by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE
At EDGE, we spend a lot of time helping current and future business leaders make sense of a world that feels increasingly chaotic. This year alone we’ve seen record-shattering global heat, more than $160 billion in natural disaster losses, rising food costs, and an escalating surge in data center power demand driven by artificial intelligence computing needs. These aren’t isolated shocks—they’re part of what many now call a polycrisis: converging challenges that feed on each other and reshape the world we operate in.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of these disruptions. But as I’ve shared in recent talks over the summer, I believe we also need to pay attention to the signals in the noise—the positive shifts that show us what’s possible when ingenuity, capital, and policy align.
Consider just a few: China now installs over 100 solar panels every second, racing ahead of its clean-energy targets. Texas, once a symbol of fossil energy, has become a pioneer of grid resilience with the largest renewable energy battery capacity in the U.S. In the Netherlands, adaptation is being reimagined through its “Room for the River” program, which both reduces flood risk and restores ecosystems. And in India, women-led regenerative agriculture initiatives are improving soil health, nutrition, and farmer incomes.
These examples remind me that even in dark times, good things are emerging. The challenge for business leaders—and for all of us—is to recognize these signals early, to nurture them, and to help push them toward positive tipping points.
At the beginning of a new school year, we are committed to exploring how companies can anchor their strategies in purpose and values, build coalitions to move markets, and act as good stewards of the future. New opportunities await those who stay curious, courageous, and attentive to possibility—leaders who don’t just solve problems, but discover new ways to frame them.
That’s the work we’re committed to here, and I’m excited to be on this journey with all of you.
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