Wisdom in fragments

I think we were fortunate to get capitalism rather than it being inevitable. Society had been organized long before capitalism began, in the cities of the North of England; where- for the first time on Earth- ordinary people were able to gain from economies of scale, economies of specialisation, and from working in firms and factories.

Economist specializing in poverty, conflict, and development in Africa

We talk of inequality as a natural phenomenon, but the truth is that it is the product of our own political, cultural and social ideals. We have in effect, sanctioned these vast gulfs to exist; albeit often we have been selectively-blind to the effects they cause.

We are living in a world where the top 1% of the world's population own more of our planet's wealth than the bottom 95% combined. We live in a world where billions exist in abject poverty without access to the basic food, water, shelter which the rest of us take for granted.

We are facing a global catastrophe, one which should be a bigger motivator for us to come-together around a common cause than even World War II. Climate scientists tell us we're facing an existential crisis, and unless we get emissions under control in the next decade, that climate change will be irreversible.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

There has been a pathetic failure of governments to invest in educating people about the rights that they hold and enjoy; I suspect because if people knew their rights, they would claim them and put the governments of the world under pressure.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

Mahatma Gandhi once said, 'first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win…' the good news is that society is reaching a critical mass of influence meaning that today, people cannot ignore us, and cannot laugh at us, they have to fight- and if Gandhi was right, we are near the breakthrough towards winning.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

The sad reality is that if we tried to pass that declaration today, the UN General Assembly would fail to do so. Firstly, we don't have someone like Eleanor Roosevelt as an advocate for human rights, and where previously the US played a leadership role, Trump would no doubt block virtually every human rights pillar associated with the declaration.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

We have made money, capital, materialism and consumption into our God, it's a disease – you could call it affluenza. It is perhaps because of this context that humanity has lost its way, and the consideration of human rights has been subordinated to the interests of a handful of powerful people who sit at the top of the pyramid.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

Starting a business is tough, you need resilience and a strong desire to succeed. Only start a business if you wouldn't forgive yourself if you don't try.

Founder and CEO of Farfetch, luxury fashion e-commerce platform

The luxury industry is built on heritage, craftsmanship and relationships – we have spent a decade building those relationships and nurturing and caring for the brands' heritage.

Founder and CEO of Farfetch, luxury fashion e-commerce platform

Technology should be leveraged to enhance the physical and human experience, not replace it. There is something magical about the physical retail experience that digital will never completely replace.

Founder and CEO of Farfetch, luxury fashion e-commerce platform

Slowly, over the course of a decade, we built relationships by proving we weren't there to destroy luxury's heritage and its 'unspoken codes of conduct,' but actually to protect them and enable this industry to thrive. We were fashion insiders, and we just happened to be coders too!

Founder and CEO of Farfetch, luxury fashion e-commerce platform

I dreamt of Farfetch for the love of fashion. I was absolutely determined to create something in the intersection of both fashion and tech – my two passions. I think the idea really came when I was in my showroom in Paris during fashion week and I could see all these boutiques who were just not going to survive as the internet and e-commerce really started to change the fashion industry.

Founder and CEO of Farfetch, luxury fashion e-commerce platform

The mythology tells us that you come to the valley and forge your own path, but in reality young people come here and are asked to essentially create careers that are a daisy chain of gigs on mini-innovation projects within large corporations.

She channelled that culture, and felt entitled to do the same thing – only her device wasn't a computer, or software, it was a medical device that patients and doctors relied on to make important health decisions, some of them life-or-death decisions. With medicine, you simply can't fake it till you make it. Otherwise, you jeopardize lives.

Investigative journalist who exposed Theranos fraud through Wall Street Journal reporting

Elizabeth Holmes is the product of a culture that has brought up young entrepreneurs to say, and believe, that 'moving fast and breaking things' is cool, that disrupting now and worrying about the consequences later is fine and that breaking laws and regulations is something to be proud of.

Investigative journalist who exposed Theranos fraud through Wall Street Journal reporting