Imagination and Innovation
A Conversation with Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan
Welcome to Infophilia, a weekly newsletter about the human love of information and connections. This is one of the places where I'm pioneering the foundations of a positive and evolutionary psychology of information. If you’re a new subscriber, I’m glad to have you here, welcome back everyone else, and as always, thanks for reading!
East is considered the direction of becoming, the sunrise place. - Joy Harjo, 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate
National politics may dominate the news and capture interest, but local leaders shape daily lives. [1]
With quality of life driving her agenda, Mayor Farrah Khan, City of Irvine is part of the vanguard of a municipal renaissance. In a society increasingly shaped by the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (4R) public service leaders like Farrah are paving the way for more responsive and future-focused governance. Farrah’s tenure on the City of Irvine council embodies the infophilic mindset that blends adaptability and innovation. Her servant leadership illuminates the path for public sector entrepreneurship and technological progress that ensures equitable well-being. [2]
We have entered 4R, a transformational time that is fundamentally altering how we live, work, connect, and relate to the world around us. [3] Many label it the Age of Artificial Intelligence, but it is more accurately the Age of Imagination – a time that is also fostering the rise of a new archetype of public servant. While past economic triumvirates focused on big business, big labor, and an activist government, new technologies enable a broader and different scope of influence in the Creator, Purpose, and Gig economies. These tech driven economies are empowering more individuals than ever to create, find meaning, and engage in flexible work arrangements. They can also increase existing inequities and decrease quality of life.