Thinking Like a Social Designer: Michael O’Bryan on Creativity & Social Design

What happens when you stop editing an idea before it has a chance to become something?On this episode of On The Fly!, Joan Kaup talks with Michael O’Bryan, founder and CEO of humanature and founder of The Wealth + Work Futures Lab, about social design, human potential, creativity, economic opportunity, and the importance of giving big ideas room to develop.Michael's path is anything but conventional. Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, he went from selling ICEEs as a kid to studying music and performing professionally before his work in art, public health, mental health, workforce development, and social design eventually led him to focus on the economic conditions underneath many of the challenges people face.He shares lessons on entrepreneurship, delegation, hiring, leadership, AI, long-term thinking, and the importance of keeping people at the center of technological change.And then there's the Purple Dragon.Michael explains why brainstorming requires us to resist the urge to edit too early — because sometimes the idea that comes several steps after the “ridiculous” one is exactly the idea we needed.In this episode:Michael's unconventional path from music and theater to social designWhy economic conditions are often underneath the problems we try to solveBuilding humanature and The Wealth + Work Futures LabLearning to delegate and giving yourself grace as an entrepreneurWhat makes a good hiring processWhy defining failure can be as important as defining successKeeping humans at the center of AI and technologyCathedral thinking and planning across generationsHuman ecology and the systems that shape our livesWhy you can't edit while you're brainstorming“Riding the Purple Dragon to the Moon”Curiosity, critical thinking, and informed intuitionBuilding a future around human potential and well-beingConnect with MichaelhumanatureThe Wealth + Work Futures LabMichael O’Bryan on FlywheelMichael O’BryanAbout On The Fly!On The Fly! celebrates social enterprises and the people who build them, along with the organizations and communities that support them. Each episode explores the ideas, challenges, and people working to create meaningful change.At Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, we pair experienced professionals with purpose-driven founders to make a real difference in our communities. Interested in coaching, mentoring, or starting your own social venture? Visit https://flywheelcincinnati.org/ to learn how you can get involved.On The Fly! is produced by Joan Kaup and Joey Scarillo, with support from Gianna DiMona. Music by Ben Hammer. It is recorded at 1819 Innovation Hub, courtesy of the University of Cincinnati.