Welcome back to Solve for X!

In this episode, Margarita is sitting down to chat with South Pole's director of sustainable finance, Rebecca Self. With COP26 having just wrapped up, this discussion revolves around reflections from this conference as well deviations from the status quo that can expedite change. 

Looking back at COP26, Rebecca notes an interesting divide between attendees at the conference: professional figures involved in formal negotiations, and laypeople involved in informal activism. The differing groups bring about another question of individual sovereignty: do we really need someone to give us permission to start creating change?

While conferences such as COP26 are necessary to raise awareness and make "official" decisions regarding climate change, there are also many things we as individuals can do to spark change and create a ripple effect. Whether it's secondhand shopping to contribute to circular economy, research on the sustainability and ethics of different companies, or voting for politicians that prioritize the environment as much as the economy,  our collective individual actions can be just as important and influential as formal negotiations.

For more takeaways from COP26 and an economic perspective on climate change, tune into this episode now!

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Connect with Margarita on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarita...

Connect with Rebecca Self on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-self-40ab9416/

More on South Pole here: https://www.southpole.com

More on COP26: https://unfccc.int/conference/glasgow-climate-change-conference-october-november-2021

More information about the who, what, when, and how you can get involved here: https://www.peaceX.com/

Don't miss a beat, follow us on social too:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peaceXventures

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceXventures

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaceXVentures

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peac...

Podcast: https://solveforx.carrd.co

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Filming + Content: Margarita Quihuis

Video Editing + Production: Raaghav Seth

Description & Content:

Elisa Selamaj Social Media: Elisa Selamaj

Creative Direction: Eman Zabi, Nicole Elzer

Welcome back to Solve for X!

We're back and hitting the ground running with a very important episode featuring CommonPeople's conversion design consultant & content strategist, Matt Hall! In this episode, Matt and Margarita discuss one of the most pressing issues in our rapidly changing, technology-driven present-day: ethics. A need for morality and ethics in product design are amplified by an increasing need for empathy, though these concepts often get muddled in the world of business where money-making is the game.

Matt discusses the importance of being in touch with one's own morality and allowing yourself to deter from the status quo in order to create a business that simultaneously benefits your business *and* your consumers in a sustainable way.

The bottom line is that business should not be extractive, but rather collaborative and beneficial to those that it is serving. But...what if your business or company is leading your product down an ethically-gray road? Well, that's where Matt's 3 tips for ethical appeal come in. *Spoiler*, only one of those tips directly involves appealing to ethics...the other two are a call to bravery and your own drive to do good.

If you're a creator, entrepreneur or visionary who wants to do the right thing, tune in for more on creating this shift towards making ethical businesses the default with Matt Hall!

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Connect with Margarita on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaritaquihuis/

Connect with Matt Hall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hall-372b4645/#

More on CommonPeople here: https://www.commonpeople.co

More on the Principles of Ethical Design here: https://99designs.com/blog/tips/ethical-design/ and here https://www.toptal.com/designers/design-director/design-ethics

More information about the PeaceX who, what, when, and how you can get involved here: https://www.peaceX.com/

Don't miss a beat, follow us on social too:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peaceXventures

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceXventures

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaceXVentures

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peac...

Podcast: https://solveforx.carrd.co

Welcome back to the PeaceX series! We sure do have a treat for you this week: a candid conversation on the intersectionality of climate justice with the one and only, Solitaire Townsend.

Solitaire is a green entrepreneur and co-founder of sustainable strategy agency, Futerra. Inspired by a nuclear dump in her area, teenage Solitaire became a climate justice activist with big dreams and nothing to lose. Little did she know that her optimistic endeavors would lead her to co-founding Futerra and being a published author decades later. 

In this episode, Solitaire and Margarita touch on many things under the umbrella of justice, the intersectional solution to climate and social issues. They discuss everything from cookstove pollution to small-scale solar energy to public transportation and even to gender equality. Tune into this episode for a moving take on the possibilities of multi-dimensional solutions and what you can do starting Monday morning to make a change.

