Welcome back to The Sunstone Way.
There are lots of ways to do some good in this world. One of my favorites is to pay it forward.
What’s That Mean?
Do you have children? If so, then you are paying it forward when you care for them – just as your parents did for you.
I hope to repay my parents directly for their many kindnesses and support, too. Still, by providing for Ben and Christopher, giving them opportunities like my parents gave to me, I am paying it forward.
It’s important to take this concept into the world, too. I’ve been blessed, and want to share that blessing whether that means giving to charity or buying a cup of coffee for the person behind me at the coffee shop.
Others have shared their wisdom with me over the years, either formally in school or informally in business settings, social affairs, and friendly conversations. It’s important to pay it forward by sharing that information with others, too.
Global Idea
This pay it forward concept is far from exclusive. Did you know that there’s an international Pay It Forward Day? It’s this coming Sunday, April 27.
There are more than 80 countries where the day is celebrated, and more than 100 cities and states in the United States have issued proclamations recognizing the day.
An outfit promoting Pay It Forward Day says they want to inspire more than 20 million acts of kindness around the world that day. I’m not sure how they are going to count that up, but I’m going to do my part. How about you?
On the Business Side
In many ways, Sunstone is based on the principles of paying it forward. Our efforts to help young entrepreneurs surely qualify. Just this week, we helped with the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge at USC Price, where graduate students got real world experience working with Southern California municipalities.
Our founder, John Shen, and his partner (and Sunstone board member) Stella Zhang paid it forward in a big way by founding the Sunstone Community Fund, a nonprofit donor-advised fund. It makes grants to serve as a catalyst to grow university-based incubators, early-stage tech accelerators in partnership with local governments and other endeavors to support diverse startup founders.
It really is a feel-good moment to see the difference paying it forward can make. This weekend, you can experience that feeling – and the feeling of accomplishment after completing a 5K at the same time!
Irvine Dream Run Time
The Second Annual Irvine Dream Run is here – this Saturday, April 26, to be exact. We join with American Lending Center to sponsor the event, which includes both a 5K and a 3K – this year it will be the Unicorn 3K Family Fun Run.
All the proceeds go to the Sunstone Community Fund to help pay it forward even more. Fun fact – pay it forward is also known as “serial reciprocity,” meaning passing the good on several times.
You can still participate, even if you haven’t signed up yet. Registration is still open at this website, and you can even sign up on the morning of the race.
A Beautiful Morning
This year’s event is at the Orange County Great Park, next to the iconic giant Orange Balloon. The 5K run/walk will start at 7:30 a.m., with the unicorns running an hour or so later.
If you are up to it, you can even run in both. I did that last year – a bit of a workout!
There will be lots of other activities. A post-race expo will include a bouncy house, live music, food trucks, vendor booths and more.
Every entry includes a race shirt, a finisher’s medal, and a finish line photo. There’s also a VIP entry where you get special sunglasses and a headband.
But the biggest prize is the satisfaction of knowing you are paying it forward, helping to make a difference. And that’s the Sunstone Way!
Remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2025