Future re-imagined: With purpose and urgency

By Theodora Lau and Bradley Leimer of Unconventional Ventures 

This year has been unlike anything we have ever experienced. The future 2020 that we had on our bingo cards never came into fruition.   

There is no return to normal, no respite from this virus-imposed interlude. 

When we look back at 2020, how would we remember this year? Surely, we would remember the weight of this global pandemic and the lives lost. The year has transformed every aspect of our lives — from how we work to where we work. With most of us socially isolated at home, organizations have had to adapt, technology has driven our labor and, for better or likely for the worse, the education of our children. 

What will be the fruit of our labor now? 

How have your routines changed and what roots remain? For so many of us, work has meant getting on planes and traveling the globe, or at least spending time in offices with colleagues and a certain energy only the workplace can spin up. With more than two hundred and twenty days of isolation, this Autumn brings a more real reflection of our future, the nature of our work — surely of our workplace — as our labor evolves to anything but normal.

We might miss the chatter of the proverbial water cooler, the serendipity of coffee meetings, and meeting new people in the halls of conferences — whatever those were. Some of us just miss reading a book as we look at sunsets through a plane’s window — thinking about that last stage we stepped on, the path presented by a new connection, or the genesis of a new idea. 

We have this unique moment in time to build back better. To make work less about the mundane and more about inspiration. We have this moment to appreciate the connectivity we have, the literal and digital communication technology that we often take for granted, that enables those fortunate to work remote, as children try to learn through a situation that is anything but ideal. We appreciate the effort of our teachers, that of our first responders, and the truly essential workers in our shattered global economy. 

What we do every day may have changed — but the energy returns. 

With a renewed sense of urgency. 

And purpose. 

The drift of data during a pandemic 

We think about how information and ethics and algorithms entangle themselves on the path of how we consume information. And how our new-found spike of coronavirus-fueled digital purchases are tracked and leveraged to have machines learn how to further flood our shopping experiences and our queues of content. Surely artificial intelligence needs actual intelligence? Surely AI, algorithms, and data need a responsible driver? 

What is the role of humanity in these daily endeavors when more and more of our activities are viewed through a feed of data, and our actions driven by recommendation engines of unchecked origin? 

As machines control more of what we consume, shape what we see, and alter how we think, how will we ensure we remain inclusive — even as we see new examples of bias within the confines of our daily digital activities? From the cropping of photos to favor white faces, to the reception of accented voices through our devices, much more data is needed to reflect the beautiful diversity of our communities and the expanse of our human experience. 

When we exclude, we remove opportunity. The experiences to learn from each other, and to improve the fabric of our species. We retract from our future — the possible paths that didn’t exist prior because key ingredients were missing. 

The rights of some can’t outweigh that of the common good 

We think about racism and what has happened during the pandemic to awaken us to those who can’t breathe; we think about those forgotten who are now essential workers in this shared fight for our future, and of those among us that represent the fastest growing segment of our global population — older adults. Humanity is changing, this pandemic simply exposed the fault lines that have been there; yet we have been too busy to notice. Until the world came to a standstill.  

As we approach the Fall elections in the United States, we have to appreciate how true inclusion has improved our lives, those changes that have made our society more responsive to all of our needs. For much of modern history, women and their roles were an afterthought to the power structure of society, and to the course of our shared history. 

But the fight for representation was not just one of gender, it was one of race. 

On August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified and stated that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” 

Full representation remained elusive, equality far from reality. Native Americans could not vote until 1948. Chinese immigrants in 1943. Japanese immigrants after 1952. It wasn’t until 1965 that Black men (and women) were formally protected for their right to vote.  

Representation matters. Diversity and inclusion matter. 

The rights of all people to have a full and prosperous life, having the same access and opportunities as others, not only matters, but basic equality should be a human right. 

As we contemplate our future this Fall, make sure to protect it where it matters most. 

Please remember to #vote. 

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In this episode of One Vision, Bradley and Theo recap this past week’s MTL Connecte event as part of Montreal Digital Week. Unconventional Ventures hosted an unconference within the conference: five panels, fifteen distinct voices, and our keynote combined thoughtful dialogue and guiding principles around diversity and inclusion: from digital inclusion to financial inclusion, AI, ethics and bias, an inclusive future of work, innovation for the longevity economy, and much inspiration of the East, and the importance of connectivity. We also give a special shoutout to CuneXus, acquired by CUNA Mutual, and a new round of funding for Stoovo. 

Listen in to this special episode on iTunes and Spotify. Please consider subscribing. 

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We want to thank Claude Landry at MTL Connecte for providing us the opportunity to deliver a set of truly inclusive topics and diverse speakers. As part of our conference within a conference, Unconventional Ventures organized two keynotes and five sessions. Alongside Theo’s keynote Beyond killer robots: The Power of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services to level the playing field, our good friend Kosta Peric delivered the closing keynote Embrace Digital Transformation ... for Good! Our other sessions included the following:

• The Power of digital finance and inclusion with Arun Krishnakumar, Partner at Green Shores Capital, Nidhi Prabhu, Strategy and Fintech Consultant & Advisor, Mel Tsiaprazis, COO - Nivaura; 
• The digital fracture: Broadband connectivity is no longer just a nice-to-have with Matthew Sekol, Industry Executive, Capital Markets at Microsoft, Sally Eaves, Global Strategy Advisor, and Barb Maclean, Director, Application Development at Celero;   
• There is no AI without ethics and diversity with Noelle Silver, Head of Instruction, Data Science, Analytics, and Full Stack Web Development at HackerU, Joyeeta Das, CEO and Co-Founder at Gyana, and Uday Akkaraju, CEO at Bond.AI; 
• An inclusive future of work with Antonio Santos, Community Manager, Global Community for Interns, Graduates and Apprentices at Atos, Jackie Hernandez, CEO & Co-Founder at New Majority Ready, and Bianca Rose Philips, Founder at Voice Tech Lab;   
• Role of technology and longevity with Liz Loewy, Co-Founder & COO at EverSafe, Ramsey Alwin, CEO at National Council on Aging (NCOA), and Sarah Morgenstern, Principal at Flourish Ventures. 

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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.