Because it looks like the old rules are kind of in the dumpster fire, no?

by Rose Kaz

I come from a long line of women who built things from scratch—homes, businesses, communities, entire lives—without waiting for permission or the “right” conditions. 

And then sometimes, the conditions are such that ‘the time is now’ to do the damn thing.

Growing up in a dynamic, sometimes capricious but most always loving home—led by three generations of formidable, resourceful women—I learned quickly that you make do with what is. But what is, 

is not always what can be!

As a first-generation university graduate, raised in a household shaped by Germanic-Polish practicality and Sephardic-Jewish adaptability, I saw firsthand how necessity breeds innovation.

My incredible, artist mother taught me that leadership can’t be cramming oneself into outdated systems. She was a true creative, think-out-side-the box woman. She taught me that if I was going do anything, I should do it right. And in her book, right equated to doing everything with focused kindness and with considerations of others. She also would frequently over emphasized that when one thinks out side of the box, being creative has got to be based on building better organization of systems from the ground up, not just putting band aids on broken structures. Again, see doing it right! 

And so, being an Architect of Change cannot be about making polite tweaks to institutions that were never designed for everyone to flourish in the first place. It has got to be about dissolving the old blueprints and co-creating entirely new systems that actually work for all of us. If business as usual is what leaders want us to be about, they are going to be quickly shown that is not how the future is being built. 

We are not working in ordinary, or usual times. We have moved into an entirely new era of late-stage capitalism and this moment in time is so precious in how we, as a world, as a species decide on how we move forward. Notably, this exact moment was predated by an opportunity almost exactly 5 years ago as the entire world shut down due to Covid 19 and its effects on our human condition. And now, we are being shown the window of opportunity to design businesses that are not just profitable, but ethical, sustainable, and—dare I say—enjoyable to lead, to work in, and to be a part of.

This current moment is calling on us as business owners, entrepreneurs, and those who help to lead economy to lead with imagination, not exhaustion. 

TLDR: We cannot thrive as a species if we are barely surviving.

And right now, too many people—across industries, across continents—are stuck in survival mode.

We all deserve better.

What can be built instead?

Being an Architect of Change requires us to think beyond traditional definitions of “building.” And this building better isn’t solely about real estate or digital spaces—it’s about constructing new ways of working, leading, and thriving that don’t strip us of our humanity in the process.

When people hear the word "builder," we might think of construction sites, blueprints, and maybe a guy named Bob. 

But Architects of Change aren’t necessarily laying bricks or coding websites. We’re shaping systems, economies, and communities that actually serve people, instead of squeezing them dry.

Richard Florida, in The Great Reset, talks about how major economic and social crises force us to rethink everything—from how we work to where we live to how we connect with each other. Historically, these resets have led to massive innovation (think: the Industrial Revolution or the rise of the internet). The question is: what kind of world are we building now?

If you pay even a little bit of attention to history or art or art history, money and technology have always gone hand in hand! 

Right now, as I type this, March 2025, we are at an incredibly critical junction to choose just how we create a new path.

My participation in this new build you may ask? I'm showing up strong in both learning and teaching Better Business Community Conversations, supporting sustainable Go to Market Strategy and helping ensure leading ladies in any sector understand how to use AI wisely. In essence, I encourage collaboration at every juncture, focus on the HUMAN count instead of just the bottom line and constantly demystify technology every step of the way.  

But what about the robots, Rose?

Let's set a few things straight about tech, the robots and efficiencies, shall we?

AI is not some futuristic sci-fi dream (or nightmare)—it’s where we are right now. AI is what personal emails and websites were 10-15 years ago. Back then, businesses that dismissed those tools as unnecessary got left behind. Today, brushing off AI as just "robots n’ stuff" is like rejecting email in 1998.

AI is a tool of technology that is not here for us just to save time, automate the boring stuff, and devalue our critical thinking skills. We can harness this tool, like we have many other advances of technology ( emails, websites, smart phones) and this time ensure that we keep humanity at the center of it all. For more advanced groups, I even show how to build custom AI tools (yes, you can have your own chat bot!).

In this incredibly, critical moment of who leads and how, it’s important we are not left behind in technology waves. And really, that’s why I teach lady leaders how to use AI in ways that align with our shared values—ensuring that automation and digital transformation work for us, not the other way around. Because if we don’t shape the future, someone else will—and I’d rather we be the ones writing the future.

But what can ONE person do?

1. We Can Be Part of Building Systems That Work for Everyone, Not Just the Few

For too long, business and technology have been designed by the same people, for the same people, while the rest of us are left scrambling to make it work. It’s time to flip that narrative and build systems that are actually inclusive, sustainable, and human-first.

Technology Should Work for Us, Not Against Us – AI, automation, and digital tools should be in service to humans, not replacing them. (Think of AI as a personal assistant, not your new boss.)

Economic Development Should Prioritize Equity – Innovation isn’t just for Silicon Valley tech bros. We will build businesses and economies that create access, not just profit.

Business Should Integrate Strategy with Social Impact – Every decision we make should redistribute power, not hoard it—because a better future means we all have a seat at the table.

💡 Business 4 Good keeps our commitment to #TEQUITY strong with AI Confidence Coaching so that Women entrepreneurs integrate AI into our businesses without feeling like we need a Ph.D. in computer science. Tech should be a tool, not an obstacle.

2. We Can Build & Strengthen Collective Power

Real change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Movements, businesses, and industries shift when people come together, share knowledge, and actually support one another.

Leadership Should Be Shared, Not Hoarded – Power works best when it’s distributed—not locked up in executive boardrooms or gate-kept by the same old faces.

Movements Scale When We Work Together – We will bridge grassroots organizing with digital strategy, ensuring that movements aren’t just loud—they’re effective, strategic, and built to last.

Success Is About Sustainability, Not Just Growth – Growth without a solid, sustainable foundation leads to burnout. We will build long-term structures that serve, not exploit.

💡 Business 4 Good’s Spring Cleaning sessions help entrepreneurs fine-tune business strategies, ensuring the season is as profitable, sustainable, and aligned with our shared values as possible!

3. We Can Lead With Imagination & Action

If the best thing we can come up with is patching up broken systems, then we aren’t thinking big enough. 

Leadership should be a mix of big vision and real execution, balancing creative problem-solving with tangible action.

We leaders of the future are adaptive & embodied! Hustle culture and empty empowerment slogans aren’t cutting it anymore. 

We will lead with intuition, strategy, and a plan that actually works.

Sustainability & Well-Being NEEDS to be built in because burnout is no longer a badge of honor. The new leadership models prioritizes collective care, longevity, and joy—because you can’t run a business (or a movement) if you’re running on fumes.

If the systems don’t serve us, we build new ones . No longer are we wasting our time duct taping old institutions together. We are here to design better ones—ones that work, ones that last, and ones that include everyone.

💡 Business 4 Good’s Q2 BOOST CAMP: Demystify AI with HI equips leaders with the tools to integrate AI in a way that feels intuitive, accessible, and aligned with human-first leadership.

We Are the Architects of Change.

We are not here to tweak broken systems.

We are here to reimagine, rebuild, and redefine leadership for this moment.

Let’s build a future that works for ALL of us!

Oh and one more thing..

💡 I’m booking teach-ins—virtual or in-person—for women-forward organizations that are ready to build a feminine economy through thoughtful, meaningful interaction with technology. Finance and technology have always gone hand in hand, and we are at a critical juncture—do we continue reinforcing the same power structures, or do we create a new path?

We create a new path! After-all, we are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.

Let’s build business 4 good!

love,

Rose