By Vera Boateng
Who are we? How do we evolve? David Orban posits these questions from his perspective as an investor, entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, and thought leader of the global technology landscape.
He is the managing partner of Network Society Ventures, a seed stage global venture investment firm that seeks to invest in disruptive technology-based companies that are leading the transformation from the post-industrial age to the network society.
“Technology is a positive sum game, and it has shaped the world around us,” David explained. The rise of the internet has made it particularly pervasive in society and our individual lives. We use technology for directions, to talk to our friends, to view bills and to do work. David believes that technology will ultimately change how we perceive our own identities – who we are and who we can be together.
Orban says the transformation of the perception of identity is going to broaden what it means to be human. It will allow us to live parallel lives: rather than experiencing life as a sequence of events, we will relish the opportunity of trying out everything that we can, learning from it and leveraging it for our goals.
“We are time travelers at the speed of one minute toward the future,” he said. “It is our privilege to be able to influence the future we end up living in, and the responsibility that we have is to maximize our degrees of freedom, to enable all to fulfill their potential.”
To cope with this radical development, society will have to develop a different legal, moral, and social framework, he says. But the most profound effect is going to be the development of new ways of perceiving our identity.
Our abilities to empathize, share experiences, and participate in each other’s lives are precursors to this shift. The abilities that we are gaining and the skills that we are developing today are starting to equip us to thrive in the new world of possibilities tomorrow, living parallel lives.
David will speak at the TEDxNavesink IDENTITY conference at the Paramount Theatre is Asbury Park on May 20. During his talk, Parallel Lives, he hopes to impress upon the audience that we have the power to create future civilizations that are powerful and inclusive – that give everyone a chance to participate and to carry out their purpose.
Interested in what your parallel lives might look like? Get your tickets for TEDxNavesink IDENTITY today.