Living a Life of Service and the Rise of “Giftivism”

Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace.org -- an incubator of projects that support a gift culture. In his mid-twenties, Nipun quit his job to become a "full time volunteer" and over the last 15 years, his work has reached millions, attracted more than 500 thousand members, and mushroomed into numerous projects like DailyGood, Awakin Circles, and Karma Kitchen. Among his many prestigious accolades, President Obama appointed him to serve on a council for social change, the Dalai Lama recognized him as an “Unsung Hero of Compassion”, and Germany’s OOOM magazine named him Top 100 Most Inspiring People of 2018. Nipun has addressed thousands of gatherings around the world, speaking next to wide-ranging leaders from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to author Elizabeth Gilbert to civil rights legend John Lewis. One of his most formative experiences was a walking pilgrimage across India with his wife. The profound lessons from that journey became the subject of his address at UPenn’s commencement. Nipun's mission in life is to: "Bring smiles in the world and stillness in my heart."  

In today’s episode, Shay Beider welcomes Nipun to share his unique story of how he went from a career in software to becoming a full-time volunteer and founder of ServiceSpace. Nipun talks about the work ServiceSpace is doing and the principles the organization follows, including their important practice of “giftivism.” Later, Nipun discusses how a more optimal word for leadership might be “laddership,” and shares his personal philosophy on achieving maximum energy flow. This episode is particularly powerful because it is a dialogue between two non-profit leaders whose organizations are focused on volunteerism. 

Transcripts for this episode are available at: https://www.integrativetouch.org/conversations-on-healing 

Show Notes:

This podcast was created by Integrative Touch for Kids (ITK). ITK is working to change the way people experience healthcare. ITK supports families whose children have any type of special health or medical need. This includes kids with cancers, genetic conditions, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic stress, and other serious health issues. We have pioneered a new therapy called Integrative Touch™ and reach 3500 people each year in the hospital and community settings. We engage communities in support of families struggling with special medical needs and offer unique Telehealth programs to families and healthcare providers during this challenging time. Thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers and contributors, individuals are able to receive our healing services at little or no cost.