Conversation: Our 21st Century Imperative with Jay Coen Gilbert
Event description
What is the energy required for 2020 to become the moment of pivot? What does it take to build a global campaign to shift hearts and minds towards systems change?
Fifty years ago, The New York Times published an essay by Milton Friedman which declared that a company’s only interest should be maximising the profits of its shareholders. This set the trajectory for our current economic system. Measurement of wellbeing and interdependence took a back seat to the endless accumulation of profit and individualism we now see where 26 people have the same amount of wealth as the rest of humanity, and the climate emergency is upon us. It’s time to reset.
Imperative 21 is a global campaign calling for this very reset. The movement represents more than 70,000 businesses, 20 million employees and $15 trillion in assets under management. The reset, amplified by the United Nations General Assembly, calls for accountability for our impact on all stakeholders, recognition of the interdependence of people, planet and our economy, and radical collaboration between the private sector, public leaders and citizens to build back better.
One of the triumphs of this campaign, which is growing in momentum every day, was the recent takeover of the Nasdaq Tower in New York’s Times Square. With Nasdaq’s support, Imperative 21 replaced the usual scrolling numbers of the stock market and consumer advertising with a bold call to action from extraction to regeneration, from minimum wage to living wage, from winner takes all to shared prosperity.
These global movements don’t happen without audacious vision and collective leadership. Jay Coen Gilbert is the co-chair of Imperative 21 and founder of B Lab. He is escalating the call for an economic reset and turning a lot of heads in the process.
Join us for this timely and potent conversation.
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About Jay Coen Gilbert
Jay Coen Gilbert is cofounder of B Lab, the non-profit behind the global B Corporation movement. Its vision is to change the operating system, culture, and practice of business so that all companies compete to be best for the world, and as a result we all enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. Along with his B Lab cofounders, Jay is the recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and the McNulty Prize at the Aspen Institute, where he is as a Henry Crown Fellow. To build the broad coalition necessary for economic system change, Jay serves as executive co-chair of Imperative 21, a business-led cross-sector coalition that believes the imperative of the 21st century is to redesign our economic system so its purpose is to create value for all stakeholders. Founding coalition partners include: B Lab, The B Team, CECP (Chief Executive for Corporate Purpose), The Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism, Conscious Capitalism, and JUST Capital.
In addition to serving on several boards, for more than a decade Jay has co-taught a class about the role of business in society at Westtown School, a 200 year old Quaker school. Prior to co-founding B Lab, despite having no game, Jay co-founded and sold AND 1, a $250M basketball footwear and apparel company. Prior, Jay worked for McKinsey & Co and several organizations in NYC’s public and non-profit sectors. Jay grew up in New York City and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in East Asian Studies. Between AND 1 and B Lab, Jay enjoyed a sabbatical Down Under and in Monteverde, Costa Rica with his yogini wife Randi and two children, Dex and Ria, now 22 and 20. Jay and Randi live in Berwyn, PA.
About our host, Berry Liberman:
Berry is the co-founder and Creative Director of Small Giants, the Publisher of Dumbo Feather and a mum to the three cutest kids in the world. Berry loves the garden at work. Especially the roses. A few years back, Berry used to write screenplays in LA and directed a few short films but decided to come home, get married to Danny and start Small Giants.
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Concession Rate:
We offer concession rates to support those who are unemployed, studying or working for non-profits and B Corporations. Please check out using the concession ticketing option.
Accessibility:
If you require Auslan Interpretation, please contact us at info@smallgiants.com.au at least 2 weeks prior to the event. We will be very happy to arrange this for you.
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About Small Giants Academy:
Our vision at Small Giants Academy is for a just and inclusive transition to a global economy that supports human flourishing while living in harmony with the natural world. Through articles, podcasts, conversations and masterclasses that illuminate the work of global thought leaders, Small Giants Academy is leading its communities towards a hopeful future, the Next Economy.