“Life as an Education Based Social Entrepreneur”
Danu Poyner is a social entrepreneur and founder of Grokkist, a global online home for people who lead with curiosity and follow their enthusiasm.
Professional Story
Danu has spent a lot of his life walking away from things that he is good at but that weren’t working for him—sometimes at speed. He has left many jobs, dropped out of many schools, and restarted his professional career many times, because sometimes knowing what you don’t want is more important than knowing what’s next.
But he got tired and bored of going through that cycle, and tired and bored of watching his friends struggle with the same things in their own ways and worlds.
So he wanted to make something fun affirming and powerfully sustaining that all of us could run towards.
Grokkist Community Takes Shape
All this led Danu to start Grokkist in 2022, though he didn’t understand his Big Why at first. He just had two questions that he had been asking himself over and over for years:
- Why do some people manage to keep their curiosity intact as adults when the world is designed to suffocate it?
- What would it look like if we designed education that was about setting the soul on fire rather than passing tests?
It turns out that asking those questions loud would lead Danu to some pretty interesting people and places. And still does.
Despite never letting school interfere with his education, Danu has nevertheless accumulated a variety of degrees and other professional credentials.
Reasons to Listen
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in knowing more about what it looks and feels like to be so deeply driven by a mission
- those curious about finding ways to reignite their own curiosity
- those who are looking for deeper insights into the meaning of life as a social entrepreneur
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- the distinctions between social entrepreneurship and pure entrepreneurship
- how Danu’s dissatisfaction with the academic system and structure inspired him to help others within those confines navigate their own careers and lives in a more fulfilling way
- how Danu goes about helping other rediscover their curiosity
- the reality and challenge of attempting to build a new business offering into existence
- the value of self reflection in choosing professional pathways
- what the concept ‘red thread’ means and why it’s an important conceptualization to understand when considering oneself and one’s professional journey
- useful techniques Danu uses to help individuals rediscover themselves professionally and personally speaking
- the value of community in exploring oneself and self-discovery
- the value Danu derives in helping people find purpose and meaning in what they do
- a meaningful story Danu shares detailing the impact his work has had on others and himself
- a thorough look at life as a social entrepreneur
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
On helping others rediscover CURIOSITY in their own lives:
“Even though life does a great job of drowning it and suffocating it and burning it away, it’s always there. I think people are like plants fundamentally. We want to grow. We just need the right conditions. Many of us are at the point where we need repotting, a little bit of water, a bit more sunshine and probably most importantly some better soil. So it’s about creating a space to have that conversation from that starting point.”
-Danu Poyner
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view video highlights of the conversation, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Danu and his work, be sure to check him out at Grokkist, or listen in to his podcast Still Curious. Finally, you can find him on the following platforms too:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
