I’ve been ‘lucky’ to work on some interesting projects, a few of which are highlighted below:
Creations from my experiments at Curiosity
> AI Safety Microgrant (microgrant.ai) [2022]
> African Priorities (priorities.africa) [2022]
> WOW decks – card game and questions promoting conscious reflection, play, and leadership [2022]
> Curiosity Fund – co-investing in founders contributing to a prosperous society [from 2020]
> Ideas on the future of mentorship and most important skills for the future – delivered at TEDx platforms [2017, 2018]
Creations from my work at Joy, Inc.
> The Joy List: a weekly publication about what I learned/read about leading a joyful and flourishing life that week [2018 – 2022]
> The Daily Joy and The Daily Vulnerable books: two daily meditations meant to help readers embrace the fullness of their humanity.
> MADA Network: one of the largest networks of professionals and influencers in Nigeria giving voices to mental health. [2019]
> #WithChude: an on-demand multimedia platform for stories and conversations that enable and strengthen the heart, mind, and spirit.
> Joy: For Leaders: an experiential training for senior executives based on lessons we’ve learnt about promoting conscious leadership in organisations.
> The Joy Hub [+234-THE-JOY-HUB]; a mental health helpline and safe space for Nigerians dealing with anxiety and depression to heal.
> The Nigeria Prize for Difference and Diversity [2020-2021]
> Awaiting Trial: a documentary film focused on police brutality and the criminal justice system in Nigeria [2022]
Creations from my work at BKC-Harvard
> Africa and AI, Now and the Future: a reflection based on my work at the Berkman Klein Center over the summer [2017]
> AI and Inclusion symposium: happy to have provided preliminary support at the initial planning stage of this project [2017]
> [redacted]: an illustrated children’s book on understanding artificial intelligence and making it work for public good (unpublished) [2017].
Creations from my work at AllforDevelopment
> Curiosity Lab: an experimental space in partnership with Curiosity.Africa to experiment with fresh social innovation ideas.
> Founded The Goodnews Letter, a media platform spotlighting interesting people and positive energy in the world every week.
> International Standard / recommended practice on assessing the impact of autonomous and intelligent systems on human well-being [2018-2020]
> Studership: a value-based leadership accelerator that identified, connected, and equipped high-achieving emerging leaders from under-resourced environments committed to driving change in their communities/countries. It attracted over 200 participants from 35+ countries [2012-2015]
> Intergenerational Partnerships at the UN: made commitments to, and advised projects promoting intergenerational partnerships to promote innovation at a meeting hosted on the floor of the United Nations [2017]
>UpforSchool: collaborated to jointly and deliver 10 million signatures to the United Nation Secretary General making it the biggest education petition in history. In response, UN member nations made commitments to remove barriers preventing young boys and girls from getting an education. [2014-2015]
> Youth Roundtable on X: a theme-based roundtable conversation that led to policy recommendations on each theme [2013-2015]
> A variety of global education initiatives and platforms which I contributed to as a global youth ambassador with AWorldAtSchool – along with other ambassadors, including Malala.
Creations from my works at innovation hubs/communities
> [Redacted] – a tech summit and challenge that received a 1 million USD commitment to building an innovation hub in a Nigerian state. [2018]
> SMEClinic: hosted a weekly startup clinic series on Nigeria’s first leadership and entrepreneurship radio, SweetFM [2016-2017]
> Digital Skills for Africa: helped train a few thousand young people on digital skills [2016-2018].
> Journey.my: a short-lived job-hunting career bot I collaborated on in 2017. This became a finalist at Stanford’s Tech Entrepreneurship MOOC’s Pitch Battle. We later decided to discontinue the project.
> Served as advisor for new projects within the hubs
Thought to include a timeline of some of those experiments, projects and adventures.
Someone once asked why I do a range of these things. This is my answer: I’m learning from nature. I’m living and healing the paths I flow through. I’m creating as much as possible – no matter how absurd they are. Even if it’s for its own sake. They are things I want to see in the world. Luckily, some of the things I’ve helped create have been really useful for others. The point is to live a full life, follow what I’m curious about, make things that support others in becoming better, and leave this world better than I met it.
