Hopefully this document answers a whole bunch of questions you have about me.
If I were to boil down who i am into one sentence, it’s that I am a semi-nomadic, US-based technologist, creator, and civic entrepreneur dedicated to building tools, systems, and movements that accelerate human and planetary flourishing (and ultimately help build toward a Golden Age for humanity).
I share my thoughts on how to get to that Golden Age faster in my Substack.
I document other reflections and pieces of me in my Wiki, such as…
- My vision for humanity by 2040: Gary’s Vision for Humanity
- My inspirations: Gary’s Inspirations (People)
- Work With People Who Can’t Help But Dream About Their Work
MY CURRENT WORK
As of June 2024, I am…
- Hosting a podcast for community builders, called The Guilded Age
- Advising a new project called Edge City, inspired by and part of the Zuzalu ecosystem.
- Advising an onchain event ticketing platform called Lemonade.
- Advising a group focused on establishing an open source framework for human flourishing (think: Linux for the future of civilization)
- Helping other groups that relate in some way to civics, politics, foundational tech, culture, or media.
There is never a dull moment.
A few of the top questions I am currently exploring are:
- How do we build systems that provide reliable streams of funding for the “Public Greats” of the world (who do so much for the public good but are almost always chronically underfunded)?
- How do we accelerate and eliminate impediments to human flourishing?
- How can crypto/web3, AI, and other foundational tech be applied to build the future of living, starting with hyperlocal village experiments?
- How can we reverse humanity’s downward spiral?
MY WRITING
Anyone who knows me knows that I love the "regen” meme, which I believe is one of the most powerful and unifying memes of the decade (and possibly beyond).
Another meme I'm incredibly bullish on is "foundational tech."
Re: foundational tech, I started a Substack called America 2.0 that is focused on how we accelerate more quickly toward a Golden Age for Humanity. Read the launch post "The Foundational Tech Manifesto" here.
In my Substack, I write a lot about popup villages, collective intelligence, planetary civics, and my lessons learned traveling around and coliving in different parts of the world with innovators.
I also write frequently in my personal Wiki here.
EVENTS + OTHER MEDIA
I speak regularly at conferences (like SXSW, ETHDenver, Consensus) and on podcasts/documentaries about hyperlocalism, foundational tech, America's future, and all things regen 🎙.
I was featured in a PBS “Roadtrip Nation” documentary on Changemakers (published in March 2023).
Let me know if you'd like to invite me to a conference/podcast/X Space/etc (if I have to travel, I need the costs completely comped).
And in general, if you'd like to coordinate/collaborate/communicate with me, I'm mainly looking for collaborators related to building popup villages and other scenius gardens for innovators and artists.
LEARN MORE + CONNECT
- Check out my personal website: https://www.garysheng.com
- Check out my personal Wiki (full of reflections that don’t make it to my Substack): https://wiki.garysheng.com/
- Shoot me a DM on X if you have any questions or opportunities to send my way.
Much love,
Gary