You know goodness is stirring when you start off at an event talking on the side lines with folks about the benefits of eye exercises, not sitting for long periods of time, staying connected to yourself and to keep on wriggling.
We were chuffed to be a keynote speaker at a recent Tech For Good event held at Coleg y Cymoedd, a collaboration between Cardiff Capital Region, Coleg y Cymoedd, University of South Wales, Cardiff University, and Cardiff Metropolitan University, showcasing the power of partnerships to drive innovation.
We treat our social and environmental impact as a primary measure of success for our business and prioritise it even in cases where it may not drive profitability.
Along with Wild Connect and Pobl Group, we all shared our stories, journeys and insights - all of us very different in our outputs, but all of us aligned that a people-focused approach is essential, people and lived experience need to be at the heart of everything.
A lovely quote from the folks at Wild Connect:
'...we are living in the decisive decade to take action.'
But what does this 'Tech For Good' look like in reality, in the real world?
Some themes and topics that came up:
How do we showcase solutions to be seen by the right people, to get it to the people that need it? An example, large scale solutions for the NHS, like our pressure ulcer (aka bedsore) product for example, that we know would be hugely positively impactful, can't get anywhere near being seen or adopted. An audience member shared his personal experience of this avoidable injury - these issues impact people from all walks of life.
How do we fund solutions? A big obstacle that we often come against as so many of the folks we collaborate with have to apply for funding to pay for the solutions, and these funds are not infinite, but the solutions need to be future-proof, sustainable and often need to live forever. At the event I mentioned Benthyg Cymru, as their borrowing, and wider repair and reuse mission, is for every individual to utilise, Wales-wide. How do we ensure these much needed initiatives live forever?
Ethics is an on-going concern; who do you trust? Data sharing; where is it going, how is it being used? This also came up in my round-table with the Secretary of State the other week. Folks from all backgrounds and walks of life do not know who to trust when it comes to digital inclusion. It creates barriers for innovation, change and adoption. I am very aware and mindful that digital inclusion is hugely complex and layered - I will share some reflections around this another time.
Other snippets of insight from the event:
We need to ensure that the next generations are being provided and exposed to relevant life skills, so they can thrive in the future world, are empowered to be the change, and to make our world a better place.
We must challenge those around us who aren’t doing better and positively contributing where they can be.
Our insight into the adoption of a 4 day work week, and being a remote company was a hot topic (rightly so too!). Bringing it back round to Tech for Good, I emphasised that having fit for purpose operational tools is super important to embed a 4 day week and remote work set up. Holla us if you need some help with this, we love revamping these kinds of tools and set ups.
A couple of lovely comment from audience members:
"This morning was a fabulous testament to the benefits of collaboration, showcasing how education, business, and non-profits can unite to tackle complex challenges with creativity and purpose."
"…inspiring to see how your businesses and life missions have adapted/grown with technology for the greater good."
Here are some impactful initiatives and resources worth checking out:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
On a personal level, I shared some lovely moments with people:
Keep telling stories, find those connections, they inspire in so many ways.
Bring your whole true self into a conversation.
There was much respect and synergy with folks in the room. I left feeling all the grateful vibes. Also I had a super happy heart moment chatting with William Todd-Jones, our infectious enthusiasm for life synergised (the beaming photo says it all).
While reflecting on the event I stumbled across some thoughts:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be trained to say exactly the right words, to respond with perfect empathy, but its response stems from pattern matching and automation, not from that ineffable space where two humans meet, with all their imperfections and genuine desire to understand each other.
Amidst our dreams of unlimited scale and frictionless efficiency, the most meaningful connections still happen one human at a time.