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Connect with Margarita on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaritaquihuis/

Connect with Solitaire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solitairetownsend/

And Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenSolitaire

More on Futerra here: https://www.wearefuterra.com

More on The Happy Hero here: https://www.thehappyhero.org

Welcome back to the PeaceX series! This week we're catching up with Margarita's long-time friend and former partner-in-crime, Dustin Haisler, to reminisce about how a 19 year old kicked off a gov tech revolution in an itty bitty town in Texas and how a chance meeting at SXSW started a powerful collaboration. Dustin is currently the Chief Innovation Officer of e.Republic, the nations leading state and local government media and research firm. Dustin was formerly the Chief Information Officer and assistant city manager for the city of Manor, Texas. Dustin and Manor Labs were recognized by the White House Office of Innovation within the first 6 months of its launch—Manor Labs put Dustin and city of Manor on the map!

In this episode, Dustin and Margarita discuss the necessity of gov tech for innovative problem solving in state and local governments. Dustin specifically touches on how government agencies are struggling with change management during a time where remote work has become increasingly abundant. Covid-19 has changed the playing field of previously face-to-face services, especially in the realm of government services. 

They also dive into how we can create a government system that is open to experimenting for innovation. In Dustin's words, "innovation, when done right, isn't one person's job; it's everyone's job." For more on on incentivizing tech as a utilities infrastructure, the challenges of creating smart cities, innovation in the public sector, venture studios and so much more, tune into this enlightening episode!

Check out Dustin's work here: https://www.dustinhaisler.com

Connect with Dustin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhaisler/ https://twitter.com/dustinhaisler

Check out e.Republic here: https://www.erepublic.com

More on gov tech here: https://www.govtech.com https://www.governing.com

Welcome back to the PeaceX series! If you're looking for some inspiring and positive vibes this week, you've come to the right place. In this discussion, Margarita sits down with EncourageX founder and chief encouragement officer, James Brown. EncourageX is a service that enables people to actively and intentionally improve their relationships through acts of encouragement. In this episode, JB gives us a bit of a high school anecdote that led him on the path of encouragement, the fear, uncertainty and doubt that can cloud our perspectives, and how we can act with intentionality in our relationships and every day life. For more on the power of running for freshman class president, using emotional training wheels, and going to school with Brad Pitt, tune in to this touching discussion with James Brown!

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Check out EncourageX here: https://encouragex.com/encourage​

Connect with James Brown here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesebro...​

More information about the who, what, when, and how you can get involved here: https://www.peaceinnovation.com/​

Add yourself to the Peace Innovation Network Bootcamp Waitlist Here: https://learn.peaceinnovation.com/boo​...

Don't miss a beat, follow us on social too:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peaceinnovation​

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceinnova​...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaceinnovat​...

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peac​...

Podcast: https://solveforx.carrd.co​

Welcome back to the PeaceX Series! If you missed out on our December webinar and Q&A with Rob Chesnut, don't fret—this episode will get you all caught up. In this live webinar, Margarita sits down with Rob Chesnut, author and former Chief Ethics Officer of Airbnb to discuss ethical frameworks and practice within Airbnb and businesses at large. Rob gives us some valuable insights on how to operate an ethical business through building honesty and integrity not only with your employees, but also with your customers and consumers. Rob and Margarita also discuss a plethora of examples of ethical and not-so-ethical interactions they have experienced in their professional lives. If running an ethical business is up your alley, stay tuned for some audience Q&A at the end of the webinar!

Check out Rob Chesnut's Book, "Intentional Integrity" here: https://www.intentionalintegrity.com

More on Rob Chesnut's work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robchesnut/

Add yourself to the Peace Innovation Network Bootcamp Waitlist Here: https://learn.peaceinnovation.com/boo...

Welcome back to the PeaceX series! We're excited to kick off the new year with an extremely important discussion of tech ethics. In this episode, Margarita sits down with Partner Director of Ethics & Society within AI at Microsoft, Mira Lane. As Microsoft has matured into an ethical role, Mira started her ethics & society team in 2017, motivated by a sense of deep responsibility in the tech work that she is doing with Microsoft. Throughout this riveting conversation, Mira and Margarita discuss designing the future we want to live in through current ethical tech and business. They touch on the process of ethical auditing from the beginning of product development as an ingrained framework rather than an afterthought. Furthermore, Margarita adds her own take on ethics being shaped more by lived experiences rather than "hard" skills. Tune into this episode for more on Microsoft's Harms Modeling, community jury, peace data, and the fine line between utopian and dystopian futures. You won't want to miss this first episode of 2021!

