Tackling systemic oppression

My guest today on Inside Ideas is Leon Wang or 王立中 (Wáng Lì Zhōng), a genderqueer Taiwanese second generation American (they/them, ki/kin) who is able-bodied with an invisible neurodiversability.

Leon is bravely shifting our dreaming, knowing, being and doing in this world to be more people positive, complexity conscious and life liberating. As an anti-bias, anti-racist intersectional environmentalist, they also strive to bring awareness to critical (un)learning of systems of oppression. In radical brave spaces, ki invites attention, intention, and repetition toward for the active shaping of more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (JEDI) futures for all life.

They sees young people stepping up and challenging injustice, and believes it is vital that generations to come have the tools of awareness to end the systems of oppression destroying the future for people and planet. In youth-led climate action, and as an intersectional environmentalist, Leon points to one generational uprising already shaking the foundations of the broken systems that have long since lit the touch paper on the world’s future.

“There are a lot of climate activists, there are youth that are really rising up and saying enough is enough. Part of that is the tension against the corporations, against the generations that are holding the current status quo,” Leon said. “Part of that is developing new thinking, new systems, new communities, new language even, of how we are going to move into the future.”

Ki is making his impact in accelerating change in a variety of ways: they are an (auto) catalysing connector, exploration facilitator, and networks weaver. At heart, ki is also an extreme generalist that is creating conduits toward brighter futures. They leverages deep expertise in life-centered design, nature-inspired creativity, emerging technologies, and JEDI to amplify change-agents to create and evolve more optimal and well-adapted solutions. 

In the last six years, Leon has engaged deeply in diverse activities with trailblazing organisations like Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Buckminster Fuller Institute, One Point Five, Singularity University, Biomimicry 3.8, StartingBloc, Playground of Empathy and RETHINK – that are all thought leaders in the impact space. Leon is also a Certified Biomimicry Professional with an M.S. Biomimicry from ASU and B.S. Bioengineering from UCSD.

I am delighted to welcome Leon on the show to take a deep dive into the foundational transformations ki believes must happen to deliver a better future for all.