I've had a fascination with technology since an early age, largely thanks to my Aunt, who worked as an educator and typist back in the 90s at a local primary school. It was through her that I gained some insight into shorthand writing and grew accustomed to the rhythmic clicks of typewriters during my formative years.

While other kids in my neighborhood were occupied with toys, I found myself intrigued by the inner workings of technology. I remember replacing typewriter ribbon ink out of sheer curiosity and even taking apart its hinged top cover to get a closer look at its mechanical components.

Digital spaces were barely on my radar until the early 2000s, when the Nigerian government launched mobile internet access, democratizing connectivity. My ability to make virtual friends locally and abroad through instant messaging presented opportunities that my math and science classes in high school couldn't hold a candle to. It felt like a bicycle for the mind back then.

From there, I entered the world of online exploration and multiple identities, finding it deeply fulfilling. It energized me and helped build over two decades of mutually enriching online-offline relationships. Accessing the early internet felt like gaining wings to reach across boundaries and expand my perspective. The vibrant connections formed have lasted since those early days of dial-up connections and chat rooms.

It only makes sense that I desire amplifying interaction with technology in this manner.

My intention for healthier digital spaces can be distilled down to the following 3 goals:

Enhance wellbeing:

Digital spaces should encourage positive interactions and minimize negative or divisive behaviors. They should foster constructive, solution-focused discussions that translate into real-world actions. The quality of our online engagement can significantly influence our long-term wellbeing and shape the evolution of virtual communities.

Solutioning:

Our world is dealing with multiple crises on a small, community, and global scale, such as the metacrisis and polycrisis, which require effective solutions. However, our current approaches to solutioning are problematic from the start. Digital spaces that can fluidly weave between perspectives to uncover nuances are needed to create life-giving experiences for all.

Challenging the conventional:

Existing systems often fail to harness collective intelligence online, causing inefficiency and outdated processes. We need digital spaces that promote imagination, growth, evolution and real-world actions. Through rigorous experimentation, we can determine what methods truly work and for what purposes, thereby shaping the future of our digital landscapes.

I've been delving into meta-level concepts, exploring personal and collective growth intricacies. Rather than pursuing opportunities that wouldn't foster my desired growth, progress or lead anywhere, I chose to ponder deeply. Arms crossed, head down, I paced circles in dim living room light at 1AM, contemplating how to become an effective human. These late nights gazing into the void of who I was and who I must become have granted a panoramic view of where I might flourish and where my soul would wither.

My deepest fear? Getting ensnared in an organization stifling my authenticity within monotonous routines. I dread cubicle boredom and growth barriers.

Instead, I seek work, relationships, and expressive freedom deeply meaningful. I yearn for a work environment resonating with my core values, where meaningful work and relationships thrive. I aim to find an ecosystem where I can pollinate authentically, bring my full, wild self to work, nurturing collective growth. Work that feeds my spirit, an electric hive of visionaries and misfits shaping the future today.