This week, Doria Cordova, is going to be sharing about gratitude – the meaning of Thanksgiving for her – by bringing her Special Guests, Marshall Thurber and Bobbi DePorter – together for the first time in this global event. They are the co-founders of the original Burklyn Business School for Entrepreneurs – which through the years evolved into the current version of the Excellerated Business School for Entrepreneurs – and from which the Money & You program was created in late 1978 – unbeknownst to Doria.
On February 1979, Marshall called Doria to see if she wanted to attend an offshoot program from the Business School. She had moved to San Francisco from her beloved Hawaii to be close to the very successful organization, Burklyn Enterprises (BE), which was creating a non-existent (mid to late ‘70’s) training industry by demonstrating a new way of doing business.
Doria was in love again. The Burklyn Business School had been such a wondrous experience of learning entrepreneurship, business principles and models, consciousness and health. When she was a participant in this new program called Money & You, she was in love again – and that she had found her true work where she could actualize her newly found life purpose. It was a dream come true. And she started the promotion / management of this new program. On November 21st, 1979, the day before Thanksgiving, Marshall gave her 50% of the Intellectual Rights to this program. She felt that she had won the Lottery.
To give you a little more history, Burklyn Enterprises (BE) was creating educational programs like the Business School to teach the combination of proven, successful business principles and Human Potential tools and practices that had been created, developed, applied and integrated into daily practices at their original business, Hawthorne Stone. This was a real estate development company that was founded by three partners, including Marshall Thurber. Bobbi DePorter came in early in the development of this successful company that was not only extremely profitable – had made the partners millionaires in just a few years – but also was demonstrating in real time a social movement that was taking ahold in the American landscape.
There were probably only a few business owners / leaders that were applying these new principles in a business setting. It was a Revolution in Business.
Self-Actualization Through Profitable Business was the first Burklyn Business School’s purpose. Doria lived by that purpose until 1985 when she personally met the wondrous Indian Guru, Sai Baba, whose purpose in life was Uplifting Humanity’s Consciousness. She resonated with that purpose instantly… Of course, being a young woman in her mid-30’s, she felt that her mere presence and mostly logistical systems teachings, at the time, could not be actualized until she was way into her 90’s or 100’s – so she added “Through Business”. That stated purpose continues to this day. It was only a dozen years ago that she added “Socially-Responsible” to the wording – though it had been true back in 1985, the world was not ready to truly comprehend what that meant – now it’s becoming a daily trend – and thank God for that!
Marshall and Bobbi are true trend setters. Buckminster Fuller (the world-renowned scholar and inspiration of this work) said:
“Marshall Thurber is an evolutionary event in our time”
They have been at the “fringes” of business, education and transformation from the beginning. That’s the work that is carried by all Excellerated programs. In Wikipedia their work is described as that they co-founded “an avant-garde school that taught traditional business subjects in a non-traditional manner.”
Along with a team of committed entrepreneurs and educators, unbeknown to them, they led the co-creation of the Entrepreneurial, Experiential, Transformational Training Industry as we know it today.
Through the Business School / Money & You and other Excellerated programs, some of today’s most successful wealth and business experts got their start or made distinctions in their lives that allowed them to accelerate their process, their progress, clarify their purpose to make a big difference in other people’s lives through educational programs or their business / organization – whether for- or not-for-profit. The list of Money & You graduates reads as a Who’s Who list of masters and experts – thus, this work has positively impacted the lives of millions globally.
Doria was a student at the first Business School – and she learned the entrepreneurial principles so well, she ended up inheriting all the intellectual rights to the Excellerated programs on July 8, 1985. At the time, she looked around for the best candidates to be her business partners and continue with this work.
There were two. One a young Japanese businessman who had attended the Money & You program in Hawaii in 1980. He already deeply appreciated the work, but at the time he didn’t register for any of the advanced programs – not until he got a letter from our organization letting him know that after the next Burklyn Business School scheduled in California, there was going to be an additional six-day program entitled The Future of Business with the legendary R. Buckminster Fuller. Those six days were going to be immersed with him sharing his teachings personally. Robert T. Kiyosaki enrolled for that Business School and barely being able to afford the second program, volunteered to be part of the logistical team that was going to support the program.
