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New series from HP pinpoints the moment where executives’ lives changed

Candid interviews with tech leaders in the birthplace of Silicon Valley, the Hewlett-Packard garage.

By Lauren Grayson — July 26, 2022

Within the 12x18-foot cramped, shingled walls of a Silicon Valley garage, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started what became their namesake technology company more than eight decades ago in Palo Alto, California. Barely large enough to fit a small car, the garage was restored 15 years ago with period furniture, a metal workbench, and even textbooks on audio and electrical engineering from nearby Stanford University.

Despite its dusty interior, it’s the perfect backdrop to film a new interview series from HP, The Moment, that aims to capture the moments in time that changed its subjects — Silicon Valley legends in their own right — for the better and ultimately gave rise to their careers. What better space to remind them, and us, how humble beginnings can lead to something big?

**WATCH: The Moment with Ryan Patel**

For Ryan Patel, the series’ host and an authority on the economy, global business, and corporate governance, the concept of the garage ignited a sense of responsibility and motivation to highlight stories in a way that resonates with a global community.

“The Moment allows us to have the conversations that are happening in the trending news and in board rooms today,” Patel says. “We want to grab all groups of people — communities of all ages — to sit back and not just enjoy the conversation, but be better educated and learn from each other.”

For HP’s Chief Executive Officer, Enrique Lores, that moment was 33 years ago in Spain when a group of the company’s engineers spoke passionately about printers and presented a program to bring European students to the United States. It led Lores to pursue an engineering internship at HP in 1989, where he helped develop inkjet printer technology.

The first episode of The Moment features HP's CEO Enrique Lores with Ryan Patel.

As a young man beginning his career, Lores quickly learned the value of treating others with respect — something he applies every day to his professional and personal life. As one of the few Hispanic CEOs in the United States, his leadership encourages others to follow by envisioning the “bigger picture.”

“We need to stay true to that long-term vision, always grounded in our values, always challenging the status quo… and always asking ourselves not only what more we can be doing, but how we can be doing it better,” he says.

While being light-hearted and inspirational, the new short film series also tackles many of the issues society is facing today. The persistent climate crisis, injustice and discrimination, a global pandemic, and polarizing legislation call for everyone to act by seizing moments, big and small, that keep us moving forward.

“Do not let the constraints of today’s challenges prevent you from pursuing the promise of tomorrow’s opportunities,” Lores says.

Featured in the second episode is Eric S. Yuan, founder and chief executive officer of Zoom, whose moments of perseverance ultimately made the video chat and meeting service a household name for millions during the pandemic.

Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan interviewed by Ryan Patel in the HP garage in Palo Alto

Ryan Patel (left) with Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom, in HP's Silicon Valley garage.

Despite being denied entry from his birthplace, China, into the United States eight times before being accepted in 1997, Yuan went on to become a leader at enterprise conferencing company WebEx before striking out to start Zoom in 2011.

He shares that places like the garage inspired him from a young age.

“When I was a kid, I was so fascinated by all the greatest stories, like the HP garage story, and I knew someday I wanted to conquer Silicon Valley,” he says.

In the third film in the series, HP’s Chief Diversity Officer Lesley Slaton Brown, invites everyone to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion. The former NCAA basketball player not only sheds light on the importance of leading, but also listening.

“You have to listen, you have to hear the voices, the needs of the underrepresented because in large part, that’s where your greatest innovation is coming from,” Slaton Brown says. “I think we have a brighter future and still a lot of work to do, but it takes us holding our heads up high and making sure that as we’re walking down that path, we’re looking to see who’s on the side or behind us to bring them down that pathway with us.”