In 2000 I could see that technology was accelerating the emergence of new structures and new ways of doing things. I saw these much like ocean waves that had their own course but altered by parallel waves with their own distinct impact. Sometimes these culminate in almost a coordinated movement with striking effect, but then recede as new waves surface.   

We generate wave maps by paying attention to developing patterns from very grass roots sources including surveys, journals, newsletters, markets, books, conferences, AND lots and lots of conversations with people at the base of the ecosystem. (Cab drivers are great proxies by the way). We count on working with a great set of talented friends and collaborators who are positioned to see the formation of new waves of change. Its not predicting the future its being super aware of the present; observations from many perspectives; and its twenty-five years studying waves.  

In 2004 we were commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts to map Digital Culture in the country. This led to the development of a landscape map, but a timeline and geo-database of the organizations in the field. Seeing the need lack of coordination within such an important field, this led us to help develop an online network and platform called Circuit4. Landscape maps like this created from a collective vision become powerful common visions empowering growth and development. 

We produced New Minds in San Francisco at Yerba Buena Center of the Arts just as the Web was born. From solo talks & performances by Todd Rundgren and Thomas Dolby to panels on the future of learning with Wired founder Jane Metcalfe, author Douglas Rushkoff and host Soledad O'Brien. It turned out to be a pivotal event series drawing technology’s greatest innovators across disciplines to focus on the impact technology would have on society and culture (1997-98).

This may be the first map of what we then called "The Social Capital Market" that became Impact Investing. It was the work Kevin Jones and I did that ultimately led us to start Xigi, an online relational mapping tool for this marketplace in 2001-2002, as well as SOCAP. the Social Capital Market Conference and Good Capital. Crude but effective in identifying a very powerful emerging marketplace and the gaps/ opportunities within. 

Over the past few years I began to see a broader global movement developing accelerated by technology, social media and a youth inspired desire to improve their own communities. The rise of these new mediums created new environments in every field of endeavor bolstered by a change in culture. Innovation means renewal. We are renewing the way the world works. While this is disruptive in the near term, I see it as the beginning of a smarter, more empathetic and healthier future driven by the evolution of a collective intelligence. Click on the map to see a great research paper on this movement. 

I Co-founded SOCAP in 2008 to unify the diverse types of investors being attracted to social businesses. Prior to SOCAP foundations, philanthropies, angel investors, government agencies, and even Wall Street all went their separate path. We thought they should all be in the same room sharing insights, experience and deals. I convinced Halloran to be the first major Sponsor and now SOCAP gathers nearly 2,500 people a year generating an acceleration in impact investing. It is a for-profit social enterprise.

In 2008 Cheryl Dorsey (Echoing Green( asked Wayne Silby (Founder Calvert Funds) and I to present our ideas behind stimulating more impact investment capital. This led to the formation of the Enterprise Innovation Fund with Michael Cox and a year long effort to make the case to the White House and government agencies to accelerate the supply of impact investment capital. This work helped catalyze the formation of Startup America and the creation of a billion dollar SBA Impact fund.  (Obama Administration 2008-10). 

The first online art-science-technology network and platform allowing its members to post their projects with tags and profiles. Included Virtual Reality, robotics, art installations, web-books, software and more. Creative Disturbance connected members with resources including funding. 

This Social Media App allows you to access a digital archive based on the physical space you are in. Imagine these as shareable time capsules or mobile post it notes. Leveraging GPS and an engine that allows any type of media to be pushed (beamed) in realtime after matching the recipient in three contexts - time, space and the stream they created or joined. We were selected by Plug'N Play to be one of their top companies in 2015 and are now about to release a new version. 

After starting the Forum on Social Innovation in 2012 in Oaxaca as an international event, we recognized the need to share some of the inspirational stories presented there to the local public. This led to the first TEDx Oaxaca events in succeeding years. 

CATAPULTA is a Festival & Platform for Social Innovation. Seeing how the open accessibility of tools and technologies were spurring innovation at grassroots levels, particularly led by youth, we believed this should be more visible. We leverage the voices of leading musicians, artists, designers, filmmakers and business people to inspire youth to "do it themselves" in solving their own communities challenges. 

In 2008-2009 we began to work with Tony Deifel and Daryl Hammond at Kaboom to create a dashboard for measuring both financial and social impact. One of the most successful example of how non-profits can be both financially and socially successful. In this case creating a scalable and replicable model for engaging volunteers, sponsors and neighborhoods to build their own playground.  We helped create a very sophisticated tool for monitoring their work in realtime. 

Leading Impact Investment organization started by Harry Halloran and Tony Carr. Over the past 8 years we evolved rapidly through what I call relationship based investing. We let our heart and intuition lead us first. By supporting many events and conferences we put ourselves in the middle of the conversation, the best thinking and entrepreneurs rising to the surface. Having mapped the ecosystem, we knew where the gaps and opportunities were and looked for those where we could have the most impact. Our work accelerating the accelerators was a great example of this.. 

When we started building the Halloran portfolio we had little idea where it would lead us. Its initial investments in microfinance and in SOCAP led to our support of Kiva and then B-Corps. Tony Carr's consistent support of conferences and events very rapidly put us in the middle of great minds and leaders that propelled us faster than slower, bigger investor/philanthropists. Together we began "relationship investing." And it led us here. These kinds of maps are  great tools no matter where you are in the investment building process. 

It became clear to us that accelerators were playing an important early stage role for both entrepreneurs and investors yet were being overlooked. (Unreasonable Institute, Impact Hubs, BFI, Agora, Hub Ventures, i.e.)  In 2011 Halloran began to convene an Accelerator Summit to understand and support their needs. This led to investments by Halloran in nearly 25 different accelerators. The Ande Network followed in 2013 with a special report and SOCAP supported with more accelerator-focused content. 

I Co-founded SOCAP in 2008 to unify the diverse types of investors being attracted to social businesses. Prior to SOCAP foundations, philanthropies, angel investors, government agencies, and even Wall Street all went their separate path. We thought they should all be in the same room sharing insights, experience and deals. I convinced Halloran to be the first major Sponsor and now SOCAP gathers nearly 2,500 people a year generating an acceleration in impact investing through partnership development. 

After co-founding Impact Hub Oaxaca, a co-working space for social entrepreneurs, in 2014 we hosted the founders of the network - now nearly 100 international Impact Hub spaces and an 11,000 member global network in 48 countries.

In 2008 Cheryl Dorsey (Echoing Green( asked Wayne Silby (Founder Calvert Funds) and I to present our ideas behind stimulating more impact investment capital. This led to the formation of the Enterprise Innovation Fund with Michael Cox and a year long effort to make the case to the White House and government agencies to accelerate the supply of impact investment capital. This work helped catalyze the formation of Startup America and the creation of a billion dollar SBA Impact fund.  (Obama Administration 2008-10).