Finding the silver linings in 2020 and beyond

By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer

Every day is truly a gift. But do we always feel that way? We must look for the silver linings, regardless of the shape of the clouds and the color of the sky. We should approach each day with gratitude, thinking about how we can make positive changes in our own lives — and most importantly in the lives of others. How can we do a little bit more each day, with the technology and tools we leverage in our every day?

How do we embed that sense of gratefulness and empathy into our technology, our business models, in order to positively impact more people? Everywhere we look, data is at the center of our daily life. By sharing data for the greater good, we all become data scientists, each person, each company a component of this greater shift toward improving the daily lives of more of our society. We each have decisions to make about the impact of our work and the impact of our roles within our workplaces. Where do we start?

For one thing, we can get companies to collaborate much more — so that we can advance technology faster and in more meaningful ways. In return, how do we empower more people to voice their ideas — and change the perception of what is possible? How do we create a culture where business slogans are not merely words spoken and empty promises made; rather, they are backed by truly meaningful actions and purposeful services with consequential impact?

In every corporate environment — enabling this culture starts with hiring. Many companies hire for culture fit, where they look for people that they feel comfortable spending long working hours with. But doing so can inadvertently lead to a homogeneous environment  — where everyone thinks and acts alike. Instead, dig deeper and look for your true values.

What sets your company apart and what values do you uphold — for yourself and for the rest of the company? What is important to you in the world of profit and purpose? Find that inner voice, and assemble the team that can help the company get there; foster an environment that encourages everyone to use their voice, share their ideas, and draw from the ideas and views and experiences of one another.

We must also encourage mindful leadership, enabling our leaders to demonstrate and our teams to benefit from work-life harmony that can empower people to achieve their potential. This allows us to leverage the most we can through technology — given how much we are relying on technology right now — and given that many of us find we are working even more than ever now, especially during the last ten weeks.

We must enable balance, we must create moments to think about how to embed empathy and gratefulness into our business practices. We need people to feel free to dream and be encouraged to imagine the impossible can be achieved — especially right now.

We need storytellers. We need evangelists. We need more leaders who are passionate about creating a brighter future for the world, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and nudge us all to make the right choices — to use AI for good, to use new technologies for solutions that serve our broader communities and the common good.

We must make sure that as we rebuild after the crisis, we will rebuild a better world for all, and not just for those lucky few who were already lucky to begin with.

It is time to re-invent the process of innovation.

In this new episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Noelle Silver, VP Digital Technology of NPR, Founder of AI Leadership Institute, and Founder of Women in AI, about her tech journey, and about her vision for the future. You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, and all players. Our conversation left us inspired and craving more.

As it turns out, we all need a sprinkle of Noelle dust.

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Unconventional Ventures helps drive innovation to improve systematic financial wellness. We connect founders to funders, provide mentorship to entrepreneurs, strategic advisory services to a broad set of corporates, and broaden opportunities for diversity within the ecosystem. Our belief is that anyone with great ideas should have a chance to succeed and every voice should be heard. Visit unconventionalventures.com to learn how you can partner with us today.

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