Time to read: 8 minutes
Today we introduce you to Alessa Berg, Founder, and CEO of Top Tier Impact (TTI) and a guest speaker at Discovia 2022. With a background in neuroscience, blockchain, and biotech investing, Alessa’s aim via Top Tier Impact (TTI) is to accelerate the mainstream adoption of impact and sustainability. Top Tier Impact (TTI) present across more than 45 countries is today the members-only ecosystem of investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are focused on solving the critical issues of our time.
Special Offer: In a unique gesture, Alessa and Top Tier Impact (TTI) are giving the Discovia-goers and the iDiscover community direct access to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the WEF Sustainability Day, where investors and innovators are coming together to build a better planet.
The WEF Sustainability Day is on May 24th-26th 2022 and by invitation only to all Discovia iDiscover Summit 2022-goers. To enter your name on their list, get your Discovia ticket and email us with the subject line: WEF-TTI-Discovia.
Describe what you do in your own words? What is unique about the way you do it that makes you stand out?
I run Top Tier Impact (TTI) and we are the global ecosystem for impact investing and sustainability. We work across the globe with hundreds of registered members, like investors and entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and famous public figures that are concretely making a positive environmental impact in their different sectors, geographies, and roles.
TTI is horizontal and systemic. Our mission is to bring this positive way of investing with impact into the mainstream. We see it as the new paradigm for work, for how the economy and society should function. What makes us stand out is that we support and further the success of people already active in specific verticals of issues by connecting them to each other. We create new efficiencies by accelerating and multiplying their professional impact.
What inspired you to go and do it? How did it all start?
It was very spontaneous, I didn’t expect TTI to become my next company. I took a Sabbatical for some months and started reflecting on the critical path for humanity to thrive on the planet and how I could best contribute by supporting a positive direction. I then realised that some of my existing investments were in impact areas. Having a background in system and governance design and loving to look at things from a systemic perspective, the more I looked at the field of impact, the more I saw this is a better paradigm for our planet, and that Impact Investing is a whole system. I also saw so many more ways to make the impact grow faster and more efficiently. It was at that moment that I thought to get involved until I figure out where to go next professionally. I started by bringing together impact investors which turned into a network that started growing so much. That was the beginning of TTI.
Describe a moment of huge inspiring breakthrough in your personal-professional evolution.
My breakthrough moment coincided with the time when TTI started emerging too. As I was reflecting on how and where to apply my powers, skills, and influence in order to be part of a new solution, rather than the existing problem, the situation led me naturally towards a holistic, personal inner journey, evolution, and healing that was very aligned with my professional evolution too.
What is your current Mount Everest? What are you in the process of creating in the world? Your ultimate vision and dream?
My Mount Everest and ultimate vision are to make impact and sustainability the default way of showing up as people and businesses around the world until we don’t even need to define it as impact or sustainability anymore. TTI is adhering to this mission across our investing unit and our consulting business, delivering climate scenario planning and ESG strategies to large businesses that need to drastically cut their carbon footprint. We are also creating global visibility for all areas of impact investing, with myself producing and hosting a 10-episode TV series for Gaia.com, the equivalent of Netflix for consciousness content.
What do iDiscover and its community mean to you?
I understand iDiscover’s methodology as supporting personal and professional growth, two spheres that are interlinked, which really resonates with me. I relate to 360 degrees – holistic growth across all areas of life, that is absorbed in our value system of how we show up.
At Discovia, I am really looking forward to the summit in general and also to interacting with everyone. After these 2 years of pandemic, and while feeling lucky to be where I was, I have missed connecting with like-minded people in a unique environment which is where all sorts of magic happen. I’m looking forward to a lot of meaningful interactions and connections.
What is your daily/weekly/monthly ritual or performance hack that really works for you?
I have quite a few of them actually and I see them as taking care of myself and putting my well-being and satisfaction as a priority because that creates a lot of peace and harmony in all of us. For example, I do yoga when I wake up, combining also some high-intensity interval training. Then I do some breathwork and I state out loud my daily intentions and how I want to show up. In the evening I often do either yoga Nidra or meditation before going to bed allowing myself a bit of quiet time and ease into it. I also love journaling having found it to be very meaningful and it’s something I do almost daily. I am about to start a work journal too, to kind of spell out and elaborate on the things that I m doing for my work. Lastly, dancing and singing are part of my week.
Best travel tip or secret location to share with us?
During the pandemic, I got to spend a lot of time across Thailand. It is such a beautiful and surprising country in all possible ways. Some parts even remind me of Switzerland, where I grew up, but with valleys full of palm trees instead of pines! There are also beautiful islands with underwater life, rocks, and climbing spots. By exploring Thailand you get very different experiences, it’s an incredible country.
I am currently in Bali where you can also find a lot of diversity, especially because it’s a volcanic island with a unique climate and a lot of richness in the soil. Get to South East Asia and visit both!
What is your favourite quote or a question you want to leave us with?
When your thinking, saying, and doing are aligned, you experience peace. So whenever you find yourself feeling in conflict or experiencing an uncomfortable situation, you can ask yourself if there is something you’re thinking but you’re not saying, or if is there something that you are saying but you are not doing.
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