Curt Beckmann

Agnostic, Architect, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Environmentalist, Idea generator, Parent, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur

Cofounding director of The Appropedia Foundation, in support of Appropedia.org, the sustainability wiki. Married (to TEDster Nilofer Merchant) father of 3. Engineer / manager / entrepreneur turned do-gooder. MBA with BS in Physics. Located in San Francisco Bay Area. My MBA was as much about learning econ as business. I considered a PhD in International Economics until a wise coach helped me see it was the slow path to impact. Shifted gears, realized that I could use my internet skills to make a difference. Within a year I joined others (met thru the web) to create The Appropedia Foundation. At the time of incorporation, none of the founding directors had met face to face.

Helping funders see that bigger impacts can come from asking (and funding) grantees to openly share (a la Creative Commons) the "what works" & "what doesn't" wisdom from grantee programs.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals depends on radical change in the developing world. But there are opportunities that are easy to miss. The developing world has leapfrogged the developed world in communications (with cell phones) and will do so with lighting (few incandescents). They can do so with education as well, particularly adult ed. The internet is not yet an effective repository of practical knowledge for the interested learner (a la William Kamkwamba). We have the opportunity to radically increase the accessible (organized, translated) practical content in a timeframe that is aligned with the growing connectedness of the developing world. Let's do it!

Collaboration and Teamwork, Editing and writing, justice issues, Systems Thinking & Sustainable Strategy Development, Technology - Simplification, Thinking and Wondering

Passion and skills are as valuable as topical expertise. For years I waited on the sidelines of issues convinced that I needed authoritative wisdom to add value. Lately realized that I already know enough to get to work. The barriers between nations and cultures are man-made. We have the ability to damage the world with our unconscious decisions. And we can create a world where we can reduce our footprint with modest pain. The successful human groups (cultures, nations) have developed means of marshaling the resources that they need, often at the expense of other groups. As we face challenges on a planetary scale, our interests grow more aligned, but scarcity of resources will also lead to increased conflict between groups with an "us versus them" perspective. "Nonzero" (Wright) and "Collapse" (Diamond) are both valid, and together highlight the role of choice in our future. The most collaborative groups will have the best outcomes.

Thinking about systems. What systemic issues foster our current problems? Also, heading a soccer ball dozens of times in a row, and learning just enough of German, French, Spanish to get in trouble.