For more on Microsoft's Harms Modeling: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/responsible-innovation/harms-modeling/

For more on Mira Lane's professional work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miralane/

Connect with Mira on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mira_lane

Connect with Mira on Instagram: https://instagram.com/miralane

Welcome back to the PeaceX Series! On this week's episode, Margarita sits down with mediation advisor and founder of Diplowomen, Karma Ekmekji. In this discussion, the two peace pioneers discuss the possibilities present at the intersection of diplomacy and peace tech. One of the burning questions brought up during their discussion is: how can we monetize peace in order to advertise it as more profitable than war? The incentive for peace and diplomacy only increases in importance as interpersonal connections decrease due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in regions of the world such as the Middle East. Tune in for more on connectedness, the value of people, and the accessibility of products and services in this discussion with Karma!

Grab a glass of your finest wine to join Mark and Margarita for this week’s episode of the PeaceX Youtube Series. Mark and Margarita sit down to discuss systemic racism and social injustices, their daunting parallels and connections to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the desire to incite change in an unjust world. Margarita’s experiences as a minority woman in tech shines a light on the importance of intersectionality in businesses and everyday life to combat systemic injustice. As MQ puts it, “Justice is a way that we take care of each other better.” The passion to incite positive change in your community must be followed with positive action - you can take the first step by tuning in this week!

Silicon Valley is a living, breathing hub for all things innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment...but what is the state of entrepreneurship, innovation and investment outside of the Valley? 

In this week’s episode, innovators Salma El Hariry and Hala Gabr walk us through the concept of conscious tech, the Vested Summit, and how we can create an ethical and flourishing future globally. 

Salma is an Egyptian serial entrepreneur and Silicon Valley veteran — she is the visionary behind investment platforms, S[k]aleUp Ventures and Vested Summit. Hala is a digital media engineer, interdisciplinary designer and Vice President of S[k]aleUp Ventures. Salma coined the term “conscious tech” to describe impactful, risk-taking and problem-solving technologies. 

Together, Salma and Hala created S[k]aleUp Ventures to provide socially responsible entrepreneurs, or “conscious techies”, with an audience and community of investors to fund their conscious tech startups. Salma and Hala’s geographic focus for S[k]aleUp Ventures lies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Investors can support these startups through CrowdWealth, and gather to discuss and watch these entrepreneurs in action at the world’s largest conscious tech summit: Vested Summit. Over the past 7 years, they have supported 120 MENA startups that collectively raised $60M.

As a female-led team of innovators focused on MENA, they are bringing a new, feminine touch to the consciousness entrepreneurship and investment journey. Their journey has certainly been an uphill battle, which Salma advises every aspiring entrepreneur to brace themselves for. One of their most recent struggles was a last-minute investor withdrawal just moments before one of their events; however this minor setback served as a reminder that there is a very special niche for conscious tech startups and their respective investors. 

A major pain point for Salma, Hala and conscious tech startups everywhere is the lack of investor certainty and security in their ROI from ethical and sustainable startups. The good news is that we’ve been preaching about how running an ethical business has a profitable Return on Integrity.

Socially responsible startups will attract the right socially responsible investors, and that’s exactly what the Vested Summit is for. If you’re interested in competing in Vested Summit as a startup, the deadline to submit your application is November 30, 2020!

Tune in for so much more on:

• Competing as a startup in Vested Summit
• Salma’s origin story and Silicon Valley experience
• Hala’s origin story and connecting with Salma
• MENA youth taking tech and innovation in their own hands
• Pandemic-created opportunities in MENA

References

Sponsored by Game Design Thinking

Margarita’s LinkedIn

Salma’s LinkedIn

Hala’s LinkedIn

Vested Summit Competition

S[k]aleUp Ventures