Singularity University Global Summit and the Power of Community

I’ve spent a good part of this month thinking about—and experiencing the powerful benefits of—community. The month began with the most special type of community gathering I’ve ever had: my wedding! Having friends and family around me was more meaningful than words can convey. It’s a precious gift to have a group of people who know you better than you know yourself and who are with you for the major milestones in your life. This also got me thinking about how fortunate I’ve also been to be surrounded by an amazing extended SU family these past four years. I work with people who share a deep commitment to SU’s mission, and I’m honored to work with them and help empower them to do what they do best.After my wedding, I flew out to Santa Clara to welcome 200 leaders of SU’s global community to our beautiful new headquarters for our annual Leadership Forum. As Rob Nail mentioned in his welcoming remarks, it was so fitting to have this be the first event at our new building, which was designed with community and collaboration in mind.We spent three incredible days with SingularityU Chapter leaders, Global Impact Challenge organizers, International Summit Partners, and Country Partners, and loved hearing about the remarkable work they’re doing to create a better world and future. We had so much fun and enjoyed deepening our bonds. I also shared our vision for how we’ll amp up the collaboration between SU Marketing and our partners even more.

Image credit: Yuko Carey

And then from there, it was on to Global Summit, our biggest event of the year. A whirlwind of inspiration, connection, and infusion, this year’s Summit didn’t disappoint! If you joined us in person or streamed sessions from the main stage, I hope you’re already thinking of great ways to apply and share what you learned and that you’ll start tapping into your global ecosystem of great people ready to partner with you on your continuing journey. (Note: see details below for how to save $1,000 on your ticket for next year!)

Highlights and aha moments

• Amazing talks by Ray Kurzweil, Peter Diamandis, and David Roberts
• The Planetary Society’s chief scientist discussing the July launch of the historic solar sail flight
• A deep dive into the hope, hype, and reality of how AI is impacting healthcare and other sectors, and a discussion of ways we can use AI for good
• Pro-democracy activist and singer Denise Ho describing the emotionally-charged freedom movement in Hong Kong

Image credit: Yuko Carey

• The realization that we’ll likely take our first ride in a flying car within ten years, thanks to a talk by serial entrepreneur Colin Guinn
• Road-testing a new 10-point innovation framework delivered by SU’s innovation Faculty in an interactive workshop
• Hearing SU’s Executive Chairman, Erik Anderson, share how he leads companies through models, and why he never uses the word “budget”
• Secrets to happiness from happiness hacker Penny Locaso, who shared her own personal journey

Image credit: TJ Rak

• Hearing about the latest breakthroughs in exponential tech that can be leveraged to create a radically inclusive future
• And the Global Summit Celebration, with amazing food (blowtorch donuts!), an indoor rainforest, and a silent disco inside an aquarium

Image credit: TJ Rak

Main image credit: Yuko Carey