The BetterWorld Forum kicked off yesterday with the first of many events focused on the cross section of the new broadband economy, the future of work and the opportunities that exist for businesses and communities in this field.
The inaugural event was hosted at the new BetterWorld headquarters in San Francisco, in partnership with Varsity Technologies.
Joining in the discussion on the future of work were seasoned experts including:
- Jim Lynch from TechSoup Global talked about the telecom donation programs TechSoup has with BetterWorld, as well as their extensive educational resources to support nonprofits in adopting flexible communications and getting nonprofit workers out from behind desks and into the field, where they can have the most impact.
- David Brodwin of the American Sustainable Business Council stopped by and is doing vital work in the Bay Area promoting sustainable business at the civic level.
- Monica Lynn Babine of Washington State University traced the evolution of telework from its nascent stages in the 90's to the super-powered broadband of today, as well describing Telework Week, it's impact, and why it matters.
- Scott Ekman of Better Workplace described the evolution of flexible work research from Results Oriented Work Environments (ROWE) at Sun Microsystems, to current success stories, saving companies tens of millions in unnecessary office space by adopting flexible work strategies.
- Adam Black & Tom Hughes of Key WiFi laid out their plan for turning the broadband access challenge on its head by building a global wifi cooperative, allowing individuals to rent out access to their wifi
Future of Work experts present remotely via Adobe Connect
Also featured was the excellent film, “Networked Society, On the Brink” from Ericsson Multimedia, which highlights the past, present and future of connectivity.
Why Focus on Future of Work?
The number one contributor to carbon and environmental emissions in the U.S. is squarely rooted in how we work. Work-related activity creates over 90% of the carbon emissions and pollution in the U.S., with buildings and transportation accounting for almost 75% of the total. The BetterWorld Forum is a discussion to provide real world and tangible solutions towards an economy based on flexible work, both in the Bay Area and across the U.S.
In BetterWorld Forums, we explore issues around the new Access/Broadband Economy that touches all of us throughout each workday. We're exploring the challenges, threats and opportunities that ALL organizations can use to plot their long-term strategies. As we move from an industrial-minded workforce to knowledge workers and flexible environments, this timely dialogue brings us together in a new socially and environmentally sustainable frame.
Next Up
The next event in the BetterWorld Forum will focus on the Future of the Net, featuring a screening of the acclaimed film, “Barbershop Punk“.
Posted in: BetterWork BetterWorld Forum Events
