In an enlightening episode of the Techquanimity Podcast, hosts Dr. Cynthia Phelps and Mark Montalban welcomed Kimberly King, a global impact entrepreneur and a beacon of leadership in sustainability and innovation. Kimberly's unique approach combines business acumen with a deep commitment to social impact, making her a formidable figure in the fields of public-private partnerships and collaborative innovation.

Kimberly's journey, spanning over two decades, reflects her versatility as a leader across various sectors. As the CEO of HumanTech and director of the One Island Institute, her work extends to roles such as a special projects consultant for the United Nations and a senior adviser to the Metaverse Fashion Council and the Global Urban Innovation Exchange. Her insights into diversity, inclusion, women's leadership, and the synergy of spirituality, business, and technology are not just thought-provoking but also actionable.

Key Takeaways from the Podcast:

1. Compassion and Empathy in Leadership: Kimberly underscores the importance of these qualities for personal growth and collective benefit. Her journey highlights the significance of understanding the 'why' in life and using technology as a force for good.
2. Technology and Real-world Problems: She delves into the responsible use of technology, emphasizing privacy, inclusivity, and ethical considerations. Kimberly shares her experiences in aligning marketing technology tools with company goals to enhance user experience and trust.
3. Long-term Goals and Ethical Business: Kimberly encourages companies to adopt enlightened self-interest and universal ethical codes, guiding them towards noble, value-driven business practices.
4. Diversity and Inclusion in Corporate Boards: She stresses the necessity of diversity and inclusion, not just as a moral imperative but as a smart business strategy in today's multi-generational workforce.
5. Recognition of Women in Tech Leadership: Kimberly discusses initiatives to promote women's leadership in technology, highlighting her inclusion in the 'Top 100 Women of the Future' list.
6. Spirituality, Business, and Technology: Kimberly shares her spiritual journey and its influence on her professional path, exploring the intersections of these domains.
7. Promoting Conscious Entrepreneurship: She talks about her initiative with Telma Gomez to support female entrepreneurs in creating conscious, purpose-driven companies.
8. Mindfulness and Intention in Daily Life: Kimberly emphasizes the importance of intention and presence in routine activities, advocating for a balance between technology use and contemplative practices.
9. Core Values in Business: She shares her experience with Mindful Text, focusing on the importance of core values like integrity and care in business operations.

Kimberly King’s perspective on leadership is a blend of intention, values, and a commitment to wellbeing in business. Her approach is not only transformative but also essential in today’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape.

