You’ve worn many hats – from corporate executive and entrepreneur to philanthropist and author. What do you think has most shaped your worldview?

My journey has taken me to over 95 countries and across every imaginable layer of society — from growing up with very basic means to later working alongside some of the most influential people in the world. Experiencing that full spectrum has been transformative. What I’ve learned through it all is that extraordinary people — the ones who dare to dream big and build boldly — are the ones shaping the future of our world.

When you look around, every invention, every company, every leap forward in humanity exists because someone had the courage to blaze a trail in the dark. Those are the people I seek out — whether I’m building a library in the Himalayas or investing in AI startups — the dreamers who are driven not only by ambition but by purpose.

And through that, one truth has become clear to me: life is a gift. It’s so easy to get lost in the noise of comparison and confusion, to chase the wrong things or drift from what truly matters. But the people who wake up each morning with a bold dream and a heart anchored in purpose — those who work hard for something bigger than themselves — are the ones who drive meaningful change.

So, what has shaped my worldview the most? It’s witnessing the power of purpose in motion — seeing how it transforms people, communities, and entire lives. That belief guides everything I do today: empowering founders and change makers to build not just high-growth startups, but high-impact ones that truly make the world better.

Your “Powered by Purpose” framework has inspired thousands around the world. Can you share what it is and what inspired its creation — was there a single turning point that led you to live and lead with purpose?

The Powered by Purpose framework is now the centerpiece of my life’s work — and it was born out of seeing the price that changemakers pay. I’ve met so many incredible founders and leaders who are trying to build something meaningful, but they end up exhausted, lonely, and stretched thin under the weight of their own vision. They’re creating impact in the world, but often at the expense of their own well-being.

So this framework was designed to give people the mindset, tools, and structure to build both high-growth and high-human-impact ventures — and to do so in a way that sustains them. It’s made up of six pillars, all grounded in one foundation: purpose.

It starts with a simple yet profound question: If I were hit by a bus tomorrow, would I be happy with the life I’ve lived? If the answer isn’t an immediate yes, it means there’s still some work to do in aligning your purpose and your actions. Because you’re going to spend thousands of hours building your business, it should be something that truly matters to you, something you’d still care about even if no one was watching.

The next pillar is about well-being. Stress kills — literally. There’s powerful research showing what happens when we keep saying yes to everything until our body says no. Founders take on far more than their fair share of stress, so caring for your mind and body isn’t indulgence — it’s strategy. You can’t pour into the world what you don’t have within yourself.

The third pillar is finances. I often meet people with beautiful hearts and big dreams, but no sustainable revenue model. And my message to them is: the more you care about your purpose, the stronger your business model needs to be. Otherwise, you’ll end up working for someone who doesn’t share your values. Purpose and profit are not opposites — they amplify each other.

Then comes community — surrounding yourself with people who lift you up. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Build your tribe intentionally, and nurture those relationships like you would any living system that needs care and connection.

The fifth pillar is freedom — the freedom to think differently, to create without fear. For 17 years of formal education, we were taught to color inside the lines. Then suddenly, we’re told to innovate. Real creativity requires unlearning those constraints and trusting your own voice again.

And finally, there’s fun — because joy fuels longevity. Plan it into your life the same way you plan a business strategy. I call it the fun strategy — what will you do each week or month to refill your cup?

When all of this comes together — purpose, wellbeing, financial clarity, community, freedom, and joy — you build a life and a business that can truly take off like a spaceship.

So to your question: there wasn’t one single turning point, but rather a thousand small awakenings — moments of seeing how powerful, how unstoppable people become when they’re powered by purpose. That’s what keeps me devoted to this work.


You often speak about “enoughness” and how external definitions of success can limit us. What does “being enough” mean in the entrepreneurial journey?

Enoughness is one of the most powerful ideas I’ve discovered in my own journey — and it’s something every founder I’ve met struggles with at some point. That voice that whispers I’m not enough, I don’t have enough, I’m not ready yet — it’s universal. But here’s the truth: if you feel that, it means you’re doing something bold and meaningful. You’re stepping outside your comfort zone, and that’s exactly where growth happens.

When I meet founders who doubt themselves, I tell them to wear that doubt like a badge of honor. Because playing it safe never changed the world. The people who build something extraordinary are usually the ones who are terrified — but they do it anyway.

What I encourage people to do is to trace back where that sense of not enough came from. You weren’t born with it. At some point, someone told you that you couldn’t, or you failed a test, or you compared yourself to someone else — and that moment planted a seed. But you’re not that story anymore. You have the power to rewrite it. The feeling of inadequacy is not your truth; it’s an opinion you accidentally accepted as your own.

Once you release that baggage, you find incredible flow. You stop wasting energy on comparison or fear, and you start channeling it into creation. You stop seeing the mountain as impossible and start focusing on the next step — because that’s all you really control: the present moment and your direction.

And there’s another part to enoughness that I want every founder to remember. Life is finite. None of us have endless time here. So what are we so afraid of? Why hold back your dream because of doubt or judgment? This isn’t a rehearsal — this is your life.

When you realize that, you start to flow instead of fight. You stop chasing approval and start experiencing your journey. And that, to me, is what being enough really means in entrepreneurship — to move forward with courage, gratitude, and purpose, knowing you already have within you everything you need to make your vision real.


You took a bold leap and started building libraries across the globe. What inspired you to begin this journey, and what has been the most powerful lesson you’ve learned about people and purpose through these projects?

I have built 49 libraries in 14 countries, and it’s something I actively continue to do. My goal is to build 100 while I am still alive. Why? Because I believe every kid, every person, deserves a space where dreams can fly — a place of creativity without limiting beliefs, filled with books, ideas, and possibilities.

