Last week, I had a hope-filled day.

I spent all day meeting with entrepreneurs.  I met founders from all over.  I started in the morning meeting start-up folks from Europe: Estonia, Paris, Spain, and London. In the latter part of the day, I then met with a new team from our local area here.  In the evening, I hung out a bit at the Harvard Innovation Lab (thank you, Bill Schnoor!).

What struck me was this: the entrepreneurs’ eyes looked the same.

Sure, they were of varying ages, and from different backgrounds and nations.  They had different perspectives, accents, and business ideas.  But, here’s what was cool: all of them, every single one of them, had eyes that shimmered.  In each of them, there was a palpable level of passion and commitment.

It was incredibly uplifting for me.  Reading the “mainstream” media, which I do every day, can be a downer.  The news about Greek debt, layoffs, political gridlock, and poverty can be a bummer.

But, I always feel a surge when I meet entrepreneurs.  They have hope.  And, hope is infectious.

We need more hope in America.  We need more entrepreneurs!