{"id":41444,"date":"2023-05-26T01:43:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T08:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=41444"},"modified":"2023-05-25T19:41:41","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T02:41:41","slug":"innovators-in-serving-the-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2023\/05\/26\/innovators-in-serving-the-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovators in serving the community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emcee Michael Newman, left, and keynote speaker Anders S\u00f6rman-Nilsson at the Jewish Family Services Innovators Lunch. (photo by Josh Bowie)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that the next trend is not necessarily digital transformation, but it is the alignment of two of these trends: sustainability and digitalization,\u201d Swedish-Australian futurist Anders S\u00f6rman-Nilsson told guests at the 17th Annual Jewish Family Services Innovators Lunch on May 10. Organizations that align digital transformation and sustainability have a 2.5 times better chance of being top performers, he said.<\/p>\n

S\u00f6rman-Nilsson was the keynote speaker at the lunch, which took place at the Hyatt Regency, the first in-person Innovators since the beginning of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

As the founder of Thinque, a think tank and trend analysis firm that reaches global brands across four continents, S\u00f6rman-Nilsson is responsible for data-based research and foresight regarding future trends. Beyond his research, he is known for co-creating the Adobe Creative Intelligence test for B2B (business-to-business) marketing. He currently hosts two social innovation podcasts, the 2nd Renaissance Podcast<\/em> and Entrepreneurs Organization\u2019s Scaling Impact Podcast<\/em>, and is the author of three books, Aftershock<\/em> (2020), Seamless<\/em> (2017) and Digilogue<\/em> (2013). S\u00f6rman-Nilsson\u2019s approach to futurism involves seeking out what he calls \u201cavant-garde ideas\u201d that can drive meaningful change.<\/p>\n

S\u00f6rman-Nilsson aims to challenge the misconception that integrating technology into an organization\u2019s operations impedes human connection. He gave the example of his family\u2019s business, a clothing store, which thrived on personal interaction out of a brick-and-mortar building in a \u201chighly analogue fashion,\u201d using a pen and paper. He said such an approach is suited \u201cfor a world that no longer exists\u201d and that the eventual bankruptcy of the store after 104 years of business was due to the failure to adopt new technologies. He dedicated Digilogue<\/em> to his parents, exploring in it \u201chow to win the digital minds and analogue hearts of tomorrow\u2019s customers.\u201d He emphasized that technological tools and personable business principles can not only coexist, but enhance one another.<\/p>\n

S\u00f6rman-Nilsson urged businesses to conduct \u201cpre-mortem\u201d analyses to identify changes that could prevent obsolescence or bankruptcy. He asked people to imagine that it is 2030 and your company has gone under \u2013 what were the trends you missed, what were the signs you ignored and what were the investment decisions you delayed that contributed to your company\u2019s failure? To avoid such an outcome, he encouraged organizations to focus on \u201cmega trends\u201d based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as prioritizing affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption, and improving global health and well-being. These goals are \u201ca good indicator of where the world and smart capital is moving,\u201d he said, and reflecting one or more of them in the product or service you provide and in your day-to-day operations and external marketing efforts is key for long-term success. \u201cMega trends are powerful,\u201d he said, \u201cbut they\u2019re particularly exponential when you sit at the intersection of two overarching aligning trends, like digitalization and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n

S\u00f6rman-Nilsson uses the UN Brundtland Commission definition of sustainability, which he described as \u201cmeeting the needs of the present without hindering future generations from meeting theirs.\u201d He spoke about the concept of \u201cconscious capitalism,\u201d where an organization is purpose-driven and prioritizes stakeholder well-being. Building a sustainable \u201cecosystem of impact\u201d \u2013 otherwise known as a supply chain \u2013 is crucial in winning over today\u2019s consumers, he argued, adding that technology is the most efficient way to achieve this. Better data collection, for example, can lead to less waste, or to gauging more accurately consumer needs. In his Innovators Lunch talk, he compared such technological integration to tikkun olam<\/em>, as it reflects one\u2019s responsibility to repair the world. He also advocated for the practice of \u201ceffective altruism,\u201d which, he said, means that \u201cthe investment of your dollar in philanthropy should go the furthest,\u201d giving the example of investing in mosquito nets in Africa. He connected this idea \u2013 helping the most people as possible \u2013 to tzedakah<\/em>, justice and charity, as well as to tikkun olam.<\/p>\n