2002
Finished the hand-written manuscript for my first book, Spare the rod and spoil the child. Started an annual tradition of finishing a hand-written children’s book manuscript every holiday for the next six years. All this started because of a holiday challenge and joke from my dad.
2007
Unveiled the first book to the world. Some years later, it became a recommended literature book read by junior high school students in a state in Nigeria.
Started Teens Writers Clubs in schools to support other fledgling writers, which created a network of support that helped in talent discovery and development.
2009
Officially launched AllforDevelopment (first we used the name NETAD). Our naivety was a gift; all we wanted was people to be better versions of themselves, so that they can also choose a problem to solve. Between 2009 – 2017, we built a beautiful culture at AllforDevelopment (v1.0) and worked on global education, leadership, nation building and development projects in service of our mission to collaborate with individuals and institutions to build a future that works for all. I deeply love our people and partners.
2010
Started serving within the leadership of Red Cross in Nigeria (youth wing). For the next four years, collaborated on a lot of projects to help solve issues that affect the health, education, and development of young people.
2011
Created a limited-series magazine called Teens Pathfinder. It’s funny I’m including this here. It was such a fun little project :).
Started writing online on my blog (blog now at www.byDamo.la)
2012
Launched Studership, an annual values-based leadership fellowship for emerging leaders. Ran it for the next 4 years attracting leaders from over 36 countries. Those leaders have now built organisations, worked with policy-makers and continue to help so many in their communities and countries.
2014
Started working on the UpforSchool campaign as a Global Youth Ambassador for Education appointed by A World at School. Partnered with the UN Global Envoy on Education, Global Business Coalition for Education and other ambassadors from 85 countries till we all delivered the largest education petition in human history with 10 million signatures to the United Nations. In response, UN member nations made commitments to remove barriers preventing young boys and girls from getting an education.
2016
Co-created Journey, a coaching bot (with Christophe Hovette) as part of the Stanford Technology Entrepreneurship course taught by Chuck Eesley, Spike and Yoni. Tested in Australia and Nigeria. Retired the experiment in 2017.
Started co-building one of the first innovation hubs in Ogun State, Nigeria – LEAD Resources.
Started plans to hand over leadership of AllforDevelopment so I can continue learning about research, innovation, and working on other experiments. Helped train a few thousands on using digital skills well. Ran SMEClinic (with Kehinde Sogunle), a weekly hour-long program focused on helping entrepreneurs think on Sweet FM, Nigeria’s first leadership and innovation radio station. Handed over the program to Yisa Olaitan in 2017.
2017
Went on to work at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard over the summer as a Berktern. Worked with Sandra Cortesi and Alexa on the Youth and Media team. I really learnt a lot here. It was my first introduction into the world of ethics and governance of AI for societal good. Did some mapping/research. Co-wrote an illustrated children’s book on understanding artificial intelligence and making it work for public good. This is one of those projects where the making is its own reward. Codified that experience in this letter and this piece.
Started Curiosity as a creative practice and home for special projects and experiments I’ll be taking on. It had another name at that time. I want to live in a world where people live well and make better decisions that move humanity forward. Working on those experiments was my perfect excuse.
“Is it possible to be joyful everyday? How can everyone see and benefit from this knowledge? How does this affect our approach to governance, business and culture?” Those were some of the questions that got me hooked, and made me decide to join Chude Jideonwo on the founding team of what became Joy, Inc.
2018
Co-organise the first Tech Summit Ogun, which led to a $1m fund deployed to build an innovation hub and invest in innovation that promote development in the Nigerian state. Each time I now drive past the hub, I smile knowing it continues to help others build.
Went to Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region to learn about the state of innovation even in crisis and to support one of the region’s creative and tech hubs run by Tony and Francis Onuk. I love this place because code is as cherished as painting, and success is defined not only in the number of those impacted but the effect of whatever is being built on the human spirit.
Helped launch Joy, Inc. as a benefit-corporation based out of the USA and Nigeria. Started writing my weekly roundup, The Joy List, and publishing The Daily Vulnerable – well, daily. First, it was written by Chude until we later opened it up to others a few years later, to share stories of vulnerability and everything that makes us human, together. We released The Nigeria Depression Report.
