Episode 6: Musings with Daniel Petre AO

Daniel Petre is an insightful no-nonsense conversational partner, so be ready for some frank talk in these musings.  A former Microsoft executive, who worked closely with Bill Gates and later founded several highly successful venture capital funds. Daniel has worked and lived among high-powered, monied individuals. He has been struck by how “old rich, white men” do not want to part with their money, while young tech entrepreneurs, who don’t feel as entitled to their wealth, are more generous. Daniel decided to focus the next stage of his life on philanthropy, so in 2022 he founded StartGiving to inspire a culture of giving in the innovation community. StartGiving encourages tech founders to start their giving journey early and to give to charities they care about now. Daniel’s view of philanthropy has been impacted by reading Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save – the same book that inspired host Charlie Bresler’s non-profit of the same name. In that book, a particularly motivating story is “the girl in the pond,” which Daniel and Charlie reference in this episode. Humans often freeze when confronted by the true scope of inequality and desperation in the world. But ask someone if they passed by a pond and saw a little girl drowning, would they try to save her? Of course they’ll answer yes. Helping people make the connection between the girl in the pond and all the girls (and boys) worldwide who need help is critical to unfreezing people – and their generosity. Enjoy Daniel, a most fascinating, intelligent and humble individual. Resources: StartGiving: startgiving.com The Life You Can Save organization: thelifeyoucansave.org Get a free copy of Peter Singer’s book: thelifeyoucansave.org/the-book  

Om Podcasten

We are excited to launch a new season for “Musings….” This season we have changed the title to reflect a shift in our focus. The new title is “Musings on Wellbeing.” Why the change? At a time of increased polarization in the United States and Europe, as well as threats to peace in the Middle East and Africa, the time is right to dive deeply into the concept of wellbeing. After all, isn’t that what we all seek for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet? Together with host Charlie Bresler, guests will explore a variety of perspectives on the theme of wellbeing. Hopefully, these interviews will provoke listeners to do their own exploration: What is your pathway to personal wellbeing? How, as a society, can we create a pathway that promotes the wellbeing of all our citizens? In a world that too often makes us feel powerless, Charlie and guests are helping us identify steps (quite literally) to take to increase personal and societal wellbeing. Charlie Bresler, Ph.D. is a clinical and social psychologist who, after a career as a graduate professor of psychology, ventured into the world of business and philanthropy. He is the former president of a large international retail company and co-founder of The Life You Can Save.