Do You Have Faith In A Better Future?

So last evening I had a pretty cool experience. Despite the fact that some of my good friends tell me I have "a face for radio," I had the opportunity to interview a REAL television star -- Savannah Guthrie co-host of NBC's Today. In front of a packed room at Forbes on Fifth, Savannah and I discussed faith, family, work, and her New York Times #1 bestselling book, Mostly What God Does.

I gotta admit, I rarely get starstruck, but Savannah's sense of purpose, her commitment to her faith, and the clarity in which she articulated her feelings about both, was truly inspiring. And the fact that she isn't shy about sharing her beliefs humbly but also so publicly felt really empowering for me to hear -- especially as an applied optimist.

I wasn't the only one inspired.

The event with Savannah was co-hosted by the Forbes Impact Lab and our friends the Faith & Media Initiative (and its coalition of 30+ leading organizations over one hundred leaders working at the intersection of faith, media and business). The mission of FAMI and the coalition is to connect and provide resources to a global network of media members, content creators, faith leaders, and community members to ensure accurate, balanced representation of all faiths in news and entertainment. In addition to Savannah, the packed room heard from Sumreen Ahmad , a Global Change Management Lead at 埃森哲 , who discussed the way leading businesses can support individuals who want to bring their whole selves (including their faith) into the workplace. We also heard from Phil Thornton , Senior Vice President at Capitol Christian Music Group about the way faith-driven businesses can also be a source of economic mobility and prosperity, such as in the gospel music industry.

Faith. Inclusion. Economic mobility. Prosperity.

Pretty good stuff, right? So why doesn't the media talk about it more?

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center study, 84% of humankind identifies with a religion, yet according to a separate study, 43% of individuals surveyed in the 2022 HarrisX Global Faith and News Report think that the media's approach to faith and religion causes unease and anxiety. The same report found that 61% of surveyed individuals think that the media perpetuates faith-based stereotypes, and 59% see a need for a more diverse set of religious perspectives in the media.

In other words, when it comes to faith and media, we haven't figured out the right product/market fit.

That's why the Forbes Impact Lab has waded into these waters. Over the course of my daily work, I meet a diverse range of individuals who lean into their faith, their spirituality, and their core virtues to build businesses, invest in ideas, express art, and create community. They have incredible stories that aren't always told, and they also sometimes feel like their beliefs are belittled. And while there are many leading organizations that are working to create faith inclusion in the business world (shout out to organizations such as Salesforce , Tyson Foods , American Airlines , Paramount , 谷歌 , In-N-Out Burger , Cotopaxi , Chobani ), there is much work to be done.

So I go back to the question that also serves as the headline of this newsletter edition...

Do you have faith in a better future?

For those of you in the 82% of individuals that subscribe to a faith tradition or a spiritual practice, how does your faith factor into your work? Are there ways that "what you believe" strengthens "what you do?" What you want to build? Do you leave spiritual fingerprints on the efforts you undertake? The community you create?

And for those who don't find center themselves through a faith-based or religious tradition, how do your express your core values and virtues (secular or otherwise) in your life's mission?

Regardless of whether you embrace religion or not, we all have some elements of personal belief driving us to connect and create, and hopefully build a better future. So with that in mind, I'll leave you with two questions:

Do you have faith in that future? And how should we talk about it?

It's been another week of awesome inspiration, and there have been a bunch of stories and ideas that have kept me motivated to do the work I do. Since sharing is caring, here are five things keeping me optimistic this week:

1. ?????? My colleague Elisabeth Brier just opened nominations for our newest Forbes Sustainability Leaders list, and I can't wait to see who makes it. Her announcement kicks off an exciting year of Forbes focusing on sustainability and climate changemakers. In addition to our sustainability summit in September (right after the list comes out!), this June the Forbes Impact Lab is partnering with Climate First for an invite-only event in London ????, and we are already planning discussions during #ClimateWeek in NYC, and at #COP29 in Baku. If you are interested in being a sponsor, knowledge partner or ally in any of these projects, don't be shy! And also make sure to check out the Forbes "Current Climate" newsletter -- you can sign up here.
2. ?????? One of my must follows on LinkedIn is Dave Lu , Managing Partner at Hyphen Capital . Dave just shared the recording of his panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference, and it is a must watch. In a session titled The Rise of the Asian American Entrepreneur, Dave, along with Payal Kadakia Pujji, Shiza Shahid, Bing Chen, and Smita Satiani, dropped a ton of knowledge bombs and really jazzed me up for what is happening in the Asian Pacific entrepreneurial community. Want to learn too? You can watch the full session recording here: https://lnkd.in/gRnEyX6G.
3. ?????????????????? Shoutout to Slutty Vegan founder (and ATLien) Pinky Cole for her incredibly generous pledge of an $8.75 million “Entrepreneurial Starter Pack" to the graduating class of Savannah State University. Cole's gift is part of a collaboration with Operation HOPE and One Million Black Businesses, and the investment is intended to help catalyze a new generation of Black entrepreneurs. Read more about the pledge here (via the good people at People of Color In Tech/POCIT).
4. ?????? Another thought leader that I have followed for years is Fabian Pfortmüller , a master community builder and network weaver. I've learned from Fabian since he co-authored the Community Canvas, an open-source framework for community builders. Earlier this week, Fabian, along with Erin Dixon, Michel Bachmann, and Sita Magnuson published their newest learnings in the form of the Community Weaving Framework. Key Takeaway? There are 5 elements to weave healthy communities: the Fire, the Web, the Rhythm, the Circles and the Spiral. Just that imagery alone makes it worth a read!
5. ?????? I have been on a major "craft" binge recently -- not actually doing it (sadly), but watching on TV. If you have never seen the Craft In America series on PBS, you are really missing out. Beyond the history and the beauty of craft, there are incredible stories of the craftswomen and craftsmen that commit their time and tenacity to creating things in the material world. With 31 episodes, there is something for everyone (and almost every craft), and it already has me excited about taking up some new hobbies...eventually. ????♂?

That's it for this week's edition of Applied Optimism. If you liked it, please share it. If there was something you disagreed with, tell me. And if there are suggestions of ideas, content and successes I should be paying attention to at the Forbes Impact Lab email them to me at [email protected]!

With gratitude,

Seth