“The solution is not to get everyone to become a programmer,” says Dr.Vivienne Ming, speaking on the topic of the future of work during the second day of the 2019 YPO EDGE,  a premier visionary showcase of thought leadership and innovation. Ming says we can program computers to code. It’s already being done.

Our value as humans is not in doing tasks, but our creativity.

Creativity is the human value that can not be replaced by machines, and the future of global competition will be defined by talent and how each one uniquely contributes.

However, Ming says this requires a commitment from leaders to provide continuous training and education that supports employee growth. And, she says, chief executives need to be creating opportunities for people who are different from themselves.

Diversity must be considered.

We also have to consider the things we do that others don’t see according to Alvin Carpio who addressed EDGE attendees about being a global citizen in a digital world. “Even the things we do ourselves, discreetly, impacts those around us,” he says. And in the case of chief executives, that impact goes further. “It can mean impacting the world.”

The second day of the 2019 YPO EDGE once again brought together speakers from around the world to share stories and inspire more than 2,000 YPO members in attendance.

Dr. Kamau Cachigi shared that, “Culture can not be divorced from innovation.” Speaking in particular about Africa, he said “Let’s look for our own innovation, looking at our own culture and remember ourselves.”

Innovations don’t necessarily solve problems in the same way in different parts of the world.

To encourage and support more manufacturing in Africa, Cachigi would like to see more microlending, which can provide needed money for small manufacturers at lower cost than big banks.

 

Many of the day’s speakers addressed social impact and responsibility.

OzHarvest founder Ronni Khan says one-third of food globally goes to waste. Her organization, Australia’s leading food rescue organization has provided 100 million meals in 15 years to the hungry. She works with more than 2,000 volunteers who seek purpose, to add value and make a difference in the world.

“Being a change maker ruffles many feathers,” says Khan.

Mary Mazzio spoke of the documentary I am Jane Doe, which follows the story of three mothers fighting an unjust system that allowed tech companies to profit from child sex trafficking without repercussion. The laws are outdated. “Tech has outpaced regulation,” says Mazzio.

This year’s YPO EDGE opened eyes and hearts. The stories shared often touched the heart and profoundly changed the listener. As presenter Cal Fussman says, “When you are listening, you are taking in information and it changes you. Listening is disruption.”