Grand Challenges + Emerging Technologies + Models of Impact = Singularity University
The Graduate Studies Program (GSP) is held every summer at the NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley, California. Their 10-week immersive learning program accepts 80 participants who either apply directly to SU, or who compete in and win Global Impact Competitions (GIC).
This year, participants came from 46 different countries, and we were happy to have been invited by our friend Pascal Finette to teach a seminar on the emerging and established business models in Social Entrepreneurship. After an introduction to the landscape of models, we facilitated an immersive game-based learning experience that was custom-tailored for the interests and curriculum of SU’s Graduate Studies Program.
Working in teams of 4, each of the 20 groups were armed with two 6-sided die, one 20-sided die, our social business model canvas worksheet, and a curated version of our Models of Impact Glossary.
Our customized workshop curriculum engaged participants in a cross-pollination of ideas in order to serve as the catalyst for a new product or service-oriented business concept. These factors included a list of 20 relevant Models of Impact, and then additional lists of 6 Exponential Technologies, and 6 Global Grand Challenges that were inspired by the tracks and focus areas of the program.
The List of Exponential Technologies: AI & Robotics, Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, Energy & Environmental Systems, Medicine & Neuroscience, Nanotechnology & Digital Fabrication, and Networks & Computing Systems.
The List of Six Global Grand Challenges: Education, Energy, Environment & Water, Food & Health, Security, and Space.
To play the Models of Impact Game, each team rolls their d20 to determine which Model of Impact they will be leveraging. Next, the team rolls one of their d6 to determine the Global Grand Challenge Area they hope to disrupt. Then, the team rolls a second d6 to determine the Exponential Technology they will be allowed to use in their attempt to solve that Challenge. Finally, after all die have been rolled, teams work collaboratively to invent a new business concept that takes all factors into consideration. The final deliverable for each team is an Elevator Pitch and Initial Business Plan to share with the audience.
The result of the workshop was 20 innovative (and sometimes funny) business concepts that pushed the boundaries of current technological advancements for the greater good of humanity. While fictional, the process of inventing these concepts served as an immersive and informative capacity-building experience that each of the GSP students could leverage for the execution of their culminating projects at Singularity University.
In addition to the Models of Impact seminar, we were also excited to have been invited back to Singularity University’s campus for mentorship day. Joined by an esteemed group of mentors with a diverse set of backgrounds, our angle was specifically to give each student group advisory input on their models of impact. We are excited to check-in in 10 years, and see the crazy amount of impact these students will have had on humanity!
