I’m amazed at how quickly I see life changing around me. New ways of working, new ways to do business, new ways of sharing and new ways to connect. I remember playing on my old Commodore 64 not that many years ago (or so it seems). Now I carry around an iPhone and MacBook Pro in my satchel nearly everywhere I go. My nephews have grown up having never known life without the internet.

Working out of Hub Melbourne; talking with other members of the Social Change Collaboratory; conversations I’m having on twitter, and things I’m seeing on the web make it clear that people are also starting to take action to build a world that’s new. Tired of valueless systems, restrictive processes and wasteful practices, people are creating new systems and platforms that are beginning to make the old way redundant and the constant struggle against them largely unneccesary.

A new world, a new way of being and a new of doing. With purpose and meaning.

In the last few weeks I’ve come across some brilliant new platforms and initiatives that have the potential to boost the mission of social entrepreneurs and change agents around the world. Of these my favourites are:

• Assetmap (from Nathaniel Whittlemore) – a platform to help you and your groups inventory, visualize, and leverage the social capital all around you;
• Start Some Good (from Alex Budak, Tom Dawkins & co.) - a crowdfunding (or peerfunding) platform for social change initiatives;
• Common (from Alex Bogusky, Rob Schuham & John Bielenberg) – the ‘new capitalist’ brand from FearLess, about transitioning from competitive advantage to collaborative advantage; and
• w1sdom.net (from Cameron Burgess, Greg Berry & co.) – an online service that leverages workflow tools and social networks, providing a venue for agents of change to collaborate in service to sustainability.

I feel lucky to be living in this day and age, and while the world isn’t perfect, the resources we have access to and the experiences we are lucky to have, make these days pretty remarkable.

What trends, programs or platforms have you seen recently that you find remarkable?

• Bio
• Latest Posts

David Hood

Social Systems Architect and Catalyst for Change

David has been working with not-for-profits and community organisations for close to 15 years. His mission is to help people and organisations doing something good to realise the potential of the strategic use of the social web, emerging models for business and collaborative networked communities to build better futures for all, together. A graduate of the School for Social Entrepreneurs program in 2011, David was named Melbourne Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 and one of The Age's Melbourne Magazine Top 100 most "passionate, powerful and provocative personalities of 2012".

Latest posts by David Hood (see all)

• EcoCity Food Forum 2013 with City of Melbourne - 16 May, 2013
• Digital Changemaker Apprenticeships - 16 April, 2013
• Unconference: 22 March, 2013 – EcoCity Food Forum Melbourne - 7 March, 2013