Meet a Sandbox Member: Edward Harran
Name: Edward Harran
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Occupation: Digital Strategist / Social Entrepreneur
Introduction
At an entrepreneurial conference run by Edgeware earlier this year, my friend, Elliott Bledsoe, who spoke at it, introduced himself like this: “I don’t really what I am per se…Semantics are irrelevant.” Those few words struck a cord with me. I don’t need a job title to define my ‘entrepreneur-ness’. In many ways, having a title can be hazardous. Arguably it can diminish your capacity to consistently look outside the status quo; to connect dots and find patterns; to push yourself. The heart of entrepreneurship.
In saying all that, though, here is a snippet of ‘what I do’. On a day-to-day basis, I currently work as an independent digital and social media strategist. I consult with a wide variety of clients: small business, online ventures, and ngos. My driving force, however, is much bigger than that.
Why are you passionate about it?
Roman Krzanic, A teacher at The School of Life in London, talks about the need for wide-achievers, not just high-achievers. Wide thinkers rather than specialised thinkers. I put myself in that category - I am passionate about so many things. Highlights right now include: social media for social change, new economic paradigms that value both money and meaning , nonprofit technology, social entrepreneurship, Ted.com, Buddhism, reading, travel, and meeting people in general. Worldchanging came up with the term, Attention Philanthropy - I liked that. Sounds like me.
Just recently I got nominated as a outreach blogger for ActionAid, which has a huge honour. I am also involved in #4change chats - a monthly twitter conversation that gathers leaders in the digital community to discuss how social media can make a difference. I also write a number of blogs - DigitalForGood and on my posterous. I tend to just go with flow and organically let my interests guide me.
What is your next big thing you want to achieve?
A few of things. Firstly, I want make my current ventures/projects more sustainable - in impact and financially. Balance is always tricky: what makes you money and what makes meaning don’t seem to gel together as easily as I would like. Secondly, over the last few years, I have been doing a lot of ad-hoc research into the emerging ‘digital piligrim’ class: that is, those who combine travel and digital tools to raise awareness about social causes. Fellow Sandboxer Sebastian Lindstrom ’s What Took You So Long Foundation is a noteworthy example. I want to create a movement (or as Seth Godin would say. a Tribe) around these pilgrims - connect them and encourage more people to start thinking about ‘digital piligrimage’. I want to kick it off with my own world tour.
Hit me up. Would love to connect.
Find Edward on: Twitter, Posterous, DigitalForGood or Facebook
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