Thriving

The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the Economy

Wayne Visser

An innovation agenda for turning our biggest global societal challenges into opportunities to thrive

The future will be better than you think. Thriving shows how innovation can regenerate nature, society, and the economy by taking us from degradation to restoration of ecosystems, from depletion to renewal of resources, from disparity to responsibility in communities, from disease to revitalization of health, from disconnection to rewiring through technology, and from disruption to resilience of infrastructure and institutions.

Thriving strives to:

• Inform about why change is necessary and how it happens in society, as well as counter prevailing despair and pessimism about the state of the world with hope and optimism

• Inspire with what change is possible and where it is already happening, showing how we can go from problems of breakdown to breakthrough solutions

• Impel by creating a desire to turn information and inspiration into action, adding momentum to the growing regeneration movement

Thriving is not an exercise in blind optimism about technology or other miracle-cure solutions; rather, it is an accessible approach to systems thinking and an offer of pragmatic hope based on purpose-driven creativity and innovation. Whether you’re a progressive leader, a professional in the sustainability field, or someone who simply wants to be better informed about ways to take positive action, this thorough guide is for you.

Dr. Wayne Visser describes himself as an idea-monger, storyteller, and meme weaver. A globally recognized “pracademic,” he is the author of 40 books. His work as an enthusiast for thriving, a strategy analyst, a sustainability academic, a documentary filmmaker, and a professional speaker has taken him to 77 countries. He has been recognized by Trust Across America as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders in trustworthy business and named a top-100 sustainability leader by ABC Carbon.

Dr. Visser currently serves as head tutor, fellow, and lecturer at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, as well as professor of integrated value at Antwerp Management School, where he holds the world’s first academic chair in sustainable transformation. He is also a director of the think tank and media company Kaleidoscope Futures and founder of CSR International. Previous roles include director of sustainability services for KPMG and strategy analyst for Capgemini in South Africa.