Peter Conrads is a a professional optimist. He is the founder of Slow, a collective rethinking how we live and interact through sustainable practices like regenerative agriculture and adaptive reuse. With a background in economics and mathematics, he started his career in consultancy, eventually focusing on strategic consultancy in the public sector and sustainability-driven investments.
"I think we are living in an environment of late roman decadence, leading to a further decline of societies and finally to revolution. We are too saturated…", says Peter.
Peter is coming this year to the Unfinished Festival, which will be held in Bucharest, from September 27 to 29. This year's theme of the festival is Praxis: connecting theory with practice and how we can transform ourselves from receivers to creators. The only way to participate in UNFINISHED is by completing an application and a selection process carried out by the festival organizers.
We talk to Peter Conrads about the troubled present and the responsibility of the future, about fears, hopes and the need for pragmatic optimism.
The most important thing people should know about you
That I'm still unfinished, eager and curious, walking through the world with childish eyes.
Key moments in your becoming
When it got rough, small and big defeats and also major achievements in life in business and sports.
If your life were divided into chapters
Prelude or first steps in life: Army, Studies, first business, New York
Interlude: mature business, Consulting, constructing
Postludium: Serving/Hospitality, business angel
Changes in your perspective
Mostly I got bored when the business got evolved, then I sold, so basic experience is always evolving businesses but being prepared in making mistakes and taking risks and learning of it is more important.
Your role: then and now
Rookie vs elder statesman.
Slow initiative
Slow is a collaborative to people, Ideas with a strong community aspect, driven by the main topics in the world, how do we want to live, what is the impact of our doing, with whom do we want to spend time, how do we want to get old, where and now: what can I give back to people, projects and society.
The idea
I always wanted to run a hotel, restaurant, bar, venue etc. Probably because I have strong hospitality genes...
The mission
To create places, safe havens where people can interact. The purpose is to feed the soul, to cultivate your inner gardens, to find your inner self and: to have fun.
Unfinished. Thoughts and Expectations
I have no expectations! I want to see, talk, interact with people and I´m open and curious about everything…
I met Cristian nearly 10 years ago in LA and we instantly liked each other, having a lot in common and sharing the same values…
#Praxis
I love the expression PRAXIS, I think it's one of the mostly underrated, I only can encourage anyone to achieve praxis and take the effort to do and do and do, even if its a stony path… I'm a motorcycle race driver and my former instructor told me round after round on the race track: to get real praxis to eye, mind and body coordination fully aligned you need 1500 repetitions, that's praxis.
The biggest challenges society faces in 2024
Not taking efforts anymore, not taking responsibilities anymore, not standing for ideals, I think we are living in an environment of late roman decadence, leading to a further decline of societies and finally to revolution. We are too saturated…
Your fears
My concerns are mainly stagnation in the political will, the shockedness of people in fear of changes and the overall saturation…
How do you maintain your optimism
Haha, by creating my own tiny world… and being a professional optimist.
A name for this period we’re living
Rapturous times.
