128: Building a better world: Gagandeep Bhullar on measuring good with Superhuman Race

Show notesThroughout history, there have been genuine supporters and sceptics of equity and inclusion. We can all see how the current political climate in the US has deepened the divide fuelling anti-ESG/DEIB rhetoric, leading many organizations, including prominent ones like Target, Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, Ford, Harley Davidson etc. to reduce or cease their initiatives. However, there is room for cautious optimism considering that some of the world largest organisations continue to be committed including Patagonia, Costco, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, Netflix, Apple, Eli Lilly, Amazon, Pfizer, Salesforce, Google, P&G, Goldman Sachs.But, for a lot of people, like Gagandeep Bhullar, Founder of Superhuman Race, a data platform that measures good, it is business as usual. She does not perceive a decline in commitment or interest from US companies. In the 128th episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast Gagandeep Bhullar, joined me to discuss the pressing need for measuring and scaling "good" in today's society. She emphasised that traditional measures of success often overlook the value of good deeds, which do not typically yield tangible rewards in the corporate world.In the episode Gagandeep shares her journey from a successful career in aerospace at Boeing to becoming an entrepreneur focused on sustainability. We also delved into the unique features of her technology platform, which stands out by driving actionable sustainability practices rather than just reporting. As we explored the dynamics of ESG reporting across the world, in India and the built environment, Gagandeep also highlighted the importance of authentic narratives in sustainability and how sectors like real estate are leading the way in adopting these practices.We also discussed her belief that BRSR is on the path to becoming one of the best frameworks in the world, her exhilarating and challenging journey into entrepreneurship, and two exciting projects: a climate model to predict asset-level risk and a study on the built environment and real estate developers. Fun fact: Superman, Batman and mythology inspired the name she chose for her platform 😎😎😎If you are interested in DEI, ESG Reporting, and Sustainability, tune in to the podcast to learn how SHR is leading the charge with technology for good. Link in comments 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾Episode TranscriptSudha: Good afternoon, Gagan. Wonderful to have you as a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today.Gagan: Thanks Sudha. It's lovely to be here.Sudha: Let's start with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do.Gagan: I am Gagan Bhullar, and I founded the Superhuman Race. So what I do now is that I run a data platform called Superhuman Race that measures good.So that is essentially who I am and what I do at the moment. My background is entirely aerospace though, so I'm a math and science nerd basically.Sudha: Wow. Okay. That's very interesting. We'll talk more about the transition later on, but tell us a bit more about Superhuman Race and how did you arrive at the name?And secondly, what is your ambition when you set up this Superhuman Race?Gagan: I'll start with the vision first, and the reason why I started Superhuman race.  When I started Superhuman Race, I was at Boeing, and I had a dream job. So, I was having a lot of fun, but I was also a very young person. And I think I was struggling...