Started working with others on what we thought may become the first international standard to guide how we measure the impact of autonomous / artificially intelligent systems on human wellbeing and flourishing. It was released in 2020 as a recommended practice.
2019
Helped launch The Joy Hub, a physical walk-in space and national helpline [0700-THE-JOY-HUB] for low-income youth dealing with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. We partnered on projects and built one of the largest networks of people lending voices so whoever is dealing with depression and anxiety can get the help they need to heal.
2020
Helped launch #WithChude, the largest pool of wildly entertaining series, podcasts, and films from Africa that strengthen our mental, emotional and spiritual health. The team has worked on a version of this in 2018 and held on to it because we thought the timing wasn’t right for it. We had even killed a podcast version of it too, thinking it was a distraction. This is one of the projects that relies more on the courage of the host than any other thing – especially the courage to live differently. And that courage continues to attract people to come onboard, watch the series, talk to people they love about it, and return to share how it is helping them live life better. Yes, it continues to reach at least 8 million people weekly. Yes, it has led to the production of other stories worth telling. Yes, it has led to an independent media and streaming platform with the same name. But what I’m most proud of is that it is a labour of love that keeps giving joy.
Helped launch The Nigeria Prize for Difference and Diversity to find and support those creating safe spaces and freedom for others across the themes of gender, special needs, sexuality, faith/spirituality, and mental and emotional health. Hosted the fellowship with finalists along with Shola, and was blessed with a faculty that cares.
Helped publish a book based on and with the same title as the daily publication, The Daily Vulnerable.
The international standard on AI and human flourishing that we’ve been working on since 2017/2018 was publicly released.
Committed to my most rewarding project yet – starting a home with my best friend during the pandemic.
2021
Recreated Curiosity (Curiosity Platforms) as a home for our experiments and investments. Co-invested in Bamboo, Gumroad, RxAll and other companies I’ll love to see succeed in the world because they help people access an abundance that previously wasn’t accessible.
Co-created The Goodnews Letter to spotlight good news that is being overlooked in the world. Housed within AllforDevelopment. I wasn’t involved in running the publication. It was all Jeffery and later Dorcas.
Started working on another book to be released in January 2022.
2022
Curated and unveiled the book, The Daily Joy – a 365-day meditation on love, hope, peace and what it can mean to be human.
We release the first in the slate of award-winning documentary films we’ve been working on. Others followed later.
As an experiment, I seeded African Priorities to conduct research into local challenges that are important, solvable but not getting enough attention in Africa. The goal is that more people can make informed decisions about problems they choose to solve. Left the researcher alone to do their best work. [update: they ended up listing a few priority areas and left to do direct work on one of the problems they identified].
Started Curiosity Unconference, an annual gathering for curious, conscious and awesome people to compound in trust and wisdom. Held the first with some help in Mexico in December 2022, then Zanzibar in 2023 and elsewhere. I love the beauty of low-ego spaces, so I co-created one for some of the most interesting people in our extended networks to meet and learn from one another.
Launched and co-funded the pilot of the AI Safety Microgrant along with Chris and David to fund field-building projects and other initiatives that can be done with less funds by high agency and potential individuals.
2023
Created a set of reflective Questions for Conscious Humans slides towards the end of last year and shared privately with friends, who shared with their friends. This became seed for the reflective card games, woow cards and later led to woow.company (which continues to house useful tools, like Your Next Play Journal, to meaningfully connect with ourselves and see reality clearer).
Welcomed Umi for Mothers as a Curiosity platform. Helped launch Umi’s mentorship program, which supports new mums from Africa in harmonising postpartum care with their transition to work after maternity leave (and impactful growth at work).
2024
Published the /ai manifesto suggesting a way to take personal responsibility for how we each use AI. Derek Sivers made it a movement when he became the first follower. There are now over 100 /ai pages on the internet, from 18 countries, 6 continents and in multiple languages (as at when I last checked). Anyone can create theirs and list it at slashAI.page, an open database for all /ai pages found.
Started writing the Antiguide to living series. Two versions are public – one on happiness and the other on starting something new.