In the fast-paced world of business, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. In the pursuit of success, what tends to matter most is your “why,” your purpose. It is essential for leaders to understand the power of purpose in driving both personal fulfillment and business success. It is time to explore the journey of discovering purpose, the transformative impact of humanity-centric innovation, and how every person reading this blog has the potential to become a billionaire by changing the world.
The first step is finding your “North Star.” Purpose is the guiding light that propels each of us forward, shaping our decisions and helping us to leave a lasting legacy. The quest for purpose often begins with introspection, triggered by life-changing events. For me, it all started with the realization that my wife was pregnant with our first child and that I would soon become a father. This revelation sparked a series of questions: What had I truly accomplished in life? What did I want to achieve in life? What did I want my legacy to be? From this process, came the purpose statement that has guided my life for the past 25 years. That purpose is to help raise children that live a life fulfilled and to help create businesses that improve people’s lives. This is my North Star and what guides my efforts in Pete Dulcamara & Associates, LLC (www.petedulcamara.com).
I believe to understand our purpose fully, we must acknowledge the connection between our species and the planet. I hear people say we need to “save the planet.” I am here to tell you; the planet is going to be just fine. In 1000 years, 10,000 years, 1,000,000 years this will be a lush green planet, teeming with life. The only question is whether humans will be here to enjoy it. Rather than merely saving the planet, our mission is to save ourselves by saving the planet. With the incredible power of exponential technologies, new business models, and the vast resources at our disposal, we have the potential to leave a positive impact for not only current generations but for generations into the future. The choice lies with us—will future generations remember us in their history books as the good ancestors who created the next renaissance, or will we be responsible for the next dark ages? The choice is up to us.
To change the world, we must first change our minds. Sometimes that is the most difficult change of all. One mindset I would like to change is how we define “billionaire.” Redefining what it means to be a billionaire provides a new perspective in the pursuit of purpose-driven life focused on significance as well as success. Instead of defining billionaire as someone that accumulates a billion dollars, let’s expand the definition to include those that help a billion people to live better lives. Humanity-centric innovation provides a way for businesses to solve the biggest problems facing society in an economically viable way.
By embracing this mindset, leaders at every level can lead the charge, building purpose-driven organizations that contribute to a better world. As individuals, we have the power to change the world and to save our species.
So, what is “humanity-centric innovation?” More on this concept can be found at the TEDx talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lQZKEaLqEc. In brief, humanity-centric innovation offers a transformative approach to problem-solving by aligning the needs of humanity, the business models of the 21st century, and the advancement of exponential technologies. By embracing breakthrough thinking and redefining success, we can aim higher and tackle the most significant challenges facing our world. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for focusing our efforts, while emerging business models and exponential technologies offer unparalleled opportunities for new solutions and business opportunities.
Humanity-centric innovation happens at the creative collision of “what’s need by humanity,” “what’s possible through new business models, and “what can be solved using exponential technologies.” What’s needed by humanity is reflected in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include global challenges such as taking climate action, achieving gender equality, and ending poverty. The business models of the 21st century are captured well in the book The Future is Faster Than You Think by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler where they describe seven new business models such as the crowd economy that created Uber and Airbnb, the free data economy like Google and Facebook, and the smartness economy of Alexa and Siri. Exponential technologies include nanotech, biotech, quantum computers, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, blockchain, and additive manufacturing.
An example of humanity-centric innovation is practiced by Flamingoo Foods (https://www.flamingoofoods.com/). In Sub-Saharan Africa, hunger and malnutrition remain significant challenges, affecting a large number of children and adults. The volatile food prices, influenced by rainfall patterns, exacerbate the problem. However, Flamingoo Foods has found a solution by utilizing machine learning and satellite data to predict regions facing food surplus and deficit in East/Southern Africa in advance. This enables them to adapt their supply chain effectively, ensuring that food reaches the most vulnerable areas. By increasing the resilience of food supply chains, Flamingoo Foods aims to reduce hunger and stabilize food prices. Through their cutting-edge climate technology, they anticipate food deficits and surpluses and respond proactively to address food insecurity. Currently, Flamingoo Foods is a leading rice producer in the Rukwa Valley, sourcing high-quality rice from local farmers and distributing it nationally and internationally.
Another example is Story Blanket (https://storyblanket.world/) where they have a unique fundraising platform that aims to make a positive impact on society by leveraging the skills and creativity of artists, content creators, and influencers. The idea behind Story Blanket originated from the desire to give back to the world, even when financial resources were limited. The platform provides a space for creators to showcase and sell their content and NFTs, with the proceeds going towards supporting various social campaigns. What sets Story Blanket apart is that it operates as a community-owned (DAO) platform, with 10,000 individuals actively participating in decision-making processes and overseeing campaign progress. Contributors have the power to vote on important matters, review campaign details, propose emergency funds from the treasury, and more. By supporting a fundraising campaign, users gain instant access to exclusive content or NFTs as rewards. Whether using cryptocurrency or fiat, donors can track where their money is allocated.
In the pursuit of purpose, each of us holds immense power to affect change. By embracing purpose, envisioning a better world, and leveraging humanity-centric innovation, we can become billionaires by helping a billion people. It is time to dream big, believe in our potential, and take action to create a future that not only benefits us today but also positively impacts people for generations to come. Together, as visionaries and leaders, we can change the world and leave a lasting legacy of meaning, purpose, and progress for all.
Pete Dulcamara & Associates, LLC 