Joanna Hafenmayer Stefańska - The Future Makers: A Journey to People who are Changing the World - and What We Can Learn from Them

In this book, authors Joanna Hafenmayer Stefaska and Wolfgang Hafenmayer would like to take you on a journey On this journey you will meet a number of special people who simultaneously pursue successful, professional careers while making the world a better place to live in. They do not compromise on either of these aims. They are people who find innovative and sustainable solutions to the immense challenges we all face, both now and in the future. These are the 'Future Makers'.

The Future Makers:

A Journey to People who are Changing the World
and What we can Learn from Them

Joanna Hafenmayer Stefaska and Wolfgang Hafenmayer

THE FUTURE

makers

A Journey to People who are Changing the World
and what we can learn from them

Copyright 2013 Greenleaf Publishing Limited

Published by Greenleaf Publishing Limited

Aizlewoods Mill

Nursery Street

Sheffield S3 8GG

UK

www.greenleaf-publishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-1-906093-85-3 [paperback]

ISBN-13: 978-1-907643-58-3 [hardback]

ISBN-13: 978-1-907643-65-1 [electronic]

Contents

Preface

With this book, we would like to take you on a journey. On this journey you will meet a number of special people who simultaneously pursue successful, professional careers while making the world a better place in which to live. They do not compromise on either of these aims. They are people who find innovative and sustainable solutions to the immense challenges we all face, both now and in the future. Subsequently, we call them the Future Makers.

We met these people during our expedition around the world a few years ago and, at the time, they seemed to be a rare species. But increasingly we now meet people like them every day, both at home and in many countries and cities around the world. It seems that Future Makers are everywhere and that they will be the ones shaping and changing the worlds economy and society in the years to come. We wonder, are you a Future Maker?

The two of us both 30 years of age and successful in our careers left our previous jobs behind for one year in order to get to know different personalities from around the globe. We met many more innovators than we had ever dared hope for. Returning from our year-long tour, we had encountered over 230 interview partners on all continents, including businesspeople, computer experts, engineers, dancers, art historians, human rights activists and doctors. Despite all having aspirations of being professionally successful, these innovators were also highly committed to supporting beneficial causes, creating a positive impact on society and truly enjoying what they do they are genuine Future Makers.

In Part II of this book we provide an extensive introduction into the lives of 23 of the 235 Future Makers we interviewed. The encounters we experienced during our trip changed us. While over time some of the people portrayed here have further developed their organisations or moved on to new challenges, we are quite sure that they will inspire and motivate you as they have us especially if you sometimes wonder what your job offers beyond the money and career you make and ask yourself for what purpose you want to invest your precious time, talents and energy. You will find even more inspiring profiles on the inspirational platform, www.thefuturemakers.net.

The end of this book, Part III, presents you with a guide that makes concrete proposals for your future and aims to support you as you question your professional career more thoroughly, examine it critically and embark on your own personal journey. We want to encourage you to reflect on your existence and show you how you can make your vision become a reality. The encouraging examples provided by the Future Makers are thought-provoking when it comes to developing and redirecting your career towards a happier life and personal contentment. Beyond this guide, you will find more helpful tools and services on www.myimpact.net. We wholeheartedly hope that this book inspires you to become a Future Maker too!

Joanna Hafenmayer Stefaska and Wolfgang Hafenmayer,
Zurich, autumn 2012

I

A WORLD TOUR WITH CONSEQUENCES

It all began in the summer of 2004 when we made the decision to leave our home in Switzerland to embark on a tour around the world. For 12 months, we wanted to leave behind everything that had governed our lives up to then: family and friends, demanding jobs, our apartment and cars. Having had successful careers in the business sector, we wanted to take a step forward. In contrast to what we typically experienced in our own surroundings, we wanted to get to know people who pursued totally different aims in life and who made a positive impact on their fellow human beings through their professional dedication.

Many of our friends responded with surprise when they heard of our decision: What are you thinking? How did you get that idea? they asked. It wasnt always easy to give plausible reasons for our motives: why we were not only planning to travel, but also to work. Why we were seeking to meet people who were committing themselves to social justice, ecological solutions and a sustainable quality of life in countries far away.

The reactions of our colleagues ranged from jealousy of the free and self-determined year ahead of us, to complete incomprehension. They wondered how we could jeopardise everything at such an important point in our careers, risking everything we had worked hard for, with the chance of losing it altogether. Most of our peers knew us as diligent, hard-working individuals with a lot of ambition. Of all the people they knew, they wondered how we could question our lifestyle.

We did not consider that our step was spectacular, let alone risky. In our excitement, we did not feel that we had a lot to lose. We were lucky to have grown up in a place and society with many opportunities, with great family backup and all the support we needed to take chances in life. We had both studied at and graduated from the University of St Gallen, which is one of the best universities in Europe. Wolfgangs field was business administration with a specialisation in information management and Joanna had studied political sciences with an emphasis on international relations. Since we had always completed our internships and worked while studying, it was easy for us to find challenging, well-paid jobs. In 2000, Joanna started as the second employee of a telecommunications company. Thanks to the boom in innovative technologies, and with the help of American investors, the company expanded to 100 employees within a year. Of course, there were many exciting and challenging moments. The big lesson, however, came when the investors ran out of money and simultaneously decided to cancel their activities in over ten countries. Unfortunately, Switzerland was one of the countries affected. Since the stock market had suffered a recent downturn in the spring of 2001, no alternative investors could be found within the required short time span.