Let's walk the talk , shall we ?!
Last week at the regional meeting of BeVisioneers - The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship and more... ๐
It was such a joy to meet all the climate-literate fellows of the BeVisioneers - The Mercedes-Benz fellowship, to exchange ideas, insights and experiences for a common future. A future in our hands which means we canโt accept the present we have been handed over.
Despite being bombarded with powerful speeches and informative presentations, here are a few takeaways from the regional summit in Berlin!!
day 01 - Dreaming
In our base camps, we were asked to work on small exercises to build a supportive and connected community of 500 people.
We had to bring in certain rituals, norms, events, routines and commitments for our one-year cohort digitally spread all over the globe.
Next, we were introduced to Steve Bentley from Mbition, an entity part of Mercedes-Benz working at the intersection of technology, interaction and innovation.
He emphasised that people are the centre of product and process. his talk allowed me to ask questions like where I want to put my energy ?! How do develop sustainability not only for the environment but also for the venture and personal growth? And what qualities to cultivate as a leader.
Then we were allowed a pause of introspection to write our purpose statementโto serve who and to serve what (Golden Circle by Simon Sinek).
This led us to the value object and value museum since I failed to complete module 01, I immediately improvised and brought forward the most valuable object I have and wrote a little emotional poesy:
my valuable object is priceless. it is something i can never lose, something i shall never lose. itโs full of life and humour. it took me a while to appreciate it, understand itโs value and really own it. it is the weapon i pull out in every fight. the possession of it is valuable greater than anything i can ever own. my valuable object is my heart. it is made of all the experiences, memories, people i met, books i read, poems i wrote, films i watched, music i listened to. we all have one but we fail to value it. i hope you get the courage to know it, speak from it and cultivate it. from my heart to yours !!
Glad to interact with Yusuke from Portugal, as my summit partner and we openly discussed personal challenges and exchanged learnings.
The rest of the evening was a long walk in and around Berlin, hoping to initiate a conversation with someone but at least participating in the German culture of sticking stickers, yay, jugaad - oui, merci!!
day 02 - Focusing
We kick-started day 02 with even more valid questions to ask as an entrepreneur like what is our core message, our audience and how well to communicate the ideas to them.
โLet us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness.โ - James Thurber
We got to do the Danish clap dance, which was surely a fun power-up after all the delicious meals we had.
The end of the afternoon was mostly trying to find an eco-friendly substitute for an object in the room and we started our collective brainstorming on shoesโwalkies, more environmentally conscious shoes for babies and kids, that could be easily discarded in the environment and made of degradable material. Two cheesy taglines -
1. Cute for the environment, Cute for your baby!
2. You raise a baby, we grow a forest!
Ending the day with Lucky Lup at a cosy corner bar from our Hotel.
day 03 - Planning
More introspection on the strengths and weaknesses of individuals was part of the morning exercise. More information was provided on Mentors and Venture coaches and how the cohort will unfold over a year. The afternoon was all about team building, we went Canoeing in Berlin Waters, pumped with all excitement and spirit of adventure in a group of 4s. For the first time canoeing, I was the captain to steer the boat but as a quick learner, the task seemed rather easy. We got to learn the history of Berlin and how the city over the centuries has been a place for settlers from everywhere in Europe. The closing note was given by the founder of the Do School - Florian Hoffmann concluding and congratulating all of the team and fellows on the journey we are going to embark on together.
I am so thrilled to be a part of this journey, I felt motivated, acknowledged and a little necessary nudge to stand our stance.
I intend to stand by the 5 principles of courage, integrity, co-creation, sustainability and inclusivity !! With open minds and open hearts ๐
Disclaimer: I chose to take the train to Berlin rather than flyingโ, your actions have consequences !!
George Monbiot: What We Need To Do To Avoid Climate Breakdown
- Weekly Links
Menโs mental healthโฆ is about women too (74% of men are more likely to talk about their mental health with women.) https://theselfspace.com/mens-mental-health-is-about-women-too/
Key Takeaways from AI + Climate Futures in Asia
https://digitalfutureslab.notion.site/Key-Takeaways-affe44e6155149ed94d256ad824f3ee1
A film about Design Researcher - The filmโs aim echoes the mission of Design Research Works: To show the world what it can gain from Design Research.
http://designresearch.works/permission-to-muck-about/Summer (must) read - The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth By Zoรซ Schlanger
Another summer read for design geeks - The Materials of Service Design by Johan Blomkvist, Simon Clatworthy, and Stefan Holmlid