S\u00f6rman-Nilsson reminded the audience that major tech players are raising the bar with predictive technologies that have the power to solve problems before they arise. He challenged businesses to use technology to streamline mundane tasks, which would allow workers to focus on more meaningful and humanistic responsibilities. He emphasized the importance of merging humanism and technology to leverage the best of human intelligence and artificial intelligence. He stressed the need to \u201cask the right questions\u201d and incorporate human creativity and ethical decision-making when engaging with technological tools. By doing so, he said, brands can enhance their ability to cultivate community.<\/p>\n

Headlining this year\u2019s JFS Innovators Lunch, S\u00f6rman-Nilsson shared his insights with more than 500 guests. Over the past 16 years, the Innovator\u2019s Lunch has raised more than $5 million for JFS, supporting services such as food, counseling, housing and comprehensive care for children, youth, adults and seniors. Event committee chair Candice Thal said, \u201cI believe that giving back to the community is not only a responsibility but a privilege.\u201d This event, she said, is \u201cour way of caring for others,\u201d the funds raised helping JFS provide services for more than 3,000 community members.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Left to right: Tanja Demajo, chief executive officer of Jewish Family Services, and Innovators committee chair Candice Thal. (photo by MJ Dimapilis)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The event was emceed by Michael Newman of Global BC News. Following a land acknowledgement from Elder Rose Guerin of the Musqueam First Nation and welcoming remarks from Thal and Tanja Demajo, chief executive officer of JFS, there was a video entitled Building Future, Today<\/em>, which showcased how JFS not only helps individuals, but their families, creating a ripple effect on the entire community and future generations. Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom, who did the blessing over the meal, underscored JFS\u2019s mission with the story of \u201cSam,\u201d a man who sought the rabbi\u2019s help after falling on hard times. \u201cWe know many people like Sam,\u201d said Moskovitz. While change is constant, he said, some things never change: \u201cPeople still get sick, they are hungry, inadequately housed, lonely and vulnerable.\u201d He concluded, \u201cThe work of JFS, your support of Jewish Family Services, has never been more important or more necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moskovitz\u2019s sentiment was shared by Jody Dales, chair of the JFS board of directors, who shared how the Jewish community helped her after she tried to take her own life when she was 19 years old, living on her own and barely making ends meet at a minimum-wage job. \u201cThe blade didn\u2019t cut deep enough to do any real damage but it penetrated enough to scare the hell out of me,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the darkest moment of my life, the faintest ray of hope appeared, and I called my mom. And because she was part of the community, this<\/em>community, her well-placed phone call set off a chain of events that tracked me into the office of a professional who saved my life. It took me years to ask for help, only days to receive it, but a lifetime to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a very different place today, Dales said she shared her story so that people could \u201cunderstand the complexities of despair, dread and depression. I doubt that there\u2019s a person in this room for whom at least parts of this conversation don\u2019t resonate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the tools that continue to help her, she said, \u201cis dedicating my life to a life of service. It\u2019s hard to feel bad about yourself when you\u2019re making other people feel good about themselves. And there\u2019s no agency that I know of that makes people feel good about themselves better than Jewish Family Services.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Dales, JFS can make such an impact because of the \u201cintangibles\u201d they offer \u2013 making all people feel seen and valued. \u201cJFS is overwhelmed with need,\u201d she said, and the only thing holding the organization back from helping more is money. She highlighted the event\u2019s gift-matching sponsor, the Paul and Edwina Heller Memorial Fund, and encouraged people to donate. To do so, visit jfsinnovators.ca\/donate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alisa Bressler<\/strong> is a fourth-year student at Queen\u2019s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer, and the online director of the arts and culture publication\u00a0<\/em>MUSE Magazine. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emcee Michael Newman, left, and keynote speaker Anders S\u00f6rman-Nilsson at the Jewish Family Services Innovators Lunch. (photo by Josh Bowie) \u201cI believe that the next trend is not necessarily digital transformation, but it is the alignment of two of these trends: sustainability and digitalization,\u201d Swedish-Australian futurist Anders S\u00f6rman-Nilsson told guests at the 17th Annual Jewish […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[22359,22360,3439,22361,3128,3715,7702,7703,9070,7288,8474,1959],"class_list":["post-41444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-anders-sorman-nilsson","tag-candice-thal","tag-dan-moskovitz","tag-digitalization","tag-fundraising","tag-innovators-lunch","tag-jewish-family-services","tag-jfs","tag-jody-dales","tag-sustainability","tag-tanja-demajo","tag-tikkun-olam"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}