The New Nexus … making new connections in business to enable enlightened innovation and accelerate growth … built on creativity, systemic thinking, and AI as your superconnector

May 3, 2025

Business today is not about incremental improvements in familiar markets. The leaders shaping the future are those who see opportunity in connections that others overlook. They combine ideas, technologies, and human insights across disciplines to solve problems in novel ways, reframe markets, and unlock growth.

The new nexus of business is where these intersections happen — where AI meets climate, wellness meets finance, or Gen Z meets venture innovation. Here are 10 key nexus points that are redefining strategy, and creating new opportunities for business to think, lead and succeed in new ways:

From linear to systemic thinking

Traditional strategy was linear: analyze a market, define a position, build scale, defend it. But the world has become too fast, complex, and interconnected for such approaches. Technology accelerates change, global crises ripple across borders, and consumers navigate multiple identities and expectations.

The new paradigm is systems thinking. This means understanding business not as a closed entity but as part of a wider ecosystem. Success comes from mapping interdependencies, recognizing that an innovation in one domain (say, healthcare) can be accelerated by insights from another (AI, finance, or mobility). The companies that thrive in this environment are those that design strategies not in silos but as dynamic, adaptive networks of ideas.

AI as the superconnector

Artificial intelligence is the most powerful connector of all. At one level, AI is a tool for efficiency — automating processes, predicting outcomes, personalizing interactions. But at a deeper level, AI is a cognitive amplifier: it allows businesses to connect data and insights across domains in ways previously impossible.

  • In healthcare, AI links diagnostics with genomics, wearable devices, and behavioral data, enabling predictive medicine.

  • In finance, AI connects macroeconomic signals with personal spending patterns to create adaptive credit and investment models.

  • In mobility, AI combines traffic flows, weather data, and consumer preferences to optimize entire transport systems.

The most exciting potential lies not in single applications but in AI’s ability to create bridges. When healthcare meets finance through AI, new models of preventative insurance emerge. When AI is applied to climate data and agriculture, new approaches to food security take shape.

Yet AI also raises urgent human questions — about bias, ethics, inequality, and what it means to be human. Here again lies the nexus: technology and humanity must be thought together, not apart.

Being human, purpose and identity

Amid technological acceleration and systemic crises, people seek meaning and wellbeing. Wellness has expanded from gyms and spas into a $5 trillion global economy encompassing mental health, nutrition, mindfulness, and work-life integration.

The new nexus sees wellness not as an isolated sector but as an ingredient across industries:

  • In workplaces, companies integrate wellness to attract and retain talent, especially younger generations.

  • In finance, investors channel funds toward companies that protect mental health and foster inclusivity.

  • In consumer goods, nutrition and wellbeing are embedded in product design.

Crucially, wellness connects with being human in the age of AI. As machines take over tasks, the competitive advantage of people lies in empathy, creativity, and purpose. Businesses must design models that elevate human strengths rather than reduce them.

Asia, the home of nexus thinking

Asia is more than a geography; it is the world’s fastest-moving laboratory of nexus innovation.

  • China leads in AI, electric vehicles, and fintech.

  • India drives digital inclusion, renewable energy, and entrepreneurial dynamism.

  • Southeast Asia is experimenting with super-apps that combine mobility, finance, and healthcare in a single ecosystem.

Asia illustrates how diverse forces intersect. A young population in India drives mobile-first entrepreneurship, while an aging population in Japan spurs robotics and eldercare innovation. Cities like Shenzhen or Bangalore demonstrate how entrepreneurship, technology, and demographics can combine into entirely new business models.

Western businesses cannot ignore Asia’s role: it is both a market and a source of ideas. The future of strategy is as much about learning from Asia as it is about competing there.

Entrepreneurship as the Nexus mindset

Large corporations often struggle with silos and legacy systems. Entrepreneurs, by contrast, thrive in the nexus. They are natural connectors, spotting gaps, combining resources, and reimagining possibilities.

Consider Grab in Southeast Asia: it started as a ride-hailing company but evolved into a super-app connecting mobility, payments, food, and healthcare. Or Illumina in the US, which connects genomics with AI, pharmaceuticals, and population health.

Entrepreneurship is not just about startups — it is a mindset that larger companies can adopt. Nexus thinkers inside corporations are those who can connect unusual dots, break down barriers, and design experiments across functions and markets.

Reinvention and transformation

Ultimately, the new nexus of business is about reinvention. Companies must constantly reimagine their role, not as isolated players but as nodes in dynamic networks.

Disney, for instance, reinvented itself from a film studio to an ecosystem connecting storytelling, streaming, theme parks, merchandise, and now AI-driven personalization. Unilever reimagines itself as a nexus of brands, sustainability, and social impact. DBS Bank in Singapore transformed from a bureaucratic bank into a digital-first ecosystem connecting finance with wellness, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.

Transformation is no longer a one-off project but a permanent state — an ability to connect, adapt, and evolve.

So here are 7 examples of nexus in action:

Nexus 1:  AI + Climate … smarter sustainability

The Nexus:Using artificial intelligence to tackle climate change in innovative ways, from predicting extreme weather to optimizing energy systems.

Examples:

  • DeepMind & Google Energy: AI reduced Google’s data center energy use by 40%, proving predictive optimization can dramatically lower carbon footprints.

