Get Grounded in The Humanverse™
Humanity is in crisis. Out of crisis comes possibility. Business has answers.
Today, the world is intimately connected, but more disconnected than ever before: the repercussions of technology have instigated loneliness and social cascades, people are afraid of AI taking away their jobs, technology shifts have impacted the workforce on countless levels, we’re experiencing food insecurity like never before, the list goes on. As business drives capital toward things that are not necessarily good for society and ignores problems that have been ever-present that we have yet to solve, sustainable growth becomes difficult.
No doubt, ESG pressures are mounting and change is inevitable. Governments have committed to net-zero targets. Regulators are leaning into accountability mechanisms for businesses. Investors are trying to meet demands and put money into strong ESG profiles. And, business leaders? They can either bury their heads in the sand or courageously inspire change. If they choose the former, delaying integration of ESG is costly to businesses and their brands. If the latter? Businesses can deliver for humanity.
Sustainable growth and profitability is possible to achieve together.
You see, ESG isn’t merely social or political, but a business movement reshaping global capitalism. The long-term consequences of not engaging in ESG is greater than the short-term investments required to become a sustainable business. Sustainable growth and profitability is possible to achieve together. Businesses can solve the most pressing problems facing people and the natural environment by investing in their own sustainability, and can ultimately become even more profitable along the way as they benefit humanity.
At DevryBV, we’ve ideated the concept The Humanverse™ which is our offering and a novel business model that is aligned with humanity. Many businesses are already active in The Humanverse™, placing large societal and environmental goals at the center of their business activities. Many businesses already frame their actions through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We applaud businesses that prioritize people and nature in their business ventures as being “Grounded in The Humanverse™.”
At DevryBV, we developed The Humanverse™ to tip the “triple-bottom line” of people, planet, and profit on its head to focus business instead on the “double bottom line”: people and nature.
“For too long, as capitalists, collectively we have lacked the initiative, courage, and imagination to make profit not the pursuit of business, but rather the outcome.”
- Devry Boughner Vorwerk
We acknowledge that business must be profitable to succeed, and we hope business can be wildly profitable, but not at the expense of people’s and nature’s welfare.
Look Internally.
1) The Humanverse™ is a North Star tenant for businesses seeking to be grounded in core values that preserve, protect, and prioritize people and nature.
Our hope for humanity is that all businesses adopt The Humanverse™ as a core value inside their company.
We acknowledge the value, necessity, and support that technology provides and will continue to provide humanity for generations to come. However, the pathway forward is a world where business does not lose its connectivity in service to humanity. If people and nature are placed at the epicenter of business and advancement in technologies over the next several decades, companies will not only succeed, but they will lead the way in ethical practices.
As a business leader, ask yourself, what is my company’s impact on people and nature, and do our values align with that? Am I doing enough to steer our business toward positively impacting humanity and away from creating detrimental outcomes? Deploy the art of introspection before launching a product, service, technology, idea into the open marketplace. Add The Humanverse™ to the company’s value set.
Design Strategically.
2) The Humanverse™ is a business model for all humanity, one that prioritizes outcomes for people and nature.
The broader world of business and finance is misallocating resources away from human-centric problems that exist today to endeavors that actually set humanity back and distract people from humanity altogether. One example is the Metaverse, a place where reality does not exist, yet billions of dollars are deployed there, while so many people are left behind that need that capital allocation today.
The answer? Build your business in The Humanverse™. Whether you are a product or service-based company, solve real, tangible problems for people and nature; the outcome is a healthier workforce, economy, and society, which are all factors that business needs to be successful in the first place. In The Humanverse™, our challenge to businesses is to believe that they can be wildly profitable if they put people and nature at the center.
Ultimately, in The Humanverse™, ESG profiles and daily operations can be built successfully with humanity at the epicenter, while also being streamlined, attainable, measurable, and profitable.
Invest Smartly.
3) The Humanverse™ is our investment challenge to capitalize humanity in the necessary and right ways.
Many businesses and investors are driving capital toward the wrong things that are not necessarily good for society and ignoring the core problems that have been ever-present. We’re spending billions of dollars on product innovations, services,and technology that don’t result in meaningful outcomes for society and for those who are most vulnerable. Why is the world of business and finance not coming together to capitalize the end to human suffering? Why is the world of business distracted with less important matters than ensuring every human is able to meet the most basic needs? Why isn’t the world of finance investing in the very things that support and sustain human life? It all comes down to the return on investment.
If we only invest in near-term financial returns, we will not achieve long-term investment gains. Businesses can both deploy capital toward short-term gains and long-term permanent solutions at the same time -- they are not mutually exclusive. Capitalism can solve the worst problems of humanity if the world of business agrees to prioritize its capital toward improving people’s actual lives, communities, and the natural environment.
Conclusion
Business cannot escape the human condition and leave humanity behind. Otherwise, who is going to buy your products and services down the road? A robot? An avatar? What kind of planet will be left to service your business? Let’s Get Grounded in The Humanverse™.
DevryBV Sustainable Strategies is your premier business partner for sustainability solutions. We inspire businesses to courageously serve humanity.