A SPECIAL THANKSGIVING & GRATITUDE EVENT

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 21^st, 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 dedicated this event to sharing 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, was a time to share it publicly.