On July 20 and 21, 2019, the Novus Summit, presented by the mission of the United Arab Emirates and NOVUS, was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Day one of the summit, held at the UN, was followed by a special series the next day at New York’s prestigious Core Club. Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy, CEO of Power Living Enterprises, Inc. and Co-Founder of Elder Dignity, was delighted to be a delegate at the Summit.

In 2015, world leaders agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)--17 goals for a better world by 2030 such as end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change. Founded by social-impact strategist, Kunal Sood (Founder of XFellows), the Novus Summit aims to support the SDGs by bringing together members of the world's science, technology and innovation communities to mobilize action and solutions. The co-chair for the event was serial entrepreneur Salim Ismail, founding executive director, Singularity University.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first landing on the moon, this year's summit focused on four key themes: “The First Women – From the Oceans to the Moon, Making the Impossible, Possible,”  “Life on Land: A New Era for Human Flourishing,” “Moonshots” and “Exponential Future.” It was incredibly inspirational with speakers like:

• Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri (Minister of the State for Advanced Sciences),

• Anousheh Ansari (CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation and the first female private space explorer),

• Craig Hatkoff (Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival),

• Yvonne Cagle, M.D., Ph.D. (NASA Astronaut),

• David Katz (Founder & CEO, The Plastic Bank),

• Val Kilmer (actor and activist),

• Dominic Kalms (Founder & CEO of GVNG),

• Rachel Gerrol (CEO & Co-Founder of NEXUS),

• Laura Stein (Co-Founder & CEO of Boma Global, and TEDx Founder),

• David Roberts (expert on innovation and exponential leadership),

• Oona Chaplin (actress in Game of Thrones/Avatar, Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter),

• Katharina Sophia Volz, Ph.D. (Occamz Razor),

• Natasha Tsakos (conceptual director and visual performance artist),

• Jennifer Aaker (Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business),

• Larry Namer (Co-Founder, E! Entertainment Television),

• Divya Chander, M.D., Ph.D. (Chair of Neuroscience at Singularity University and Visiting Scholar Medicine at Stanford University)

• and many others.

Teresa Kennedy, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, has moderated at the United Nations twice for Women's Entrepreneurship Day and International Day of Yoga, as well as at the Core Club during her work as biographer for 100-year-old historical icon and yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch. Now, she is working on a new "moonshot" to make the impossible possible: transform the $300 billion adult guardianship system in the U.S. from the current state of being punitive and oppressive into a technology-enabled supported decision-making model where seniors and dependent adults can thrive. It will take a lot of work, but through collaboration it IS possible.

What's your "moonshot" (i.e. big idea to transform the world)?