Steve Griffin of Madison Avenue Technology On The Case For Optimism About The Next Ten & Twenty Years
Global collaboration and the shift to a more interconnected world will produce the conversations to tackle shared challenges. Global health initiatives, shared technology agreements, and access to internet & education will positively reshape the way the world does business.
Reading the news can be so demoralizing: climate change, war, fires, epidemics, rogue AI, mental health, authoritarianism, extreme partisanship. But humans need hope. In order for us to create a positive future, we need to be able to have hope that there can be a positive future. What is the “Case for Optimism” over the next decades? What can we look forward to and hope for to help us strive for a more positive future?
In this series, we aim to explore and highlight the positive aspects, potential breakthroughs, and reasons for optimism that lie ahead in the coming decade and beyond. We are talking to authors, researchers, entrepreneurs, scientists, futurists, and other experts who can shed light on the exciting advancements, innovations, and opportunities that await us. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Griffin.
Reading the news can be so demoralizing: climate change, war, fires, epidemics, rogue AI, mental health, authoritarianism, extreme partisanship. But humans need hope. In order for us to create a positive future, we need to be able to have hope that there can be a positive future. What is the “Case for Optimism” over the next decades? What can we look forward to and hope for to help us strive for a more positive future?
In this series, we aim to explore and highlight the positive aspects, potential breakthroughs, and reasons for optimism that lie ahead in the coming decade and beyond. We are talking to authors, researchers, entrepreneurs, scientists, futurists, and other experts who can shed light on the exciting advancements, innovations, and opportunities that await us. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Griffin.
Steve the CEO of Madison Avenue Technology, and a strategic executive who has worked with many companies, ranging between private start-ups to mid-sized corporations, offering consulting services across an array of sectors. He is an entrepreneurial minded leader of finance and operations with a record of transforming early revenue and growth companies into industry leaders through thoughtful application of new technologies and capabilities, mergers and acquisitions, modeling and analysis, and investor relations. He is highly adept to corporate transformation, integration, compliance, and global growth strategy.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Thanks for having me! Absolutely. I suppose I started working with my father in his many different business growing up, from restaurants to landscaping to government contracting — this inspired me to pursue the accounting field, in which ultimately graduating with various degrees specified in Marketing and Accounting from University of South Florida, I jumped right into corporate accounting & leadership roles at a regional firm. I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life, and in this flexible leadership role, I got to work with many different businesses across various sectors, which has been rather fruitful with respect to development.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
My father, who continues to this day to support my businesses and their success.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
While I’ve had many professional mentors along the way, and still stay in contact and do business with most of them, the single most impactful person whom has developed me to be an entrepreneur is my father — through growing up, he’s involved me in every business he’s created, some rather successful and others not, and taught me the grit of building and growing companies from scratch. This has been instrumental in who I am, and how I operate.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
Madison Avenue Technology is a Regulation D 506c real estate capital syndication platform. This has been bar none the most challenging endeavor I’ve pursued, as developing software isn’t my first language, in fact, it may even be my last. I’ve brought together the right people, all with a shared goal — to solve a massive pain point in such an antiquated industry. We feel providing access to our platform democratizes the private placement industry, thus allowing real estate investors to access institutional-grade offerings. This will change the landscape of how capital is syndicated in real estate. We are very excited to get it in the wild on July 10th!
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Most importantly, empathy and humility, closely followed by a competitive spirit and a thirst for knowledge. The above paired together allows me to build teams with a desire to learn from one another and understand growth collectively. This has fostered innovation and driven success in our companies.
Ok, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about the case for optimism. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. When we refer to being optimistic about the future, what exactly do we mean?
When I refer to being optimistic about the future, it means having a positive and hopeful perspective regarding what lies ahead. It involves maintaining a belief that things will generally turn out well and that positive outcomes are possible despite challenges and uncertainties. Being optimistic about the future entails looking beyond your current difficulties and focusing on the potential for growth, progress, and positive change. More importantly, you have to learn to love the process, as this is the secret to optimism.
