Blog
The story of Radical World begins with a simple yet profound truth: we are not separate from life; we are life.
For too long, the systems that shape our world—how we live, work, and collaborate—have pushed us toward disconnection. Disconnection from one another, from the resources we share, and from the rhythms of life that sustain us.
Radical World is here to help change that.
Born from years of research, exploration, and collaboration, Radical World is a movement and a call to action. It is the bringing together of transformative ideas, practical tools, and inspiring stories into a shared space for connection and progress.
At its core, Radical World challenges us to rethink the way we organize ourselves and our work:
• From isolation to connection.
• From competition to collaboration.
• From systems of control to life-serving.
The seeds of Radical World were planted nearly 20 years ago when Matt Perez and his partner, Roberto Martinez, started Nearsoft, a self-managed company. A decade later, Jose Leal abandoned his corporate career and began exploring the science of motivation and life needs. His research uncovered a fundamental truth: human systems—whether organizations, communities, or societies—are most effective when they align with life’s balancing act of needs.
This insight gave rise to the concept of a society rooted in life and to the Radical framework—a groundbreaking approach to designing organizations around life’s intrinsic needs.
Inspired by these experiences, Matt Perez and Adrian Perez collaborated with Jose to write Radical Companies, a book that reimagines what companies could be. It outlined practical pathways for organizations to become co-owned and co-managed, moving away from rigid hierarchies toward shared ownership and responsibility. Matt and Adrian expanded on these ideas in Radical in Detail and And Then They Want to Burn You, books that delved into the nuances of the Radical framework and the challenges faced when disrupting traditional systems.
As these ideas took root, Society 2045 emerged as another collaborative project. Co-founded by J. Kim Wright, Matt, and Jose, the initiative researched emergent solutions across multiple domains. After hundreds of meetings and dozens of interviews, they identified and published Eight Transformative Patterns being expressed by movements and projects around the world. Their work revealed a shared trajectory: a shift from rigid, transactional systems to organic, life-serving models.
Simultaneously, Jose, Max Henning, and Andy Brogan launched an initiative connecting humanity’s modern dysfunction to our deeper understanding of human nature. Their work sought to answer a vital question: How can we design systems rooted in life’s realities?
All of this culminated in Serving Life, an open book and philosophy that ties these threads together. Serving Life challenges us to view human systems as part of the broader web of life, urging us to create structures that serve the whole instead of seeking to control it.
For two years, Matt and Jose also worked with the Xipe Technology team in Mexico to implement tools envisioned in Radical Companies. From this collaboration, the RADs app was born—a system for recognizing and distributing contributions within collaborative efforts. RADs balance the social and practical dimensions of work, fostering interdependence and collaboration.
By 2024, it became clear that these interconnected pieces—Radical Companies, Radical Purpose, RADs, Society 2045, Serving Life, and others—needed a home. The vision was no longer just about research, ideas, and frameworks; it was about creating an actionable movement capable of addressing the disconnection at the heart of our current systems.
Radical World was born to unite these efforts under one roof, providing a platform to transform bold ideas into tangible impact.
This new Unincorporated Association is neither a business nor a traditional nonprofit. It is a co-owned and co-managed entity designed to empower individuals and communities to build the future together. Radical World is not about observing or critiquing; it is a laboratory for action, experimentation, and collective transformation.
Radical World is a hub for anyone ready to reconnect with life and rethink how we live and work. Through Radical World News, we offer:
• Stories of Transformation: Real-world examples of people and communities reimagining work, collaboration, and impact.
• Life-Serving Tools: Practical frameworks and protocols to inspire new ways of living and working.
• Insights & Perspectives: Fresh ideas on balancing the needs of life, work, and the commons.
• Upcoming Events & Projects: Announcements about new Radical World initiatives and ways to get involved.
• Actionable Steps: Clear, practical ways to contribute to the movement and co-create a better world.
Yes, Radical World seeks to build better organizations, but it’s about something much deeper. It’s about reconnecting with the essence of life itself.
The systems we’ve inherited—built on competition and control—have left us disconnected and divided. Radical World envisions a future where connection, collaboration, and interdependence become the lens through which we see and engage with one another.
This is a call to remember: we’ve always belonged. Reconnecting with life is not just a possibility—it is a necessity.
Join us. Explore the stories, tools, and ideas that Radical World has to offer.
Take action, and together, let’s create a world that truly serves life.