Member Bzzz Interview: Josef Wieland
Josef Wieland
Newburgh Member
“Next-Next” cultural researcher and business strategist Josef joined the hive in fall 2021 soon after moving to the area.
I’m a(n)…
cultural researcher and business strategist.
I’m passionate about…
understanding social trends that point to the Next-Next.
Briefly describe your work.
My work sits at the intersection of anthropology, foresight, and business strategy. I help companies identify shifts in culture, society, and technology that point to unique business opportunities.
What do you love about what you do?
I get to think about both big, messy conceptual problems and I get go into the weeds about very gradual details about people’s daily lived experiences.
How did you start (your work)?
Midway through my PhD, I realized that academia would never fulfill me, so I found a few boutique Scandinavian consultancies who specialized in social scientific thinking and made it my goal to work with them.
Leaving academia was easy, learning how to thrive in business was a more difficult journey.
Where do you see your work going in the next year… five?
At Meta, we are building the Metaverse, which lacks definition and tangible use cases. Without a doubt, Web3 will be the next iteration of the internet, but there is little consensus about what it should look and feel like.
I want to build a more inclusive, safe, and private internet.
What do you like best about BEAHIVE?
The energy! True to its mission, BEAHIVE is a place where I feel inspired and motivated to do great things!
What’s your favorite thing about the local community?
The Newburgh hive is more than a place to get work done — it is a place to connect with friends and to synergize with other people who are doing transformative things!
