Panel: The Nature of Technology

Sometimes technology and nature seem like polar opposites, but are they? As humans, we certainly came to be within the natural world. Our ancestors found advantage evolving the ability to shape our natural environment into tools. And here we are in the modern era, still creating and using tools built from the natural resources around us. Yet somewhere along the way, this simple equation started to change.

At some point, our tools started to feel categorically different from the spoon and fork. Today we feel more ‘used’ than ‘user’. Our tech is now so complex that it doesn’t feel natural anymore. Ironic, given that we plunder the natural world to build it. As mindfulness practitioners, we watch our thinking mind place conceptual layers on the world. We see today’s tech as part of this abstraction, which is why we think of it as removed from nature.

But might our world benefit from thinking of tech more as a part of our nature? We are natural, so is what we create also natural? If tech amplifies human, then should we be surprised if it amplifies our flaws just as well as our strengths? In this frame, the question of tech becomes spiritual: how do we avoid the pitfalls of base instinct and live up to the potential of compassion?

In this year’s technology panel, we’ll explore the nature of technology with three experts on three different continents: an expert in psychedelic therapy, a leading proponent of digital wellness, and a startup founder reimagining the video call for a more mindful and compassionate future.

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Featured Speakers: Edric Subur, Jaz Cadoch, and Chris Flack,

Edric Subur, CEO & Founder, Warmspace, @warmspace.io, LinkedIn | Edric is the CEO & Founder of Warmspace, a platform that democratizes access to inner healing and deep human connection through guided video conversations. His mission is to advance humanity through innovations that elevate human consciousness and potential. He aspires to create a world that is filled with love, belonging, and authenticity. On the side, he runs a podcast, Beyond The Matrix to help people realize their potential and live in full sovereignty. He’s also a community builder, facilitator, speaker, and writer on the topics of human connection, self-discovery, and humanity-centered technology. Previously, He was a digital marketing expert at Twitter, Google with experience running multiple startups. In his personal life, he’s a wonder and self-development junkie, often found doing challenges like reading 50 books in a year, water-fasting for 5 days, and doing 30-day gratitude calls.

Chris Flack,  Co-founder, Unplug, @unplughq | "UnPlug Co-Founder Chris Flack has over fifteen years in tech and organisational behaviour consulting. He has experienced many of the negative impacts of information overload and witnessed how information overload and an ‘always on’ culture have changed many people's lives. Chris also brings a wealth of international experience to UnPlug. Several career breaks in his corporate life allowed him to spend four years travelling and working in senior strategy roles for international aid organisations across four continents. Chris is accredited as an All-Stars Thought Leader, a lead teacher at the Digital Wellness Institute, and regularly speaks throughout Europe."

Amy Baglan, Founder and Coach, Alchema | Amy Baglan has built three companies dedicated to connection and relationships over the past 10 years. Collectively, her companies have helped over 1 million people meet, connect, and deepen relationships of all types. Throughout her journey as a 3x CEO, Amy raised over $10M from mission-aligned investors and built a team with one of the best company cultures around (voted #2 in Colorado!). Over the past few years as Chief Evangelist at Fabriq, Advisor to the Society for Social Health & Well-Being, and the host of the Wellness 3.0 podcast, Amy has been extremely active in building an ecosystem of leaders in social health & wellness. Currently, Amy runs curated mastermind groups for powerful women entrepreneurs, supporting founders to create more alignment, connection, and magic in their business and their life. Giving back to the greater startup ecosystem — through World Happiness Summit, Techstars, TransTech, Pledge 1% Colorado, Leeds School of Business, World Changing Women's Summit, Habit Hackers, and multiple venture funds — has always been been important to her. @amybaglan, Facebook, Linkedin

Host: Jay Vidyarthi, Design Strategist, MSGI

Jay Vidyarthi is an attention activist working toward a society where tools for self-care and mental health are as diverse as the people who need them. He believes mindfulness will empower individuals to reclaim choice in the attention economy. As a designer, Jay has helped launch mindful technologies like Muse: the brain sensing headband, Sonic Cradle, the Healthy Minds Program, and 10+ more. Jay serves on the advisory council for the Mindful Society Global Institute, he’s taught design at major educational institutions, and he has been recognized and featured internationally (Harvard, ACM, MIT, UToronto, Forbes, Vice, Fast Company, TED, etc).