I like to build these libraries in challenging environments — in the Amazon jungle, in the Himalayas, in communities struggling with youth violence or poverty. For the students, these libraries are like spaceships. When a child walks in from a difficult reality, they enter a world where they can dream freely, where they have access to stories of people who once faced the same hardships but went on to shape the world.

I’ve self-funded these project builds, and I’m proud of that. My purpose in life is to set change makers in motion — and that’s also why I’m coming to Estonia. I want to work with people who are doing meaningful things and contribute my energy to projects grounded in purpose. The libraries are built inside schools and communities, because our job as changemakers is to strengthen local ecosystems, not to build things in isolation.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned through all of this is that people are unstoppable when they’re powered by purpose. When I go to build a library, I’m often the only person from outside that community. Everyone else — grandparents, parents, children — is from the local community, as it is their home. In just three or four days, we transform an empty room into a full library. It’s like a startup on steroids. People climb on roofs, paint, build shelves — I pick up a broom, and someone takes it from my hands because they want to do it themselves.

I’ve seen how different it is when purpose drives the process. In some models, things move slowly, tied up in bureaucracy or funding structures. But when purpose is at the heart of it, things move with unbelievable energy. I’ve built a library in a village six days’ walk from the nearest road in Nepal. People called friends in the city, borrowed money to hire a Jeep, and carried materials across mountain passes. Out of a village of 200 people, 150 showed up to help — and in three days, the library was done.

That’s what human connection looks like. When people are united by purpose, they’re unstoppable.

And the final lesson? Purpose is not the extra ingredient you sprinkle into your business model to make it sound nice. The purpose is the drink itself. It’s the reason you exist. And if you do it for any other reason, there’s no faster path to unhappiness. Do it for the right reasons — and you’ll find your power.


You’re now helping AI startups at Microsoft grow with purpose. How can founders balance fast innovation with social and ethical responsibility?

When I look at the founders I work with today, especially those in the AI space, I see incredible people tackling some of humanity’s biggest challenges — founders using artificial intelligence to detect disease, prevent trucks and cars from breaking down, or solve global health and education problems. They’re applying innovation to improve lives, and that’s deeply inspiring to watch.

But with every emerging technology, there must also come responsibility. Microsoft has a strong framework and entire teams dedicated to ensuring AI is used ethically — to prevent bias, harm, or misuse. And I believe founders should adopt that same mindset from day one.

You cannot truly achieve your purpose if responsibility and ethics aren’t part of your company’s DNA. These values shouldn’t be an afterthought or a checkbox — they should be front and center in how you build. Whether it’s through a policy, a dedicated person, or a small internal group focused on responsible AI, make it intentional.

There’s already great research and guidance available; you don’t have to invent everything yourself. But what matters most is making it part of your culture early — because purpose and responsibility are inseparable. If you want to change the world for the better, how you build is just as important as what you build.



Your work emphasizes both outer impact and inner peace. What practices or habits help you stay grounded while working at a global scale?

 I look at life as a gift. Like many people, I’ve gone through phases of confusion — chasing wealth, titles, or external success — but eventually I realized that none of it truly matters if it isn’t connected to purpose. Today, I live, enjoy, and cherish life, and I don’t engage in anything that doesn’t align with my purpose.

I receive invitations to speak at events all over the world, but I only choose a few. That’s why I’m so honored to come to this wonderful event in Estonia — because it aligns with what I stand for. My grounding is simple. In my first book, I wrote that every breath we take is like a diamond. You only have one jar of diamonds — so why would you throw them away carelessly? Yet that’s what so many of us do with our time.

I stay grounded by remembering that my life is finite, and that I have the power to do something meaningful with it. Every interaction — including this conversation — is an opportunity to drive good change in the world. Otherwise, it’s just noise, just acting.

So I keep things authentic. I don’t care about the superficial layers of life, but I deeply believe in people. When people are reminded of the right mindset and guided toward their purpose, they become unstoppable. I’ve seen founders return years later and say their businesses transformed because they became more purpose-driven — and as a result, their partnerships became more genuine, their growth more real.

What keeps me grounded is understanding the fragility of life and the incredible opportunity we all have to live it doing something that truly matters. And honestly, why would we want to live it any other way?

Finally, we ask this from every speaker: What is a good life — for you?

What is a good life for me — and how do I know if I’ve achieved it? That’s a beautiful question. I’ve actually been writing about it for years in my next book, because I want it to be something that helps people long after I’m gone. The truth is, no matter how advanced we become as a species — even if we’re holding conferences on Mars one day — the inner conflict between what we think we need to do and what our soul truly wants to do will always remain.

For me, a good life means experiencing this journey fully. That’s why I named my first startup Experience Your Life. Don’t let life slip away. Experience it — through work that matters, through moments that are real. If you can live each day doing something that illuminates the darkness around you, you are already living a good life.

I once wrote a poem called Dawn of the Tribe. It’s about the journey of a changemaker — a founder walking through the night holding a small lantern, wondering why everything feels so hard and dark. Then, together with others, their lights connect, and the darkness fades. That moment of connection, of shared purpose, is when the dawn arrives. That, to me, is the essence of a good life — walking through the darkness together and creating light for others.

A good life is lived with integrity, authenticity, and presence. It’s about feeling truly alive — in your mind, body, and soul — and using that energy to shape the world around you for the better. It’s not about reaching a destination where you say, “Now I have a good life.” It’s about living it along the way.

Life is short — just a spark in the vast universe. But even a spark can ignite a fire that warms generations. So, for me, a good life is one where that spark burns bright enough to light the path for others.

Remember – powered by purpose and together – you are unstoppable! The reality around us was shaped by those who dreamed – the rights, privileges, and opportunities we enjoy are the manifestation of that dream. Now it is time for us to dream bigger and shape the future.