Meaning 2016 — the talk videos
Meaning 2016 was a big day. So much was shared. Many stories were told and many important ideas were given voice.
Videos of the day’s talks are now available to view on our YouTube channel, so not only can you revisit our speakers’ important messages, but you can share what you heard with your friends, your colleagues or anyone with a part to play in building our better business world.
So watch. Remember. Enjoy. Discuss. And share.
Paul Mason — PostCapitalism
Paul Mason opened the day for us, bringing focus to the challenges we’re facing together. As a journalist, and as author of PostCapitalism: a guide to our future, Paul outlined the root causes of the big issues that are now emerging. “Neoliberalism is broken”, he told us.
Juliet Davenport — How to run an innovative business that does good
Juliet Davenport is a physicist-turned-entrepreneur. By telling us the story of her company Good Energy, she showed us how the very act of being an entrepreneur is a kind of activism — driving change by working hard and creating better ways to work.
Clare Patey — Walk a Mile in My Shoes
During the day, Brighton Corn Exchange was dotted with people intently walking around wearing a pair of headphones and a pair of unfamiliar shoes. Artist Clare Patey explained how she uses participative art to help us understand the power of seeing the world from others’ perspectives — and why empathy is what we need right now.
Paul Green Jr. — Organisations as social technology
At Meaning, we love to hear stories of how better bolder ways of working take shape in real-life businesses. Paul Green Jr. of the Morning Star Company helped us understand the practice of self-management, and asked us to question the very purpose of organisations.
Frances Coppola — The future of work and why we need a basic income
The nature of work is changing. And as it changes, livelihoods and lifestyles are being threatened. Economic commentator Frances Coppola explained how the concept of ‘universal basic income’ could be a part of the solution as we adapt to our increasingly precarious working lives.
Jo Berry — The disarming power of empathy
Jo Berry’s remarkable story brought ideas of empathy and compassion into incredibly sharp focus. Jo told us how she learned to listen to the perspectives and feelings of her father’s killer — recognising the humanity and experiences of someone she was expected to hate.
Felix Weth — Platform cooperativism
By creating Fairmondo, Felix Weth set out to build an online marketplace with an emphasis on fairness, transparency and collaboration. In conversation with Paul Mason, Felix showed us how ‘platform co-ops’ could be the antidote we need to today’s monopolistic platform economy.
James Johnston — Democratising energy
James Johnston wants to democratise the way we distribute and purchase energy. So he built Open Utility, as a way to connect consumers to producers, making small-scale renewable energy production more viable in the process. James told us his story.
Oliver Maxwell — Pleasure, partnerships and productivity
Oliver Maxwell believes in making life better. Oliver told us why he set up Bybi — a company that produces ‘urban honey’ in Copenhagen, as a way of creating opportunities for people in need of rewarding work, and for a city in need of a connection to nature.
21st century leadership — a panel discussion
Ideas of leadership are changing. What kind of leaders do we need to help us find better ways to do business? We asked our host Paul Mason to chair a conversation with people who have some strong ideas on the topic: economist and activist Faiza Shaheen, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, business coach Blaire Palmer and self-management proponent Paul Green Jr.
Dave Birch — The blockchain and ambient accountability
Among the technologies that are changing the global way of working, it’s hard to miss the rise of the ‘blockchain’ — the accountable and democratic method of logging transactions. But how does the blockchain work, and why should we take notice? We asked financial tech expert Dave Birch to give us a non-techie’s tour of blockchain — which he did with help of TS Eliot and a glass-walled bank.
Hilary Jones — Ethical is the new normal
Have we moved past the era when we should describe business as being ethical? Should ethical now be considered the new normal? Hilary Jones certainly thinks so, and she told us about life at cosmetics company Lush — a story of intrinsic values, challenges and successes.
Paul Mason — What will you do?
At the end of our day together, our host Paul Mason took some time to put the ideas of Meaning back into the context of our volatile, disrupted world. What is our role — as businesses and as individuals — in addressing the challenges we face? The world needs us to take a stand, says Paul. What will you do?
Meaning is the annual gathering for people who believe business can and must be a force for positive change in our dynamic and volatile world.
At Meaning you’ll learn from the pioneers from the edges, who are driving change at the heart of business. And you’ll connect with like-minded peers who want to be part of the solution.
The next edition is happening on 16 November 2017 in Brighton, UK. Find out more via our website. Or follow us on Twitter.
