Welcome to Professionals with Purpose.

If you are wondering how you can have a more positive impact while you run a business or earn a living, you’re in the right place. Read on for examples of businesses, charities, government organisations, individuals and entrepreneurs who have done it or are achieving it - and doing so at pace.

And discover opportunities, tools and resources to help you in your aims.

Talking of which, here are eight books that you might find useful.

Howard Lake
Editor
[email protected]

8 books on business with purpose

Given the current technology acceleration that we’re all experiencing as generative AI touches all our lives, let’s start with a guide to recognising change at exponential pace and what to expect.

1. Exponential

The ‘exponential gap’ that Azeem Azhar posits is the gap between the power of new technology and humans’ and their institutions’ ability to keep up.

2. The Purpose Upgrade: change your business to save the world

Social entrepreneur Lynne Franks OBE describes author Paul Skinner as “one of the most intelligent people I know and his perspective on how to combine purpose, business, the future of society and indeed the world is absolutely crucial understanding for us all.”

3. Future philanthropy: the tech, trends and talent defining new civic leadership

Ryan Ginard looks at the technology, trends and talent that will be needed over the next 10 years as civic leadership, or indeed leaders with purpose, face up to challenges. What would happen if philanthropy became a progressive industry, rather than a sluggish and reactionary one?

4. The Future is Faster than you Think

One of three books listed here by Peter H Diamandis, founder of the X-Prize amongst other things, and Steven Kotler.

5. The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World

Beth Kanter and Allison Fine explore how nonprofits can combine embracing artificial intelligence with retaining their essential human-centered approach to their work.

Kanter and Fine’s other works on nonprofits, technology and their impact on people are also worth exploring.

6. Abundance

The original Kotler and Diamandis book that led to The Future is Faster Than You Think.

In Abundance, space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital manufacturing, synthetic biology, and other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous 200 years.

7. The Tech That Comes Next

How changemakers, technologists, and philanthropists can build an equitable world. This book connects ideas and conversations across sectors from artificial intelligence to data collection, community centred design to collaborative funding, and social media to digital divides.

8. Bold

“Bold is both a manifesto and a manual. It is today’s exponential entrepreneur’s go-to resource on the use of emerging technologies, thinking at scale, and the awesome power of crowd-powered tools.”

If you have a story to tell about how you’ve grown a business’ income and social impact at pace, do get in touch with us.

If you’d like to advertise on or sponsor future editions of Professionals With Purpose do contact Connor Seaton.