The production of that event was led by the partners of the Business School. After the cancellation of a professional video crew coming from Los Angeles, the late Randolph Craft, led the filming of that historical event – and put his buddy, Kiyosaki, to be one of the videographers of the event. That’s when Robert fell in love with Bucky Fuller – and the Excellerated work. He became an avid supporter. Helped Doria Cordova promote the programs in Hawaii in 1982. Became a part of the Instructors’ Training Program (ITP) and by the time Doria had retired from the work late 1984, he had become a partner with Marshall Thurber, Blair Singer, Dr. Judy Orloff and Dwight O’Neill in running the business.
That lasted a few months. On July 8, 1985, Doria returned and took back leadership of the organization and has successfully kept this work alive until this day. Doria chose Kiyosaki because of his commitment to the work, his brilliance in marketing, and his ability to pivot at a moment’s notice. Lateral thinking is one of Kiyosaki’s greatest gift – aside from his great sense of humor. A perfect partner to continue the work. They were business partners for nine years, including his then-wife, Kim Kiyosaki who became a partner after a few years. We successfully expanded the original style of experiential, transformational training for entrepreneurs through the Asia Pacific region until mid-1994 when the Kiyosaki’s went on to build their next empire. Many of the “OG’s” in that part of the world are graduates – or were taught by graduates of Excellerated programs.
This work was the foundation of the first Rich Dad book – that that the Kiyosakis and Sharon Lechter went on to develop around investing, financial literacy and uplifting humanity’s financial awareness. It was through the principles taught and developed not only in the Excellerated programs but also in the transformational field, that Doria supported Robert in attracting his next magnificent partner, Sharon Lechter, whose track record in education, publishing and mastery of financial literacy are par to none.
The second partner that Doria had chosen in July 1985, Dwight O’Neill, was part of the organization for the first six months, and then went on to lead his own events and continue his work in transforming education along with his beloved wife, Merle O’Neill, until his passing in July of 2020. They loved the work and Bucky Fuller so much, they named their first born, Bucky.
Doria is so grateful for not only the gift that Marshall and Bobbi bestowed to her, but also the countless amazing human beings that have been and continue to be part of this educational revolution. For the many promoting partners, instructors, program directors, staff, graduates of the work from the very beginning and in all languages. For the business partners through the decades. For her teachers / mentors / masters who have influenced this work and her growth.
Doria is clear that she stands on the shoulders of some of the greatest experts and masters who have committed their lives to the betterment of humanity – and integrating these principles in their industries – and particularly the transformation of education so that we can live in a world that works for 100% of humanity – as inspired by Bucky Fuller.
Just look at the list who have taught in the original Burklyn Business Schools and then in the new version of the work, the Excellerated Business School for Entrepreneurs through the decades: https://www.globalexcelleratedbusinessschool.com/notableinstructorssince1978/
Doria is dedicating this event to share the gratitude that she holds in her heart for the creators of this work – and all the great masters – some still with us – and those who have moved on to the heavenly realms. Her heart lives in gratitude daily – and Thanksgiving being her favorite American holiday, is a time to share it publicly.
We hope you join us!
If you have registered before for a Fridays With Doria & Friends event before, you’ll automatically receive the link again… if not, just click below – and welcome!
He is a futurist, an educator, editor, scholar, inventor, negotiator, author, visionary, businessman, public speaker; and has been an attorney and real estate developer.
Not only did he create the original Excellerated curriculum, he also created what he called The Positive Deviant Network, The Essence of Deming – based on the work of the Productivity Genius, Edwards W. Deming. The Accounting Game (granted a US patent), The Future of Business, Secrets of Powerful Presentations, Successful Secrets of the 21st Century and Make Change your Ally.
