Many of the businesses in the community I grew up in were regularly giving back to the community. Whether it was helping with parks, schools, theatre, arts, or building houses for those in need, they helped make our community thrive.

A good friend of mine watched businesses destroy the place he played, erect fences, kick people out of their houses, pollute the river, and so on. He even watched his father be run over by truck of a business.

Decades later, we have very different views of business and the role it can play in communities. When you know our histories, both are understandable and both are true. However, both are very different. And both have ‘data’ to back them up.

This can be repeated about sports, school, ballet, religion, banks, and every area of life.

Our experiences shape our view of the world. This is one of the reasons diversity matters in our decision making, our designing, and so on. It is not about re-hashing or living in the past. It is about learning from the past and creating a better future. And yes, sometimes this scary because it requires us to give a different worldview a chance.

But often when do, it is where the magic happens.

Photo by Alev Takil