House of Beautiful Business

In the realm of #sociology, it's easy to get lost in dissecting the crises of the world. But what if we shifted our focus from mere critique to uncovering pathways for flourishing? Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan has spent years examining the cultural and institutional factors that shape our well-being. As an associate professor at The Catholic University of America, he draws on a wide range of methodologies—surveys, interviews, ethnography, experiments, and archival research—to turn today’s challenges into a blueprint for a better #future. “There’s a hidden post we haven’t been paying attention to,” Brandon said during our recent Open House session. “Within it is the possibility of moving away from the logic of extratractiveness,” he added. This week, catch Brandon and other leaders, experts, creatives, and changemakers in #NYC at The Polyopportunity, a two-day event hosted by the House in partnership with the Acosta Institute. Join us to reframe the compounding problems of our era and begin building the foundation for a future that we want. Secure your spot now or become a House member to attend for free: https://lnkd.in/dq2pN5zp.

The shift from a human-centered to a life-centered economy is essential for creating a #future worth living in. In his latest podcast on humanplus, a podcast hosted by Katharina Kugler, our co-founder Tim Leberecht delves into this transition. Tune in to explore practical steps for leaders to cultivate beautiful business cultures and hear Tim’s vision for a (business) world that honors all forms of life and living systems. Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ntZ5Ys. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3dkrhs5.

“The perceived existential threat of #AI will bring us closer to defining what humanity means to us,” noted Dr. Angel Acosta, founder and chair of the Acosta Institute, during our recent Open House. “What’s powerful here,” he added, “is how a healing-centered approach can place #community at the heart of this discussion.” Catch the full recording of our Open House, featuring insights from Angel and other contributors at https://lnkd.in/dWs_qfEf; and for an in-depth exploration, join the House and the Acosta Institute in New York City on September 19-20 for The Polyopportunity. Challenging the narrative of the polycrisis, the event will feature dynamic panel discussions, artistic performances, playful collaboration, and communal brainstorming sessions. You will leave inspired, connected, and ready to reframe your understanding of the current moment. Details and tickets: https://lnkd.in/dq2pN5zp.

On September 19-20, the Acosta Institute and the House of Beautiful Business will gather in #NYC to write a powerful counter-narrative to the #polycrisis: The Polyopportunity. We’ll explore how to amplify positive trends across disciplines, how to nurture and develop the links between these trends, and how to build the foundation for a future that we want. Contributing to this conversation will be Wakanyi Hoffman, Gaya Herrington, Dave and Helen Edwards, Francesca Hogi, Brandon Vaidyanathan, W. Christine Choi, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Amánda Efthimiou, Laura Francois, Jessica Orkin, D. Graham Burnett, Dr. Angel Acosta, and Tim Leberecht. Join us during UN Week to explore the intertwined paths toward a beautiful future. Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/dq2pN5zp.

Open House alert! Next Thursday, September 5, we invite you to dive into the critical issues of our times and discuss the exciting developments in our community. Join us on Zoom to learn more about the new HoBB Membership, get a sneak peek into our upcoming NYC gathering, The Polyopportunity, and hear our take on what brands can take away from the Kamala Harris campaign. During the session, we’ll also unveil the theme and concept for our 2025 festival in Tangier. Don’t forget to fill out the free signup form. We look forward to seeing you at the House!

The best thing one can say about the agonizingly boring conversation between Elon #Musk and Donald #Trump on X last week is that it’s at least a dystopia we know. The same old wanna-be autocrats, except that this time their propaganda is exponential because it can bank on virality, enabled by all of us. What is more disturbing is the dystopia we do not know yet. The production of #knowledge that is no longer ours and entirely synthetic, the propaganda that no longer serves any human political agenda, but is simply a product of the system, if not its raison d’etre. In his new book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, Yuval Noah Harari suggests we view information as a social construct that enables powers (governments, companies, influencers) to “put people into formation.” In other words, according to Harari, it may be naïve, and in fact a historical error, to assume that information represents some objective notion of reality.  It’s becoming abundantly clear: Real or not are no longer categories that matter. On today’s #internet, there is no longer just one reality we can all cling to; there are multiple. Read Tim Leberecht’s full essay on info-determinism, polyreality, vibe shifts, and laughter: https://lnkd.in/duSVz3RJ.

