Fifty years ago, at the 1962 World’s Fair, Seattle invented the future. Like the other world fairs of its time, the event showcased a bright, utopian future, where technology solved all the world’s problems.
Unfortunately, fifty years later, the world still has problems. In those five decades, the global population has doubled, and the average consumption per person has more than doubled. This has left us with major planet-scale problems, issues of sustainability – of the environment, of hunger, water, social justice, and injustice.
The past methods for solving these problems are not working. As we look forward to the next fifty years, it is time we deal with these issues in new ways. It is time that the citizens of the world take these matters into our own hands, and solve these problems ourselves, using the tools at our disposal, and ideas we can implement today.
Such a path is to use the capitalistic system, using for-profit and social purpose corporations, which do good, while doing good business. Sustainable companies that fit both definitions of “sustainability”, fiscally sustainable via revenues from consumers, while at the same time sustainable to the people of the world and planet that we share.
The key to make this possible today are the large and growing number of consumers, who in their consumption are conscious of the environment, conscious of their health, conscious of society, and of community, and even consumers who are conscious of consumption itself. These “conscious” consumers dream of a better future, with sustainable products and services, delivered by “conscious” companies.
Solving these big, planet-scale issues can begin with companies, both old and new, that strive to meet the needs of these conscious consumers. Serve these customers, and these conscious companies will have sustainable revenues. Serve these customers, and each and every sale makes a positive impact on the world.
Not charity. Not foreign aid. Not government grants. Simple, basic capitalism, serving the unmet needs of demanding customers.
We don’t need a World’s Fair to kick off these new solutions. Here in Seattle, we have already begun this effort. In 2012 alone, just in Seattle, well over 50 new companies have been launched with these aims, at events like #SocEnt Weekend, competitions like Social Venture Partner’s Social Innovation Fast Pitch and the University of Washington’s Environmental Innovation Challenge, at sustainable-focused business schools such as the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and at Fledge, the new “conscious company” business incubator, partnered within the new HUB Seattle, itself filled with dozens of these these sustainable, clean, green, conscious companies.
How is YOUR city inventing the future?
About Michael “Luni” Libes - http://about.me/luni
Luni is a 20+ year serial entrepreneur, founder/co-founder of five companies. His latest startup is Fledge, the “conscious company” incubator. In addition, Luni is Entrepreneur in Residence and Entrepreneurship Instructor at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and an Entrepreneur in Residence Emeritus at the University of Washington’s Center for Commercialization. Luni is author of The Next Step: Guiding you from idea to startup.
