The goal is that by helping founders forge close-knit relationships and become more attuned with the global environment, they can effect transformational change in the world’s economy

Think about the last event you attended that made a deep impression on you: what was it that stood out? Was it the quality of the talks or the networking sessions? Or maybe it was that VR rollercoaster that gave you an adrenaline rush and made your legs wobbly.

For many attendees, it is usually a combination of many such factors. These days, the event experience is no longer confined to just passively listening in to talks; it is about delivering a dynamic and interactive experience that involves the active participation of attendees, thereby establishing a tighter bond between stakeholders that transcends beyond the span of the event.

So what does it mean, and why is it important?

To understand this, we have to take a macro view and first establish why so many conferences, particularly startup events, are held in the first place.

The fundamental thread that binds them, is that they seek to educate stakeholders in the industry through valuable insights from experts, and build and strengthen connections between all participants. This is the key to building a tight-knit,  long-enduring community.

Open Circles, an invite-only entrepreneur community that curate and delivers experiences designed to spark social awareness and innovation in entrepreneurs, is working for higher goal — to effect a transformational change in the world’s economy by helping founders to become more attuned with the environment around them.

To do this, it is going one step further in establishing trust to foster collaborations and strengthen long-enduring relationships between disparate stakeholders in the ecosystem. While it is still a business event, its goal isn’t so much about teaching entrepreneurs the business science of how to build or scale their businesses, but more to help them to really introspect and reconnect with themselves.

Also Read: e27 partners AsiaIOA and iCube Innovation to enhance startups, investor ecosystem

It is a socially-driven, holistic approach that aims to immerse entrepreneurs in an experience that will realign themselves to their true purpose in life and not miss out on other important things along the way that, which, at first glance, may seem peripheral to the business.

To paint you a clearer picture, check out the Open Circles’s Bali agenda, which will run from June 20 — 23 this year.

One of the talks, “Torrid Love Affair: The Secret to Desire in a Long Term Relationship”, conducted by emotional intelligence & transformational coach, Colleen Schell, may seem more suited for a dating seminar than a business conference — but that’s a simplistic dismissal.

All too often, many discount the role of empathy and emotional support from a spouse or long term partner in the success of your business — they can provide valuable guidance and advice; they are also your pillar of support in the good times and times.

Then there is the “Fighting Fyre: Responsible Use of Social Media and Managing Public Failures, from Fyre Festival to Online Scandals” talk, which seeks to address the issue of accountability in the business world. The infamous Fyre Festival held in 2017 not only demonstrated the dangers of social media hype and but also put a spotlight on the lethal relationship between gullible investors and snake oil entrepreneurs — it very clearly showed that there needed to be more checks and balances in the business community.

To cultivate cross-culture exchanges, Open Circles Bali (OC Bali) is featuring a stellar line-up of speakers from the Eastern and Western business communities.

Some of the Western speakers include:

1. Alicia Silverstone, Hollywood actress, entrepreneur and environmental activist;
2. Andreas Ehn, Spotify’s first CTO;
3. Erika Cheung, a key whistleblower who brought down Theranos;
4. Russell Simmons, Co-founder of Def Jam (a famous music record label)

From the East, there are renowned business leaders such as:

1. Melisa Irene, Partner at East Ventures;
2. Hendrik Susanto, CIO at Traveloka;
3. Yusmadi Yusoff, a Senator at Parliament of Malaysia, and the Founder of the RIGHTS Foundation.
4. Audrey Yeo, Founder, Yeo Workshop Art Gallery

Besides talks, attendees will also partake in physical activities designed to heal and take away physical and mental tension. These include massage sessions, Yin yoga and Hatha yoga sessions, and even aqua aerobics!

Adding to that are the Agni Hotra Fire Ceremony, an ancient Hindu fire ceremony that purportedly helps to purify one’s thoughts as well as the environment, and Reiki & Singing Bowl Therapy, an Eastern form of sound meditation therapy.

All in all, events like these demonstrate that there is a growing sense among business leaders that social initiatives, health & wellness activities, and environmental-driven issues are no longer just checkboxes they should tick off to show that they are ‘progressive’.

Entrepreneurs have become aware that such initiatives, which might traditionally be regarded as frivolous, have to shift to the forefront of their business strategies if they want to build sustainable businesses that will survive in the long run.

—

Image Credit: Open Circles

The post Open Circles is a holistic platform that aims to help entrepreneurs become socially aware, purpose-driven individuals who care about sustainable economic growth appeared first on e27.