We want you to spend more time in the House of Beautiful Business. And we want our #community and movement to grow. Enter: The House of Beautiful Business membership program! The new HoBB Membership not only offers you an opportunity to take part in more HoBB community events, but it also creates an opportunity for you to run more HoBB activities or programs (HoBBster activations) yourself. How does this work? As a HoBBster, you can produce and host HoBBster activations—learning journeys, conferences, workshops, masterclasses, retreats, and more—provided they are in keeping with our activation guidelines. The HoBB will endorse and promote these activations to the entire community. Fellow HoBBsters receive a 20% discount when they attend. We get a 10% cut from the total revenue generated by the HoBBster with their activation. As more events and programs take place, our community will become larger, livelier, and increasingly influential. The plan is to create more value for everyone. Learn more and become a HoBBster: https://lnkd.in/dUV8p6ct.

We have important (and exciting) news to share with you. We are launching a new House of Beautiful Business membership program, and we’d like you to become a HoBB member—a.k.a. a HoBBster. The past few months have been a time of reflection at the HoBB. We’ve had many illuminating conversations with our community that have pointed to a common feeling: The House of Beautiful Business is truly unique. It’s appreciated (even loved) for being a real #community, rather than just promoting the idea of one. Our members forge deep and authentic #connections; they learn from each other and have real power to build bridges between cultures and worlds. At its best, the HoBB is a safe space, a brave space, where you can think, see, and feel the future and pursue our joint mission: To create a life-centered economy through bold ideas, deep experiences, and real community. “The #economy is our material relationship with each other and with the rest of the living world. We have to decide whether we want that relationship to be based on extraction and exploitation, or on reciprocity and care,” writes anthropologist Jason Hickel. The HoBB is a space where we can practice such reciprocity and care, a space where, to quote Brené Brown, “we can belong without having to fit in,” where we can be bold and experimental without fear of losing face, where we can find kindred spirits but also disagree respectfully. This kind of space is a precious and important resource in this era of division, distraction, disconnection, and loneliness. If there’s one thing we’ve heard from all of you over the past few months, it’s that you want to be more actively involved in the HoBB community; you want to find more meaningful ways to work, connect, network, and collaborate throughout the year, beyond our annual festival. To some degree, this is already happening. You are collaborating in our House Work groups, maintaining global and local messaging groups, and hosting and attending local events. But there is so much more we could put our energies towards! We want you to spend more time in the House of Beautiful Business. And we want our community and movement to grow. Learn how and become a HoBBster: https://lnkd.in/dMqbmgDR.

“The smaller we come to feel ourselves compared with the mountain, the nearer we come to participating in its greatness.” —Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss In keeping with our mission—to create a life-centered economy through bold ideas, deep experiences, and real community—we are delighted to support a program put on by members of our community that aims to strengthen our bond with nature. Blending raw nature with profound human connections, The New Movement founder Adi Cohen and serial entrepreneur Lars Mortensen Lægreid invite you to The Arctic Adventure from September 15 to 20 in the breathtaking landscape of the Lofoten Islands in Norway. If northern lights, floating saunas, Norwegian cabins, and transformative conversations speak to your heart, this is the adventure for you. Photo: Guy Geffen

The Olympics have been criticized and dismissed as outdated and nostalgic—the worst marriage of kitsch and capitalism—and the epitome of selling out. What began as a celebration of physical and spiritual excellence is now often seen as kowtowing to commercial and political interests. From tragic accidents to doping scandals, compounded by a recurring crisis of relevance, the Olympics have “jumped the shark” many times. Still, their staying power has been remarkable. Recently in The New Yorker, Louisa Thomas reflected on the astonishing degree to which the original vision of the modern Olympics persists. Despite the Games’ many flaws, she thinks they still promote idealism in a way that other popular sports competitions (e.g., the World Cup or Super Bowl) don’t. “The World’s Fairs have more or less disappeared from popular consciousness; the Olympics, in some sense, have replaced them, not only in their demonstrations of human achievement but in their projection of a more hopeful future,” she writes. The Paris Games prove her point. Only a complete cynic could have watched the unabashedly grand, ambitious, and sentimental opening ceremony and been left unmoved by the humanity of it all. Even the consummate grouches at The Sun dubbed the show “Seine-sensational.” Of course there were some hiccups—the mix-up between North and South Korea was a Biden-worthy gaffe—but, on the whole, it was a victorious showcase of French creativity and elegance. Neither the pouring rain nor railway arson could diminish its magic; la vie continue! Following the opening ceremony, the Paris Games have been reminding us what the Olympics do best: They produce hope. Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/dZyvkuzm