In 1998, philosopher Ken Wilber brought together a global network of leading thinkers to found Integral Institute—a cutting-edge think tank dedicated to developing integral theory and applying it to a diverse range of fields, from business and politics to psychology and spirituality. Since that time, thanks in large part to the Institute’s efforts, many people have been turned on to this rich and subtle worldview that radically transforms the way we relate to just about every aspect of human life. But the integral worldview is still held by only one to two percent of adults in the U.S. and Western Europe, and many believe that the next step for integral is to reach a much larger, more mainstream population.
In this interview, EnlightenNext’s Joel Pitney talks with Integral Institute CEO Robb Smith about the challenges of bringing the integral worldview to a wider audience. Describing the Institute’s latest strategic direction, Smith says plans are in the works to create a major “integral endowment” that will fund new research to apply the integral model within specific disciplines such as medicine, international development, and ecology. In addition, he introduces the Institute’s new cultural arm, Integral Life, an online community Smith hopes will become the “go-to place” for anyone interested in exploring and developing their own integral consciousness.
BIO
Robb Smith is Chairman and CEO of Integral Life, Inc. and CEO of the Integral Institute. He was previously the Managing Partner of Nevada Ventures, Nevada’s first venture capital fund. Smith was also a cofounder of the Nevada Ventures Nanoscience Program at the University of Nevada. He has served on the boards of directors of Alere Medical, National Car Wash Systems, modeMD, Sharegate, Optreon, etNetworks and Power Domain. A graduate of the Venture Capital Institute and the University of Nevada, he was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Nevada in 2002.
