If education no longer exists simply to prepare people for jobs, can it become the place where people learn to create entirely new economies, and develop the wisdom to lead them?
Artificial intelligence is accelerating one of the greatest economic transitions in modern history. The World Bank estimates that by 2035 the Global South alone will face a shortfall of around 800 million jobs for young people entering the workforce. Governments, businesses and educators are asking how people can adapt to changing labour markets, but fewer are asking who will create the new livelihoods the next generation needs, and who will develop the people capable of building them.
Education has long been designed to prepare people for existing economies, measuring success through employability and placement into established institutions. But AI is transforming not only work, but education's foundations, as knowledge grows abundant and traditional career paths less predictable. Every economic system reflects the people who create it: new institutions and technologies cannot build a well-being economy without leaders who have developed the wisdom and capacity to steward them.
Social Innovation Labs was founded on the premise that this prosperity must be intentionally built. Si Labs supports locally led teams creating new livelihood ecosystems in their own communities. This session unites education leaders exploring how learning must evolve with Si Lab Leads demonstrating these capabilities in practice, including Arun Nanda introducing the EcoVillages initiative as a model of place-based innovation.
