Summary: <a href="http://www.gayleallen.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Blog-Post-Madison-Maxey.png"></a>At 16, <a href="http://www.madisonmaxey.com/">Madison Maxey</a> was the youngest to intern at<a href="http://usa.tommy.com/"> Tommy Hilfiger</a>. Shortly after that, she founded her company, <a href="http://www.experiments.thecrated.com/">The Crated,</a> a product innovation studio focused on second-generation wearable technology. Then, she went to college, like she was supposed to do.<br> But for Maddy, there was a disconnect between the feelings that she received from her work and sitting in college classes.So after one semester of college, she dropped out to accept a <a href="http://thielfellowship.org/">Thiel Fellowship</a>. Since then her work has been featured in <a href="http://www.wired.com/">Wired,</a> <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/">Fast Company</a>, and <a href="http://nymag.com/">New York Magazine</a>, and she has provided wearable tech insights to the likes of the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/">White House </a>and <a href="https://www.google.com/">Google</a>. She has been named a founder to watch by <a href="http://women2.com/">Women 2.0 </a>and is an Entrepreneur in Residence at <a href="https://generalassemb.ly/">General Assembly</a> and an Artist in Residence at <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/">Autodesk</a>. <br> This week, in a special edition of <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/curious-minds-innovation-inspiration/id1049183266?mt=2">Curious Minds</a>, I share interviews with four young people, ages 18-22, each of whom decided either to drop out or never attend college, in order to pursue work that mattered to them. Each is either a current or past recipient of a <a href="http://thielfellowship.org/">Thiel Fellowship</a>, a program founded in 2011 by <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/peter-thiel/">Peter Thiel</a> to encourage young people to sidestep college and a traditional life path, in order to chart their own course as entrepreneurs.<br> In this episode you will hear Madison talk about:<br> <br> innovations in wearable technology<br> what motivated her to learn programming<br> why she dropped out of college after one semester<br> her eagerness to be a Thiel Fellow<br> her passion for costume design and design optimization<br> what her parents thought about her decision to drop out of college <br> her policy of You Do You<br> the importance of finding your tribe<br> how communication skills inform her work<br> her work in relation to the Maker Movement<br> how uncertainty is a natural part of innovation<br> why young people should be working on projects right now<br> how she had to learn the skills of time management<br> her curiosity about teamwork, collaboration, and community in relation to a goal<br> <br> Links to Topics Mentioned in this Podcast<br> <a href="http://www.squarespace.com/">Squarespace</a><br> <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/">Fitbit</a><br> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_modeling_and_fabrication">Digital Fabrication</a><br> <a href="http://www.wired.com/2010/06/gallery-smart-textiles/">Textile Circuits</a><br> <a href="https://generalassemb.ly/">General Assembly</a><br> <a href="http://thielfellowship.org/">Thiel Fellow</a><br> <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/artist-in-residence/home">Pier 9</a> in San Francisco<br> <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/">Autodesk</a><br> <a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047066570X.html">Computational Design</a><br> <a href="http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/03/11/all-in-one-3d-printer-cnc-machine-laser-engraver-funded/">3D CNC Machine</a><br> <a href="http://time.com/104210/maker-faire-maker-movement/">The Maker Movement</a><br> <a href="http://david.heinemeierhansson.com/">David Heinemeier Hansson</a><br> <a href="https://basecamp.com/about">Basecamp (formerly 37Signals)</a><br> <a href="https://en.wikipedia."></a>
