As the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting moved online this January to become the Davos Agenda, Hub Culture convened a series of virtual discussions to mirror its normal activities in Davos during January. Key 2021 agenda insights? Bubblization vs Globalization, protest investing, the new underground, the climate imperative, Putin vs. Dorsey, digital twins, and more.

The conversation shifted between the Chronicles podcast and Clubhouse, the new audio social media sensatiion. Both reflected a growing fascination with the medium of audio - enabling entirely new levels of engagement. On the Chronicles, Jeremy Coller of the Coller Foundation and FAIRR outlined efforts to improve ESG accountability at the corporate level, and the growing momentum for plant based proteins.

Vasser Seydel shared her campaign mission with the Oxygen Project to advocate for a moratorium on deep seabed mining. The issue is up for a vote with the UN, and her work to elevate the issue is part of a larger focus on responsible engagement with the oceans on a global basis. David Shrier of MIT joined the Chronicles to discuss the future of work and A.I., sharing that a whopping 99% of jobs are expected to be altered or eliminated by AI in the coming decades - pointing the way to massive disruptions in society as a consequence.

Over on Clubhouse, Hub Culture kicked off a daily Davos Agenda discussion, hosting hundreds of community members for a freewheeling parallel convesation to the WEF daily livestream. Globalization vs. Bubblization - the idea that we are moving into bubbles and barriers, not just from COVID-19 and travel and movement restrictions, but also in terms of big tech, regionalization and populism. As the US Department of Justice launches cases against Google and Facebook, the Europeans seek to tighten their grip on access and taxes for their citizenspheres, and India moves to expel Chinese tech giants in favor of local variants, the concept of bubbles look ascendant in 2021. 

Within the world of technology there is a growing consensus that our 'digital twins' will soon be a reality, especially as travel and vaccine verifications become a fact of life. Projects like WEF's Common Pass seek to provide standards for certifications, a concept that can intersect with AQUA, Hub Culture's project in the same sphere. Digital twins are set to go farther, as digital identity and data ownership projects seek to improve the lives of all, even the millions of refugees and humanitarian in-need populations who are precariously affected by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, on Wall Street, the populist movements of 2020 are morphing into the protest investment world of 2021, with meme investing hitting a fever pitch. From Gamestop to Nokia to Dogecoin, the heady mix of celebrity endorsement, retail investment multitudes and social media power are shifting markets in absolutely new ways.

Beyond Biden's new climate imperative, and big moves announced by the new administration, there was also a lot of talk about how the pandemic is affecting global youth culture, with a particular emphasis on how musicians and cultural creators are surviving the ongoing crises. From augmented reality concerts to underground house raves, it seems certain a new underground scene not experienced in a generation is emerging all around the world, especially in desolated urban centers.  With that in mind, there was no better way to conclude the week with a virtual piano bar and sing along, led by a piano playing Gen-Z app developer who is all the rage for virtual invites in the burgeoning world of Clubhouse. 

For a full take on all the Davos Agenda activity, subscribe to the Chronicles on iTunes, and join a Hub Culture room on Clubhouse for onoing real time discussions - and we'll see you in Singapore for WEF's in person event at the Hub Culture Singapore Pavilion in May 2021.