In his private consulting business, Marshall has consulted for high profile clients that include: ITT Industries, Sheraton Hotels, The US Navy, Ernst & Young, Panavision, Neill Corporation, Hewlett Packard, GTE, The Neenan Company, Systems West, Bentley Management Corp., Liberty Helicopters, Columbia Artists Management Inc., Mendocino Forest Products, and Chicken Soup for the Soul Books.
In the late 1970s, Thurber co-founded the Burklyn Business School in Vermont. It was designed to teach both the global principles of cooperation he learned from Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller and the contextual principles of the Human Potential movement. These had been demonstrated in his own businesses. By utilizing Superlearning Technologies™ (for maximum memory retention), simulations, music, and graphics, Thurber’s teaching is known for being powerfully effective, fun, memorable and leading edge.
This successful individual, along with two partners, started a highly successful real estate firm in California. Attention became focused on this company and Thurber started sharing his business theories and methods with others. Today, thousands of people worldwide actively use “Thurber Techniques” in their daily lives.
He also is a partner in the Positive Deviant Network. This is a network of very success individuals who are committed to positive social change and the abundant living context of Buckminster Fuller. In addition, Marshall is Chairman of the Board of Empowergy, Inc, a company whose predictable transformational system elevates the rest to perform like your very best.
Currently, he has developed the FullerLifeC69 effective antioxidant for health. He is an avid learner and continues to research the trends of the future.
She is the President of the Quantum Learning Network (QLN) and co-founder of the SuperCamp program. The world’s leading teen education program that has inspired many of today’s transformational teen education methods globally.
In the late 1970s, DePorter was a co-founder of the Burklyn Business School in Vermont – DePorter studied with Dr. Georgi Lozanov, who developed Accelerated Learning and applied his methods at the school.
In 1982, DePorter teamed-up with Eric Jensen and Greg Simmons to co-found SuperCamp – a summer camp program designed to introduce teenagers to accelerated learning academic skills and valuable life skills. The SuperCamp program is now run by QLN and is held annually at several locations across the United States and around the world. Since 1982, more than 50,000 students worldwide have attended SuperCamp.
They have changed the lives of millions of young people worldwide through SuperCamp and Quantum Learning Education programs.
SuperCamp engages, encourages and transforms several thousand students worldwide each year. Teens from more than 80 countries have attended SuperCamp.
In 1992, Bobbi and her husband and business partner, Joe Chapon, developed Quantum Learning Education for K-12 school programs for students, teachers and administrators. Today the QLE program is part of professional development programs in districts around the country.
Bobbi is the author of more than a dozen educational books, published in seven languages. She has been honored with the Readers’ Choice for Fast Company magazine’s “Fast 50“ list of leading creative thinkers, and has received humanitarian awards from the Transformational Leadership Council (2010) and from Parenting 2.0 (2012). She is a past President of the International Alliance for Learning, and a past Chairman of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable for Best Educational Practices
Bobbi is frequently asked to appear on television, radio news, and talk shows, and has participated in segments on CNN, NPR, Voice of America, and even Russia’s “Good Evening Moscow.”
SuperCamp has been profiled in leading magazines and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Entrepreneur magazine.
Additionally, SuperCamp was honored in the Touch America: Showcase of Model Learning Programs, in Washington, D.C.
The parent organization of SuperCamp and Quantum Learning Education is the Quantum Learning Network (QLN). QLN offers a range of programs and products that enhance learning environments and teaching skills in schools and empower students, families, and individuals with learning and life skills. QLN’s mission is to change the lives of 50 million children.
This Global Platform is brought to you by the Excellerated Business Schools® / Money & You® organization that was the pioneer the entrepreneurial, experiential, transformational education industry. Since 1979, they have had over 165,000 graduates from over 85 countries, in English, Chinese, Hindi and Japanese. The work has positively affected millions around the world since many of today’s wealth and transformational leaders have applied and grown their organizations and empires using the principles taught in the Excellerated programs.
To see the extraordinary instructors who have taught in the Excellerated Business School® for Entrepreneurs (originally known as Burklyn Business School) since 1978:
