upbeat | POSITIVE. IMPACT. TECH. - Editie #15

Hi, welcome to a new edition of upbeat, the newsletter focussed on Digital for good! As you might notice this is the first English edition. Something I have been thinking about for a while and decided to just give a go. Links to Dutch articles will be marked with NL (pro tip: Google Translate has become pretty accurate).

As usual, we’ll take a look at the bright spots in the digital world. To get back to work with new ideas and perspectives.

So let’s get to it: Make the change at work!

We want control over our virtual identity. We want to live in an inclusive digital world. We want to be able to know that something is fake… The Rathenau Institute has drawn up 10 design requirements for a humane digital society. With augmented reality, virtual reality and voice computers, the digital society is entering a new phase, the institute states. And we need to take action to make sure these are used for good. Asking questions like: do we control the digital world, or are we controlled by the digital world? “Various public values are at stake, including privacy, autonomy, honesty and health.”

What are the goals of food waste startups? Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren, cofounder and CEO of Swedish startup Karma, thinks we need to talk about it more and sees too much focus on distributing leftovers and too little focus on minimizing waste. While the CEO is seizing a pr moment trying to stir things up with competitors, Sifted checks on the goals and strategies of key European players - like Winnow and Too Good To Go.

This year I had the honor of helping select the cases for the Dutch Interactive Award in the new category Digital For Good. Out of six participants a professional jury picked the Happi Huidapp and Extra Teamlid as winner and runner up, but all six are recommended reads. From giving patients with skin conditions better access to specialists and reducing out-of-home placements of children to getting consumers on a ‘plastic diet’. (NL)

🌏 Cervest has just graduated Google’s startup program based on the SDG’s and tries to close the climate knowledge gap with new forecasting methods.

📈 Growth Tribe is hosting a low priced Growth for Good 3 day crash course for companies contributing to the SDG’s, starting November 25th.

🌳Impact investment app tickr now offers users carbon offset subscritions by having them support projects that reduce and remove emissions.

🙊 Can AI systems detect loneliness in natural speech patterns? San Diego researchers say they can.

⛓️ What’s happening on the blockchain? The EU is scanning the European Ecosystem of Distributed Ledger Technologies for Social & Public Good and has a new report out.

💸 Global impact startups are on track to raise record levels of investment, says Dealroom.

Not necessarily digital for good, nonetheless relevant:

It’s 2023. Here’s How We Fixed the Global Economy - Speaking of being upbeat… Time looks back on how we have made all the right decisions to make the world thrive again since the pandemic. The kind of storytelling the world needs right now and less sci fi as you might think.

We need a new definition of corporate climate leadership - How can we use our full resources, scale, influence, the passion of our employees, and our broader community to help build a world where all living things can thrive. FastCompany investigates.

Lastly: do you have colleagues or other acquaintances who would also like to stay informed on relevant digital for good developments? Forward this newsletter to them and score endless karma points. 🙌🙏🙌