By Frank Ricotta

In 2017, I wrote a blog about reconnecting with our Massive Transformative Purpose, our MTP, our “Why.”  It’s simple enough; make the world a healthier place.   Over the last 2 years, we have experienced foundational shifts in the market – shifts that will fundamentally change health.  But through these changes, BurstIQ has not wavered from our Why.   

As a global society, we are experiencing a transformational shift in our understanding of health. We understand that health is not limited to traditional healthcare. Rather, health is a reflection of our individual and collective stories: social, environmental, financial, spiritual, and even genomic.  As the world becomes more interconnected, as the world becomes smaller, these stories weave together to capture a much broader view of all the diverse factors that impact our health.   

As individuals, we are learning more about ourselves through precision medicine innovations, the next generation of IoT (things we wear, that watch us, that we put in our bodies), and of course, AI and machine intelligence. These innovations allow us to gain a deeper understanding of how we are built and how our body is functioning.  As an industry, we are challenged to enable interconnectivity between these innovations, and to capture the insight that can be gained from it, while respecting the inherent dignity, value, and rights of each person. We believe that, through these connections, our industry will be able to extend health access and equity to every person on the planet.  

We are challenged to create a future in which data is connected, individual privacy and ownership rights are respected, incentives are aligned, and trust is inherent.

BurstIQ accepted this challenge and set out on a mission to solve it.

At our core, we know that connections will reshape the entire health landscape.  BurstIQ’s HIPAA and GDPR compliant platform creates immutable health profiles of people, places, and things and, more importantly, empowers the connections between them. We help digital innovators, governments, and businesses build connections with people and each other, unlocking hidden intelligence through the power of connected data.  

At BurstIQ, we do two things really well.  We connect large disparate data sets and enable complex and granular consent.  I can geek out and talk about our technology for days: how we fill key gaps in the blockchain protocol stack and how we enable on-chain data security.  I can talk about our challenges, starting with people looking at us as if we were blockheads when we talked about blockchain back when we started the company.   I can talk about the challenges of fundraising.  I can talk about our firsts: the first blockchain company to enter into a strategic partnership with the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, the first to be admitted into the UN Global Compact, the first to market with a production-ready platform and enterprise customers.  

But I’d rather talk about why we are a blockchain company.  Not the technology behind blockchain, but what blockchain really means; what it means as a disruptor.  Fundamentally, blockchains are networks. Networks create connections, connections create communities, and communities create markets.  Communities drive change, create movements, disrupt conventions, and even foster compassion.  

And one more thing. Communities create hope.

And one more thing.  Communities create hope.  Yes, hope.  Hope that I can make a difference, that I can impact my life, that I can impact my environment, that I can impact the world.  Hope that there is someone out there who thinks like I think, believes what I believe, and supports what I’m doing.  “I” doesn’t mean me, I refers to the global community that is rapidly growing around our platform.   It is a community that shares our Why: every day, they share their voices of hope and optimism because of what we can do together.   What lifts my heart more than I can convey is that we are no longer just a technology company, we are a company that builds communities, communities of hope.  

Blockchain is special, not only because of the way the technology works but because of the power of the vision and culture behind it.  A vision of individual empowerment, shared incentive, inclusion, privacy, and a desire to make the world a better place. The Internet didn’t become the Internet because of technology. It became the internet because of the believers and evangelists who saw a future of connectedness.   Blockchain enthusiasts inherited and share this passion.  It is the reason I’m absolutely convinced that blockchain will succeed.  

Whether you are a blockchain fanatic, an evangelist or a curious observer, please know this:  You can make a difference. For yourself, your family, your community, and yes, for the world. You just have to take the first step, start with where you are at this moment and with those around you.  

We recently started a blog series to profile those who have decided to start.  I hope they inspire you as much as they inspire me.  And of course, if you are ready to start, you are welcome to join us and our community of hope.

Let’s make the world a healthier place together.