that now imagination and creativity into children globally, around the world, even in certain countries where they might not have resources immediately to them. You are giving them a platform and a space and a place where they can just be and enjoy their childhood but also think about their future, and you are indeed changing the world, and I thank you sincerely for being a guest on the Power Transformation Podcast. Thank you.
Anthony Hall:Thank you, alethea. It was an honor to be here, and God bless.
Alethea Felton:Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe, leave a five-star rating and write a review. It helps us inspire even more listeners. And don't keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who could use a little power in their transformation. Until next time, keep bouncing back, keep rising and be good to yourself and to others.
