A Tribute to Mario Marchetti

I was working in MIT Media Lab Europe in 2001, as a Principle Research Scientist, when I met Mario Marchetti for the first time. Media Lab Europe was a collaboration between the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of technology and the Irish Government, to establish a state of the art research center as the anchor tenant in the newly established Digital Hub in the Liberties area of Dublin. The Digital Hub itself was part of a larger Integrated Area Plan designed to bring innovation and enterprise to the Liberties area, where in the past the area had not got the public investment it deserved.

The mandate for Media Lab Europe was to invent innovative technologies to enable and empower people generally. I had the wild idea (I did not think it was wild at the time!) that the lab should support a Computer Clubhouse on its campus, to enable young people in the area to access the same kind of amazing technological tools that we had in the lab, and that volunteer mentors in the lab would teach the young members how to use those tools. The aim was to create confidence and curiosity in the young members whilst giving them real technical skills useful in the Digital Age.

To be fair to the lab, the management supported the endeavour (and actually committed floor space to the entity), with the caveat that it had to be run by another organisation, and that its on going sustainability was not the labs concern.

Intel agreed to fund the Clubhouse for three years but I needed help finding an organisation to run it.

Enter the ‘Hairy One’. (I will explain this later).

I had some limited experience in Youth services (from my rather unorthodox past) and approached the City of Dublin Youth Services (CDYSB) for help.

And it was here that I met the ‘Hairy One’, Mario Marchetti.

So began a wonderful journey which would very quickly become a fantastic friendship.

In our very first meeting Mario eyed me up with that wise and considered stare that was truly unique and, whilst stroking his beard, asked me one key question:

‘The initiative sounds great. Why are you doing this? Please assure me that this is not one big publicity stunt because the people in the area have been let down far too often’

(Or words to that effect)

I was caught off guard. My answer went something like this:

‘If the Computer Clubhouse makes a difference to one young person, who otherwise would not get the opportunities it offers, I would be happy’

And that was it. He gave me a hug! This big, burly man, dressed in biker leathers gave me a blooming hug. It transformed the conversation.

Those hugs were to be the signature opening and closing of all interactions we had going forward.

Mario identified SWICN (the South West Inner City Network) as the organisation that should run the Clubhouse. He setup the meetings with the key people. We arranged a lease. He helped design the governance structure and he provided the full youth services portfolio of CDYSB to support the project. This included mentoring courses, child protection courses, basic counselling skills etc. He even arranged for CDYSB to have a permanent presence in the Clubhouse for the first couple of years, all of which proved crucial for its success.

There were bumpy moments. There was a trip to Boston with the team to ‘learn’ how to run a Computer Clubhouse (the team collectively had decades of youth experience between them!). There was mis-understandings, mistakes made, personality challenges - all typical problems when a new innovative initiative is in its early stages. And through it all the ‘Hairy One’ was there to steer us through the storms.

In that time I came to have the highest respect for Mario.. No problem was ever insurmountable. He brought a calm assured presence to everything. He never lost his cool (I did regularly). He brought vast experience and wisdom to the project when and where it was needed most.

I fondly remember one story where we both had to go to the management of Media Lab Europe to formally reject their notion of only allowing one floor of the temporary building to the Computer Clubhouse.

Just before the meeting, Mario educated me in a relaxation technique that involved some breathing exercises and a half lotus sitting position. I was enjoying the exercise so much that I was still in the half lotus position humming the word ‘om’ when the management came in for the meeting.

We still won our case (eventually)!

Media Lab Europe closed its doors early 2005.

Not many people know this (my family and very close friends do) but I experienced an extremely challenging episode in my life near the end and shortly after the close of Media Lab Europe. I took a very idealistic stand against some really powerful people (and quite honestly extremely nasty and ruthless people) and paid the price. I was held to blame, either side of the Atlantic, for the labs failure when nothing could be further from the truth. The brilliant group of researchers that I had the privilege to work with and lead, were one of the most successful groups in Media Lab Europe. Ideas, inventions and companies have all spun out of that immensely talented bunch of people and I still consider it one of the most stimulating times in my life despite the awful politics.

Whilst I was in the depths, Mario become my unofficial counselor. He would meet me regularly, help me in those relaxation exercises and remind me constantly to look after myself because I was no use to anyone if I was ill. I would get texts at all hours in the night that ranged from funny jokes, to insightful quotes and always the offer to meet up, hug and chat any time I needed it...

He was just a brilliant friend when I needed friendship most.

This is the first time I have put this truth out in the public.

Its a small parting gift to my friend, the ‘Hairy One’.


The clubhouse survived the collapse of Media Lab Europe. And it was in no small measure due to Mario. He championed the project within CDYSB. He convinced the powers there to support it as an innovative project going forward. Little pockets of funding kept flowing in. We found some private funding and some brilliant staff and slowly the Clubhouse began to find its own two feet.

Storm clouds were looming. Public funds were tightening. The youth sector was one of the first public services to really feel the pinch as the financial collapse beckoned.

And in that time Mario kept the Clubhouse visible and valuable to key stakeholders so that it survived. He did it for long enough to allow more long-term public and private funds to ensure its work continued.

All the while our friendship grew.

We would meet for coffee, hug, share life stories, laugh insanely at some daft situation either of us had found ourselves in (and there were many!) hug again and then go our separate ways.

He called me the ‘Clever One’ and I called him the ‘Hairy One’. You might think he was offering me a compliment. He wasn’t. We both knew that our intelligence is not measured by the number of degrees you have to your name. True intelligence, in both our minds, is measured by our ability to manage our emotions and in particular our emotional responses to people and their plight. By this measure he was far more intelligent than I was and so him calling me the ‘Clever One’ was really him asking the question:

 ‘You think you are clever eh?’

I called him the the ‘Hairy One’ because he was. Certainly relative to me. There was no ambiguity there.

In the last few years ago he introduced me to a place called the Sanctuary. This was a project very close to his heart. The Sanctuary is a physical space in the north of Dublin, supported by Focus point, for people to express and deal with emotional turmoil and find inner stillness.

It gives you a real insight into the inner workings of Mario. He really cared about peoples suffering. He genuinely wanted to help. He was constantly on the side of those with no voice and never shy to challenge the structures that created injustice.

He has left us to soon and I am truly devastated. Over the last year we promised one another that we would meet up for the usual session, bookmarked with those trademark hugs, but it never happened. I was in the process of moving my family to Tasmania and I got swamped. I regret not having that meeting and I hope this tribute goes some small way to addressing that.

My dear friend the Hairy One, I hope you are in a good place (stroking your beard with that unique thoughtful look of yours). You left us so unexpectedly, and to soon, but let it be known that you are fondly remembered by us all. We will not forget your wonderful spirit, gentle presence and compassionate nature. You are sorely missed.

It is so true that the quiet, peaceful path makers leave the most tears behind when they depart because suddenly the light is less bright, the path is that little bit harder to traverse and the calm consoling presence we took so much for granted is gone in a whisper.

You were one of those souls Mario. I will truly miss you.

Gary

19/2/15