  • Climeworks: Combines AI and engineering to scale carbon capture, connecting technology, climate finance, and ecosystem impact.

Impact: Companies leveraging AI in climate innovation not only reduce environmental risk but also cut costs and attract ESG-focused investors.

Nexus 2. Brands + Audiences … collaborative reach

The Nexus: Creative partnerships that connect brands with new audiences and cultural narratives.

Examples:

  • Adidas x Parley for the Oceans: Sportswear made from recycled ocean plastics connects sustainability with fashion-conscious consumers.

  • Hermès x Apple Watch bands: Luxury meets tech, attracting a younger, digitally native demographic.

Impact: Collaborations like these expand market reach, enhance brand storytelling, and create shared value across sectors.

Nexus 3. Ecosystems + Expansion … breaking boundaries

The Nexus: Building business ecosystems that combine capabilities from multiple players to accelerate innovation and speed to market, for example to connect services which are traditionally from different sectors.

Examples:

  • Waymo & Stellantis: Autonomous mobility solutions are co-created through partnerships linking software, vehicles, and urban infrastructure.

  • Shopify App Ecosystem: Thousands of developers connect apps and services to merchants, enabling rapid experimentation and scale.

Impact: Ecosystems allow companies to move faster than single-player models, co-create value, and adapt in dynamic markets.

Nexus 4: Ventures + Gen Z … creating a start-up culture

The Nexus: Corporate venture arms and startup initiatives designed to capture the creativity, values, and purchasing power of Gen Z.

Examples:

  • PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Innovation Program: Invests in startups that resonate with younger, socially conscious consumers.

  • LVMH’s ‘La Maison des Startups’: Mentors and scales ventures that align with luxury trends and Gen Z interests.

Impact: Engaging Gen Z through venture initiatives accelerates brand relevance, fuels innovation pipelines, and attracts future talent.

Nexus 5. Wellness + Workplace … happy productivity

The Nexus: Integrating wellness into business strategy to enhance productivity, retention, and creativity. It may sound soft and superficial, but it repeatedly shown to deliver improved results.

Examples:

  • Salesforce: Combines mindfulness programs, flexible work policies, and mental health resources to increase employee engagement.

  • On Running: Positions wellness at the center of product design, marketing, and community-building.

Impact: Businesses that embed wellness see stronger retention, higher innovation output, and better brand perception.

Nexus 6. Finance + Social Impact … good for the world

The Nexus: Linking capital flows with social and environmental objectives, making finance a tool for systemic change. Impact investment, specifically, can be a source of new capital, and also new customers and talent.

Examples:

  • DBS Bank: Uses sustainable finance to fund green projects while offering impact investment products to clients.

  • BlackRock: Incorporates ESG considerations into core investment strategies, influencing corporate behavior worldwide.

Impact: Financial institutions that embrace this nexus attract capital, mitigate risk, and differentiate in a crowded market.

Nexus 7. Inclusion + Innovation … better problem solving

The Nexus: Leveraging diversity — gender, age, and cultural perspectives — to fuel creativity and market insight. Seeing things others can’t, catalysing new ideas and innovations, building stronger and bolder teams.

Examples:

  • Patagonia: Inclusive practices drive both environmental campaigns and internal innovation.

  • Stripe: Gender-diverse leadership and global hiring policies have accelerated product innovation and market expansion.

Impact: Inclusion is both a social imperative and a competitive advantage, leading to better problem-solving and access to untapped markets.

Why the Nexus approach matters

These ten nexus points illustrate a fundamental shift in business strategy. Success is no longer about optimizing internal operations in isolation — it is about connecting unusual ideas, sectors, and human insights to create exponential value.

  • AI is not just technology; it is a bridge between efficiency, climate action, and personalized services.

  • Brand collaborations are not just marketing; they are pathways to new cultural relevance and audience expansion.

  • Ecosystems are not just networks; they are accelerators of innovation and adaptability.

The most forward-looking leaders understand that these nexus connections are multiplicative. Combining AI + climate + finance, for example, produces outcomes far beyond what any single intervention could achieve.

  • Think Systemically: Map the interconnections in your industry and adjacent sectors. Identify points where innovation can cascade across multiple areas.

  • Experiment Across Boundaries: Encourage teams to collaborate outside their functional silos. Corporate venture programs are particularly effective for testing nexus innovations.

  • Measure Impact Beyond Profit: Evaluate environmental, social, and human outcomes alongside financial results. Nexus thinking requires metrics that capture the full ecosystem.

  • Balance Speed and Reflection: Rapid experimentation is vital, but so is ensuring that connections are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable.

The new nexus of business is not a theory — it is a practical framework for the real world. AI, climate, finance, mobility, wellness, and human-centered design are not separate tracks; they intersect in ways that define tomorrow’s markets. Companies that succeed will be those who connect the dots others cannot see, orchestrating ideas, technologies, and human insight into ecosystems of value.

From startups engaging Gen Z to corporations reshaping sustainability, the future belongs to nexus thinkers — those who make the unusual possible, the improbable actionable, and the interconnected inevitable.

Business strategy is no longer linear. It is a web. And the nodes you choose to connect today will determine the markets of tomorrow.

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