Venture philanthropist and Fortune 500 ex-CEO talk about systemic change, and how innovators like you and me can get ahead of them.
Jeff Walker is a venture philanthropist. (In many ways, the “non-profit version” of a venture capitalist.) His raison d’être? To look ahead, see where change is coming, and create the winds that empower others — i.e. entrepreneurs and innovators — to get ahead of this change and use it to help solve complex social challenges. Jeff is the chairman of New Profit, a fund that specializes in supporting these very projects, and is one of the key players behind important movements like the growth of mindfulness in the USA and the eradication of malaria. He is one of our speakers at the 2020 TransTech Conference. But he won’t be stepping onto a stage and delivering a keynote. Instead, he will be participating in one of several “Fireside Chats” we’ve organized. What’s a Fireside Chat? Imagine two of the most prescient, most effective, and most inspirational change makers, sat down in front of the fire with a drink, talking shop. There’s none of the constraints of a fixed agenda. Just two smart and passionate people — talking candidly about the next big thing for wellbeing in 2021-22, bouncing ideas off one another, discussing the opportunities and threats we face, and where their focus would be directed if they were an entrepreneur, investor, or innovator seeking to make an impact. (Wait a moment! Most of them are innovators and change makers, which is what makes these Fireside Chats so fascinating and invaluable.) This year, Jeff Walker is joined by Mark Bertolini. If Mark’s name sounds familiar to you, it’s because he used to be the CEO and Chairman of Aetna, Inc. — and was one of the first Fortune 500 leaders to reimburse preventative health and wellbeing activities for his employees and health insurance clients, inspiring a sea change in enterprise benefits. In some respects, Mark comes from a very different world than Jeff. Jeff represents “patient” money. His firm, New Profit, can afford to invest in programs and initiatives that might take a generation or more to bear fruit. Mark, on the other hand, answered to Wall Street and its relentless (and, some might say, even ruthless) pursuit of quarterly profit. Can these two worlds learn from one another? Absolutely. Mark was able to make a compelling business case for why it’s in the interests of capitalist investors to fund preventative healthcare and wellbeing for their workforce, against the conventional wisdom of corporate America. Not only was he proven right, many of his peers have followed his lead. He saw where change was coming. He created the winds to empower others to own this change And he helped move the needle on a big social problem. I realized a while back that I’d love to get Jeff Walker and Mark Bertolini together in the same room, for a Fireside Chat. They may come from different worlds, but they are kindred spirits. And I don’t know what specific insights will come from their conversation together, but I know they will be invaluable. Especially for entrepreneurs and innovators in the wellbeing/tech space who want to better understand the changes that are coming our way in 2021. Those of us who want to get ahead of these changes and own them. Is that you?If so, I strongly urge you to order your tickets for the 2020 TransTech Conference now. Because spots are limited.
For reasons I’ll outline below, I believe that our industry is about to face its most critical hour. Are you a founder or investor of a wellbeing/tech company? (Or an innovator looking for their next big idea?) And are you interested in opportunities to hang out and connect with other inspiring people in this space? Learning, networking, and growing. Here’s why I ask: Over the last few weeks, we’ve been teasing you about this year’s new, virtual 2020 TransTech Conference. Many early birds have even secured tickets. Even though we’re yet to announce our full line-up of speakers. Today, I wanted to formally announce it to you. I also want to explain why, in my humble opinion, this year’s TransTech Conference might be the most critical summit we’ve ever hosted — and why some of the most respected thought leaders in the transformative tech and human wellbeing space beat a path to speak and share their ideas. People like:
- Ivy Ross (Google’s VP of Design for Hardware Products) — the executive who is responsible for, and overseeing, the development of Google’s next generation of wearable, human-centric tech.
- Mark T. Bertolini (former Chairman and CEO of Aetna) — one of the first Fortune 500 CEOs to reimburse preventative health and wellbeing activities for his employees and health insurance clients, who has inspired a sea change in enterprise benefits.
- Susan Magsamen (Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab) — a leading innovator in the neuroscience of art and design, and how the spaces and things that surround us impact our wellbeing.
- Jeff Walker (Chairman of New Profit) — one of the key venture philanthropists behind important movements, such as the growth of mindfulness in the US and the eradication of malaria.
- And many others, who I’ll tell you about soon.
They are all here for one reason. Right now, humanity finds itself at a critical juncture. The COVID-19 pandemic was the kind of “black swan” event that happens once in a few generations. And if it would have hit us a few generations ago, it might have brought the world to its knees. But technology has allowed us to adapt. Technology has empowered us to find new ways to work, play, and, in some cases, even thrive in this new environment. That said, the world is hungry for new solutions. For transformative technology. Now, more than ever before. There’s never been a better time to be an innovator. Especially in our domain. When the pandemic ends, governments and other policymakers will begin to count its cost in terms of human wellness. I, along with many other respected thought leaders, believe that human wellness is going to be high on the agenda for decades to come. It will attract unprecedented investment. This is our moment. I believe that with all my heart. There has never been more urgency for entrepreneurs, investors, and other innovators in the wellbeing/tech space to get together. Which is why my team and I knew that we had to go ahead with the TransTech Conference this year, despite the challenges of COVID-19. The world needs our solutions. And we need to get inspired, get connected, and get resourced. That’s why we have taken the unusual step of organizing a virtual online conference. Tickets are now on sale. As with every conference we have ever organized, there is a strict limit to the number of attendees we can accommodate — so that we can ensure a high-quality networking environment for every leader who attends.If you want to be here, if you know in your heart that you need to be here, I recommend you get your tickets now.
Christmas is around the corner and I want to remind you that the best gift for any occasion is the Rubik’s Cube puzzle.
