'A Positive Impact On Humanity' - Kunal Sood, Founder and CXO of X Fellows & Co-founder of NOVUS

A social impact innovator, philanthropist, angel investor and dynamic advocate for change, Kunal Sood is the Founder and CXO of the X Fellows and co-founder of NOVUS, an inter-generational impact network that hosts an annual summit at the UN General Assembly in Partnership with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In an exclusive interview with BWDisrupt, we trace his past journey and future plans.

Tell us about your background?
I am a social entrepreneur, executive coach, curator and business strategist. Having worked at the intersection of technological innovation, media and social impact, I have specialised in the fields of exponential technology, transformational leadership and positive psychology. An MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a MPhil and MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a MS from UCSF, I graduated from Global Solutions Program at Singularity University in Silicon Valley. I have used my education to augment my life’s work in order to have a positive impact on humanity, working and collaborating with global, multinational corporations in the public and private sector for the past 20 years. My work has led me to travel to more than 22 countries, including those in Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Was TED Residency a dream come true for you?
Yes, but a labour of love that was five years in the making. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity where I shared the idea of Exponential Happiness on the TED stage and now am honored to be a TED Speaker and Resident. The United Nations is committed to “Transforming the World” by identifying and implementing the best strategies for lasting change and positive impact. I feel so fortunate to be able to work with my fellow TED Residents and global leaders at the UN, especially in support of both TED’s mission of Ideas Worth Spreading and the UN’s mandate of achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030.

From being an undergraduate at Parsons School of Design to entering into the social political world, how has the experience been?
I worked behind the scenes in the fashion world, which at the time was extremely exciting and had its rewards, but also had a dark side. I was overworked and unpaid and mostly didn’t feel like I was doing something fulfilling. I realised it was not the craft of fashion that excited me, but rather the storytelling element and how designing extraordinary experiences using style could have such a profound impact on a person’s outlook and way of being. Later as a global health scientist at UCSF, I returned home to India and worked in the slums of Mumbai with Harvard School of Public Health which transformed my life and set me on the path I am on today. That experience greatly shaped the trajectory of my life. I have had incredible opportunities to serve both India and the United States having done everything from hosting incredible summits at the UN and even Prime Minister Modi in New York City as part of the Charter Steering Committee at Madison Square Garden in 2014, and then sharing the same stage with the Prime Minister at Google as a judge and speaker for the Code for India Hackathon during his Silicon Valley visit in 2015.

Tell us about Novus and X Fellows?
The X Fellows is my magnum opus venture. It is a highly curated community of the most incredible global citizens that are pioneers in their fields of excellence, and are equipped with an exponential mindset. A network of artists, celebrities, social entrepreneurs, business magnates, mavericks and mavens that are truly focused on solving our global grand challenges. Novus was born out of the nexus of using science, innovation and technology to unite humanity around achieving the 17 UN Global Goals. We do this by bringing the most incredible pioneers in the fields of science and innovation such as Peter Diamandis, Jeffrey Sachs and Martin Seligman to inspire people from all walks of life and impact millions positively around the world. Novus is my way of giving back to the world starting right here in New York City, using what I have gathered as skills over the last couple of decades and a way to express my gratitude for having been blessed on this journey.

Any long-term goal for success?
I endeavour to apply my strengths to make a positive impact. I hope that each day, I can inspire someone to contribute toward the greater good. Specifically, I hope to continue to foster impactful relationships and conversations at our Novus Summit and launch the world-class X Fellows initiative. Curating events like Novus and TEDxUNPlaza offer me the opportunity to not only do so myself but allow others to join in the effort and collectively address these challenges. My long-term goal for success is to empower people to embrace and develop an exponential mindset. My goal is to make Novus and X Fellows the superorganisms of the future. Just like the ants and bees are able to ward off predators through working in unison, we too must harness the power of the collective force for good.

What according to you is the latest innovation in technology and entrepreneurship? Anything special that you think the startup eco-system would witness?
I think Artificial Intelligence (AI) and recent innovations in exponential technologies like Quantum Computing, Bioinformatics, Genome Sequencing, 3D Printing and Machine Learning will leapfrog entrepreneurship into the next evolution of the startup paradigm. Startups will gain tremendously from all of the disruption that is about to happen over the next decade. While startups will give an edge to compete and positively disrupt all the industries, there will be a whole new generation of startups being hyperconnected and be able to rapidly prototype their ideas at massive scale.

What are your expectations in 2017?
My expectation for 2017 is one of massive transformation and action in an uncertain world. We live in a time where we have to think more about how we not only can leave a legacy as individuals or as families, but in fact as a collective race. The time has come for us to unite around solving our global grand challenges be it financial or social. As a TED Resident, I have leant the power of ideas and how they can be used not just to support one’s own journey but to inspire millions.

Tell us about your research on ‘Exponential Happiness’? What is your idea of happiness?
At Penn, I studied the science of positive psychology that gives us the tools to lead happier lives and create the conditions for human flourishing. As part of my thesis and research I explored the idea of Exponential Happiness, which is now the title of the book I am writing. I see the 8 C’s of Happiness as: courage, compassion, creativity, capital, capability, commitment, consistency and culture as it relates to being exponential. I am leading the change in culture, creativity, and compassion of what Novus Summit can achieve to innovate how the human species creates impact.

What are your future plans?
Peter Diamandis says, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Hearing this on my very first day at Singularity University inspired me, I truly felt as if I was in control and part of the real world school for the gifted, as if right out of the X-Men movie. Since then I have made it my life’s purpose to live a life of service and positively impact a billion lives through exponential technologies and leadership. To see our greatest challenges as opportunities.