About. | ValueLab.Co

ValueLab.Co is a social impact corporation that exists to celebrate human potential.

We are made up of an ecosystem of projects and companies that works with governments and other institutional partners to turn local precincts and stranded property assets into "impact neighbourhoods" with a range of commercially sustainable interventions including property development and management, economic development initiatives such as design and innovation hubs and startup incubators, as well as local community engagement initiatives and activities through arts, culture and hospitality.

Problem Statement

The world is facing a period of cascading macro-crises caused by a confluence of key mega-trends and a multitude of secondary and tertiary effects – more will change in the next ten years than the last three hundred. Like the proverbial frog in slowly boiling water, society has yet to grasp the magnitude of the disruption.

Our Purpose is to sustain and guide local and global communities through the upheavals of societal evolution and to provide solutions and spaces that align with their emergent needs.

Our Vision is to be the architects of a post-scarcity future where infrastructure, technology, community and culture intersect to serve societal well-being.

Our Mission is to create sustainable, innovative environments that foster economic resilience, social impact, holistic education and cultural richness.

Towards a Post-Scarcity Humanity

The approaching decades present a paradox of impending challenges and enormous opportunities. Humanity faces formidable cliffs: among them the exacerbating climate crisis, a swelling global population and rapid urbanisation, and the exponentially accelerating rise of artificial intelligence and technology. As these forces converge, they will potentially trigger a cascading macro-crisis — a relentless onslaught of natural disasters, mass displacement, technological unemployment, and the profound fracturing of social cohesion.

These crises are also intrinsically personal. Our societies face a creeping epidemic of depression, aimlessness, and fractured community bonds. The consequence is not just external but also internal, threatening to erode our collective sense of purpose and social cohesion.

However, this bleak landscape of challenges is not a foregone conclusion but a call to action. At ValueLab.Co, we perceive these crises not merely as harbingers of doom but catalysts for transformational change. Crisis compels evolution, and in the brewing storm, we discern the potential for a revolution — a radical shift towards a post-scarcity society where abundance replaces lack, where fulfilling engagement with work supplants relentless toil, and where harmonious symbiosis with technology supersedes uneasy coexistence.

Converging Mega-Trends

These are the three major cliffs that we see humanity sleepwalking towards:

Climate Change: The existential threat of climate change is set to accelerate over the next 20 years. Rising temperatures, sea levels, and extreme weather events will lead to massive displacement of people, loss of biodiversity, and economic disruptions.

Technological Advancements: The advancement and ubiquity of AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, and other digital technologies will transform our economies and societies in fundamental ways. They will disrupt existing job markets but also create new opportunities.

Unprecedented Urbanization: The next two decades will see an unprecedented scale of urban growth, particularly in Africa and Asia. This will put enormous strain on infrastructure, housing, and resources and exacerbate challenges like pollution and waste management.

The Triple-I Playbook

In response to these mega-trends, our proprietary Humanity-Centred Design™ innovation framework is a combination of our Triple-I Playbook to balance Income, Innovation and Impact, and a variety of project delivery modalities including design thinking, lean UX and traditional project management.

The principles of our Triple-I Playbook are:

Income: Within ValueLab, income and investment takes on a multi-dimensional form. It goes beyond financial returns, encompassing strategic resource allocation, mentorship, and access to networks. By aligning resources with the most promising individuals, projects, and technologies, our Unicorn Farm fosters an environment where groundbreaking ideas can flourish and scale.

Innovation: We thrive on innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible, encouraging unicorn individuals and projects to embrace cutting-edge technologies, explore disruptive business models, and challenge the status quo. This emphasis on innovation ensures that each unicorn within the Farm stays at the forefront of their respective industries.

Impact: Impact lies at the heart of our purpose. Beyond financial success, the Farm's unicorns are driven by a shared commitment to making a positive difference in the world. The Triple-I Playbook guides them in creating sustainable and socially responsible business practices, fostering a culture of purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

Our Values

Me+: This represents a call to embrace and enlarge the concept of your identity. It works on a micro scale, focusing on the individual. It encourages an expansion of one’s sense of self and identity beyond the physical and into broader existential realms.

Win+: This is an invitation to uplift those around you, urging us to reconsider our definitions of success. Operating at a meso scale, it involves our community and immediate circles. The focus is on collective victories and community well-being, challenging traditional notions of individual success.

Love+: Positioned as a lifelong journey, it involves deeply connecting with the world and is the centerpiece of the discussion. Operating at a macro scale, it confronts global challenges like the climate crisis, population growth, and rapid technological advancements. Love+ inspires positioning empathy, understanding, and care at the heart of all change, aiming to integrate these values into leadership and societal evolution.

Our destiny is not yet written; our current social, economic, and technological frameworks are but fleeting blips in the vast timeline of history. We stand on the precipice of radical transformation, driven by a reimagined relationship with consumption, work, and technology. We seek a future where human potential knows no bounds. Where technology amplifies our capabilities rather than threatening our roles. Where the challenges we face today become the fuel for a societal renaissance.

Our vision for 2050 and beyond is a world where the divisions between technology, social roles, and leisure are blurred, a world that celebrates diversity, nurtures growth, and constantly evolves to maximize human potential. Embark on this journey with us. Let us transform this vision into reality and co-create a future where we do not just survive but thrive. In this era of Unicorns, together, we will shape a prosperous, meaningful, and enlightening future.