Why the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs Needs the Next Generation Internet

(📷Illustration by Matt Kenyon)

👋 Dear NGI-er:

In an era of unprecedented environmental challenges and socio-economic disparities, the next wave of entrepreneurs is pivotal in shaping the future. To address the so-called polycrisis effectively, they must build businesses that regenerate the world and foster sustainable growth. For this new type of entrepreneurship, the question ofvalue creationtakes centre stage.

✨‌For this new wave of entrepreneurs, having access to a digital infrastructure supporting their quest to create a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient future is essential.

Regeneration is imperative in the new world of work. We need businesses that proactively address environmental issues, promote social equity, promote inclusion and just distribution of resources, and are adaptable to uncertain economic conditions. They must be resilient, caring, and fair.

These businesses create value beyond profit through the impact they commit to and the care practices they implement internally and towards the wider ecosystem.

A framework that I find beneficial to apply to this new wave of entrepreneurship and practices that redefine the concept of value creation is the one at the core of the work of groups like Guerrilla Media Collective, DisCO.coop and Community Parlour.

Inspired by the pioneering work of the first, developed extensively by the second and applied by many, including the third group, work is looked at through the lens of "Livelihood, Love, and Care" as work streams.

Organisations that apply these concepts actively design workflows and practices that prioritise:

✅ Livelihood: Ensuring fair compensation and job security for members.
✅ Love: Creating environments that foster creativity, passion, and a sense of purpose.
✅ Care: Implementing practices that support employee well-being, environmental sustainability, and community engagement.

Value is redefined in the workplace, and businesses are oriented to provide decent conditions for their workers. Beyond financial gain, the organisation's activities have meaning and a shared purpose, and care practices are explicit, visible, and an integral part of everyday activity, not something done just by a few and unrecognised for the value they bring.

The NGI can support this type of business by helping them overcome some of the challenges they face around measuring success beyond traditional financial metrics, balancing the three work streams in transparent and fairways, and transferring value flows created on each workstream to other organisations operating under the same principles (speaking the same economic language if you like). The key characteristics of the NGI can help explore these questions, providing the tools and the safe digital environments these types of businesses need.

💫‌The NGI community should embrace these ideas for regenerative entrepreneurship and business models, foster collaboration and innovation, and lead this phenomenon.💫

‌The next wave of entrepreneurs has a unique opportunity to shape a better future. By embracing the Next Generation Internet and committing to regenerative practices, they can ensure their businesses thrive and contribute to a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.

Failure is not an option; the stakes are too high.

With the right tools and mindset, we can shape a future that prioritises social and environmental well-being alongside financial viability and build an economy that works for all.

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Important News: NGI Talk 📢

🌍 Can you imagine a digital future of work that is resilient, open, trustworthy, and grounded in human values?

✨Join me in this NGI Talk: The Next Generation Internet is building the Next Economy: a resilient, open, trustworthy digital future of work grounded in human values.✨

Learn how a new world of work is being built, inspired by the renaissance of commons-oriented, feminist economic and care-driven working practices.

👉 Watch this NGI Talk by clicking here