What are you going to do about Singularity U Summit 2018?

https://www.singularityusouthafricasummit.org/

For many like me, the 2018 Summit promised a glimpse of the Silicon Valley experience of SU, its university location for the envied executive weeks and study courses that promise to change the world and solve the biggest problems facing humanity 

It also trades strongly on the 1st SA Summit held last year, that many missed out on, and vowed to not miss again, and with our FOMO now behind us we eagerly waited on what would surely be exponential level content from an international speaker base.

If you go to Twitter and checkout the #FutureProofAfrica you will see the rapturous and enthusiastic responses from delegates, who like me leave the summit moved to think about the big changes needed in our lives, work and the world. 

RocketMan Richard Downing put on a flying demonstration on the track that distances SU Summit in terms of entertainment and Wow factor from its nearest local cousins, in much the same way that the global content and speakers and themes do.

I remarked to a business colleague at the summit, that the content was fantastic. He asked me what I was going to do with it? At the time I laughed off the remark, and said I was going to come and see him to challenge him on the same point. (He is the customer)

David Roberts the brilliant and insightful concluding speaker that many will regret to have missed even at a 6.30pm slot on day 2, nailed this sentiment too when he asked himself and the audience what were they prepared to do around leadership and culture to address issues that face us in our lives and work. 

The point is that yes these speakers and the message from SU are extremely inspiring and informative but we have to take at least one thing from this and commit to be part of leadership and change for South Africa and Africa. 

Everyone in that conference from the school boys to the senior execs and CEO’s are part of a very small group of South African’s that have the means and the energy to affect 1 Billion people in Africa if they set themselves on that path.

And as it was repeated, this means enabling others in your work, team, community or school to be that agent of change and disruption. It may not be you who does it, but you may be the person who sets the thinking of others on that path. 

In South Africa, like many others we are waiting for our leaders ands government to effect the change we want to see. I believe with the thinking from SU and others like it, that seek to improve the world we live in, and having fun doing it, it will come from the Bottom up not the Top.

My commitment from SU is certainly to get involved in some small way with the new SA partnership and to carve off some time from my personal and professional day to enable an SU / SA related initiative that addresses their identified challenges. For South Africa these are numerous, from education, food, water, poverty etc. 

Our extremely strong financial services sector that feeds the economy of SA and the many consulting companies around it, is already part of this journey, and it will come from that area, where there is time and funding to serve up more banking and insurance, but chain it to bigger contributions across the country.

The GSU Program linked below is I think of particular interest to me, and to see those many startups in SA and Africa that could solve these big problems by bringing their millennial disruptive thinking to the party, because they are exposed to the grass root issues and problems.

Thank to Synthesis for hosting me and others at this event.