Show Notes and Links

• 00:00:00 In this section, Dr. Cynthia Phelps and her co-host Mark Montalban welcome their guest, Kimberly King, to the Techquanimity Podcast. Kimberly is a global impact entrepreneur and thought leader in the fields of public-private partnerships, sustainability, and collaborative innovation. She is inspired by the intersection of business strategy and social impact, and has created groundbreaking marketing and financial models that have generated over $4 billion in revenue to date. Kimberly's diverse experience spans 20 years as a multi-sector leader in joint ventures, working with financial services, environmental and economic development agencies, communications, and future of work. She is currently the CEO of HumanTech and the director of the One Island Institute, and serves as a special projects consultant for the United Nations and a senior adviser to the Metaverse Fashion Council and the Global Urban Innovation Exchange, among other roles. Kimberly is also a global champion of DEI and women and girls, and has co-founded several accelerators for women in innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the podcast, Kimberly King discusses the importance of compassion, empathy, and understanding in life. She believes that these concepts are more than just words and are essential for personal growth and development. She suggests that we should focus on discovering our own gifts and capacities and bringing them to the collective for the greater good. Kimberly shares her journey and how it helped her recognize the importance of understanding the "why" in life, and how this understanding has led her to pursue technology for good. Kimberly then talks about her work in the tech for good space and how she sees technology as a means of accelerating our ability to connect and scale. She acknowledges that technology is an expression of the tools of our time and that we use it to extend ourselves and do things better and faster. Kimberly is interested in how technology can be used for positive change and how we can use it to create a more sustainable and equitable world.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Kimberly King discusses her views on technology and its role in solving real-world problems. She emphasizes that technology is a tool that can be used for both good and bad purposes and that it is up to individuals to use it responsibly. She also highlights the importance of considering privacy, inclusivity, bias, and conflict when using technology. King provides an example of how she helped a team align their use of marketing technology tools by encouraging them to pause and reflect on their purpose and goals before proceeding. By doing so, they were able to make more informed decisions and create a better user experience, resulting in increased trust and business growth.
• 00:15:00 In this section, Kimberly King talks about how she convinces companies to pause and think about long-term goals and scenario planning with more intentions and checks and balances. She believes that this way of thinking can help companies achieve their goals in a noble way, where they do business with a better purpose and make money while doing it. Kimberly also discusses how enlightened self-interest is her strategy of choice, and that universal codes of ethics can help raise the bar on what are the rules for engagement. She believes that leaders who innately know what is in alignment with their humanity can make the shift and become noble brands, leading the charge into a better future. Kimberly also mentions her previous interview with Ado Russi, where they talked about the need for a code of ethics for impact investors, and how it is important to guide technology development with a specific set of ethical principles.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the podcast, Kimberly King discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion on corporate boards, emphasizing that it is not only a moral imperative but also a smart business strategy. She believes that companies must recognize the changing environment and cater to the needs of the multi-generational workforce that values transparency, cultural competency, and a shared sense of purpose. Kimberly also highlights the growing trend of the "Great Resignation," where people are choosing to leave organizations that do not align with their values. She asserts that companies who prioritize values and purpose, and provide a fulfilling work environment, will not only retain their employees but also attract top talent. Kimberly is also involved in the initiative "Top 100 Women of the Future," where she works to promote women's leadership and entrepreneurship.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video, Kimberly King discusses the recognition of women in leadership positions, specifically in the tech industry. She talks about a recent initiative by a group of partners and a public company that wanted to compile a list of the top 100 women of the future in tech, and how she was surprised and honored to be included in the list despite not considering herself a technologist. Kimberly emphasizes the importance of leadership and decision making in the tech industry, and how technology can help humans get to where they want to go faster better. She also talks about her work with Decachoa, a company that helps women entrepreneurs address the challenges of scaling their businesses.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the podcast, Kimberly King talks about her spiritual journey and how it led her to explore her purpose and the intersections of spirituality, business, and technology. She says that she was always considering herself a spiritual person but felt that she needed more freedom and maturity before taking action on her purpose. Kimberly grew interested in exploring the possibilities of her life and which was okay to say in a business context. She believes that this led to doors opening and opportunities that were presented to her that she didn't knock on. She mentions that Deepak Chopra was one of the teachers who entered her life after she put out an invitation and had haven't heard of him before. They met at a Ted conference and quickly had a strong chemistry and energy around the intersection of spirituality, business, and technology. Kimberly talks about her early experiences with mindfulness and meditation tools that were part of her exploration of how technology can be used to better oneself and improve decisions.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the transcript, Kimberly King discusses the Women and Innovation Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development initiative that she founded with Telma Gomez, a Brazilian healer and sustainability enthusiast. The goal of their initiative was to launch an incubator and accelerator for female entrepreneurs who want to start conscious companies that align with the fourfold process of people, planet, profit, and purpose. King explains that they were successful in generating interest from women entrepreneurs and received funding from the EU and Swedish government to develop the model. However, they insisted on working with entrepreneurs who wanted to start conscious companies that did not harm the planet. King also mentions her own experience with the Transformative Tech program, which helped her apply conscious leadership and value systems to her own company.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the podcast, Kimberly King discusses her work with the UN and how it has influenced her. She started working with the UN over 20 years ago and was initially invited to be part of an education initiative to raise awareness about HIV in Africa. Her work with the UN deal with women and children around the world, and she used storytelling and technology to engage the world in the conversation. The work was self-serving as nothing felt better than engaging in work that has meaning and purpose. This experience led her to the world of mindfulness and compassion.
• 00:45:00 In this section, Kimberly King shares her thoughts on the importance of intention, presence, and consistency in one's morning and night routine, as well as during intervals to take breaks, breathe, and quiet the mind. She suggests that this practice is powerful and can inform one's path. Kimberly also talks about the value of setting an intention before bed and how it can help one stay awake and focused. She discusses the challenges of balancing technology and the need for contemplative practices in the future.
• 00:50:00 in this section, Kimberly King discusses the values exercise she participated in as part of her company Mindful Text. She explains the process of choosing values that were never desired to be shared publicly as a brand or as a team and the importance of staying true to those values. She also talks about the impact this exercise had on her personal growth and her decision to prioritize integrity and care in her business. Additionally, Kimberly shares her recent accomplishments with Mindful Text, including being accepted into the UC Berkeley Sky Accelerator program and her plans for the future, including teaching a Habit class in January.
• 00:55:00 In this section of the YouTube video, Kimberly King discusses the values that she and her team align with at their mindfulness company. These values include mindfulness, calmness, effectiveness, accountability, excellence, and ethics. Kimberly recommends that other leaders and business owners look at different values available online and choose their top five to help them get to know themselves better and operate with those values in mind. Kimberly then congratulates her team on being accepted into an accelerator program and expresses her gratitude to the listeners of the Techquity podcast for tuning in.