Peter Diamandis: Visionary Entrepreneur and Innovator
Throughout 2023 we’re shining a light on some of those who inspire us throughout history and from around the world. Pioneers in science, technology, music, sport and beyond!
These incredible people can be found highlighted on our website home page too, but in these articles, we take a closer look at their stories and why we’re celebrating them.
In October we celebrate entrepreneur and visionary, Peter Diamandis.
Peter was born on May 20th, 1961, in New York City in America to Greek parents and (like us!) he expressed a deep interest in education and space, even at an early age. He’d give lectures to his family and friends on the subject and by the age of 12, won first place in a rocket design competition!
As a graduate he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studying biology and physics, before going on to Harvard Medical School to pursue his M.D. in 1983. In 1986 he changed his path, returning to MIT to gain a Master’s in aeronautics and astronautics before returning again to Harvard to complete his M.D.
By this point, in 1989, he was acting Managing Director of the International Space University and CEO of International Micro Space, a microsatellite launch company.
This remarkable educational journey marks only the start of Peter’s achievements. Since then, he has gone on to start over 20 businesses across multiple industries including Space, education, longevity and venture capital. He’s an active supporter of exponential technologies (for example: artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing) and is the Chairman and CEO of X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organisation which hosts incentivised public competitions to encourage technological advancement that benefits humanity.
Furthermore, he is a popular speaker, delivering keynote presentations to promote and encourage others interest in exponential technology, as well as a New York Times bestselling author. His books follow a similar theme of inspiration, advancement and technology for the betterment of mankind.
As a result of his work, he’s a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, winning Economist’s “No Boundaries” Innovator of the Year, the Neil Armstrong Award for Aerospace Achievement and Leadership, the World Technology Award, the Arthur C. Clarke award for Innovation, and has been ranked by Fortune as one of the world’s 50 greatest leaders. Amongst his many ventures, he’s currently working to extend the human health span, hoping to “make 100 the new 60”.
“Peter Diamandis is one of the great futurists among us today” – Keith Ferrazzi, Entrepreneur and Author.
What Peter Diamandis means to us.
As with each of the inspirational figures that we celebrate, there’s much in Peter’s character, achievements, passions, and ethic that we recognise and look to nurture in ourselves, both individually and as a company.
“The truest drive comes from doing what you love.”
As a digital consultancy, technology is in our blood. At gravity9 our team is made up of passionate professionals who excel at what they do and have a genuine love for crafting superb products and projects, time and time again. Like Peter, we’re driven, and we love it.
“The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a ‘crazy idea’.”
Building great products is only half of the battle. The other half is to know what to build.
Call it ideation, event storming, conceptualisation, consultation… …we’re used to teasing out problems and crazy ideas to address them, turning them into the breakthroughs that bring us success.
“Technology is a resource-liberating mechanism. It can make the once scarce now the abundant.”
Ideation is a hugely important perspective for any Digital Consultancy to have, and a cornerstone of so many of our client projects: Our role is to help them save. Be it time, people, digital or physical resources, or of course money, so many projects come down to the liberation of “scarce” resources, allowing businesses to allocate those resources in ways that unlock their potential. Delivering that saving to them is a big part of what we can do.
“In the next 10 years, we’ll reinvent every industry.”
Perhaps it’s time for us to be a little humble: gravity9 may not reinvent every industry, even on a 10-year timeline! But we can still be instrumental in partnering with the companies that are transforming entire sectors. In fact, we’re already on our way, from housing to healthcare!
As a technical entrepreneur and an author, there’s many more quotes from Peter Diamandis we could draw on here, but instead we’ll strongly recommend checking out his published works as they speak for themselves.
Meanwhile, we at gravity9 will continue to work hard on our own contributions to technological change!