Why is it important to have an optimistic outlook about the future?
Without an optimistic outlook about the future, it’s quite difficult to drive positive change in it. Maintaining optimism during challenging times is one of the best tools for navigating it clearly.
What are some reasons people might feel pessimistic about the future, and how do you suggest we address these concerns?
It todays’ climate, global challenges, social and political divisions, technological disruptions and displacements, and environmental concerns are all reasons, without the right mindset, that could lead to a pessimistic outlook.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share with our readers your “5 Reasons To Be Optimistic About The Next Ten and Twenty Years?”
1 . Technological advancements and the pace at which innovation continues to accelerate are offering immense potential for positive change.
2 . Sustainable development focus and the growing emphasis on addressing pressing issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and inequality.
3 . Global collaboration and the shift to a more interconnected world will produce conversations to tackle shared challenges. Global health initiatives, shared technology agreements, and access to Internet & education will positively reshape the way the world does business.
4 . Advancements in global health initiatives, breakthroughs, technology innovations, and access will contribute to improved quality of life worldwide. Further, developments in precision medicine, shared research, regenerative medicine, and disease prevention hold the potential to revolutionize healthcare and address some of the most significant health challenges. Ultimately allowing us to live longer and healthier lives.
5 . Increased technological access and connectivity will help eliminate the digital divide and expand access to the internet and resources involved. This will enable individuals to empower marginalized communities, promote economic development, and foster innovation. The increasing democratization of technology and internet contributes to an optimistic future where more people can participate in the digital world and benefit from it’s inherent opportunities.
In what specific areas do you see technology having the most positive impact over the next 10 to 20 years?
While one could make the argument that technology will impact every sector positively over the next 10 to 20 years, there are a few standouts that I feel will see more change for the better. Advancements in Renewable Energy and Sustainability efforts will play a critical role in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability. Advancements in renewable energy generation, storage, smart grids, smart cities and infrastructure, and energy efficient technologies is on the cutting edge, and has the opportunity to accelerate the transition to a clean and sustainable energy system. Further, advancements in areas like circular economy, waste management, water conservation, and Ag-tech can contribute to a more environmentally friendly future. AI and automation is another sector that is moving rather fast at the moment, and has the potential to streamline processes, increase productivity, and enable new innovations across many industries. Autonomous manufacturing, vehicles, predictive analytics, and operations will be optimized to reduce human error and free up human resources to concentrate on more creative and higher value tasks.
While technology holds immense potential, it can also present challenges. How can we ensure that the progress we make in technology contributes to a more optimistic future and doesn’t exacerbate societal problems?
This should be core to all things we do in life, not just technology. With the rapid progression of AI, I feel maintaining human-centered design is more important now than ever before. Keeping humans centered on technological innovation is crucial. Technology should be designed with a deep understanding of human needs, values, and aspirations, and through involving diverse voices and perspectives in the process.
How do you maintain your optimism during challenging times?
Maintaining optimism during challenging times can be difficult, but it is certainly a valuable mindset worth achieving, and can help provide clarity when navigating difficult situations or seeking solutions. Remembering challenging times are temporary and that setbacks are a natural part of life’s journey, and often lead to growth, both personally and in business, will help maintain a positive perspective. Maintaining this perspective and embracing a growth mindset is how I am able to stay optimistic during challenging times.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I had the opportunity to inspire a movement that could bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, it would be a movement focused on fostering empathy and compassion. The world today often experiences divisions, conflicts, and inequalities, which can be alleviated through the power of understanding and kindness.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 😊
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Gary Vaynerchuck & his team to rebrand a company I held a leadership role at, however, never got a lunch. I would love a lunch with Gary.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me on LinkedIn @ Steve Griffin, EA or at any of my companies — Madison Avenue Technology — GRIFFIN Tax — REVVED Up Accounting — CRE MarketBeat
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
Steve Griffin of Madison Avenue Technology On The Case For Optimism About The Next Ten & Twenty… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.