Who Am I?

The question as to who I am is difficult to answer, but since I raised the question I’ll have to give it my best shot!

• I reside in Vancouver, Canada
• I am a co-founder of Radical Inclusion (http://radical-inclusion.com), a consulting firm that is focused on open collaboration and virtual collaboration services.
• I am a co-founder of OpenKollab (http://wiki.openkollab.com/Home), a project that aims to connect projects that have synergy (aligned goals etc.) through the development of technology tools and a community of practice.
• I am a prolific writer of all sorts of stuff; prose, poetry and lots of philosophy
• I am working on completing a Master’s in philosophy
• I am an aspiring percussionist.
• Prior to entering the Master’s program I ran a called Catalyst Capital Partners, Inc. that provided financing and strategic advisory services for early stage technology companies.
• Prior to that I was a stockbroker at a major Canadian investment bank.
• I have an undergraduate degree in physics
• I am an explorer of people, ideas, places etc.
• I am deeply committed to the idea of community; as that which is the basis for personal identity and therefore is constitutive of who we are. There is no sense in which we can understand ourselves independently of the community within which we are situated.

How does all of this relate to this blog, you ask?

Good question… As you might be able to gather from the many twists and turns in my path, I am not someone that is motivated by easily definable societal roles. I don’t view success in terms of ‘making money’, ‘getting a good job’, ‘having a nice car’, etc. I am in search of something more fundamental – to try to understand what people really need. What is it that will satisfy us in a much deeper way.

At this point I don’t want to digress too much. I will leave the more spiritually related thoughts to another blog. Suffice it to say that along the path that I have been walking I have participated (as has anyone that is reading this blog) in the extremely rapid evolution of the internet as a social force. I have invested in technology, raised money for technology companies, advised clients to invest in technology companies, read countless research reports and so on. In doing so I have come to the conclusion that the EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET WILL HAVE A MUCH BIGGER SOCIAL IMPACT THAN PEOPLE REALIZE!!

This seems like a strange thing to say because there is no doubt that people realize (to a large extent) the social impact that the internet is having. I, HOWEVER, FEEL THAT PEOPLE DON’T FULLY APPRECIATE THE ROLE THAT THE INTERNET PLAYS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY AND THE CONSEQUENT ROLE THAT THIS WILL PLAY FOR THE FORMATION OF NEW SORTS OF COMMUNITIES – TRULY GLOBAL COMMUNITIES!

In forming truly global communities it becomes possible to solve global problems; war, famine, poverty, climate change etc.

Don’t be dissuaded by the grand vision. Just keep reading and respond directly to what I am saying. If you think that I am wrong please be specific in telling me why this is so.

Peace and Love.

Suresh