Meet Brent N. Hunter, a visionary author, entrepreneur, and changemaker whose unique multicultural and multi-religious upbringing has shaped his mission to create a unified world where everyone can thrive. As president, chairman, CEO, and CIO of multiple companies including Intelligent KM Services, Brent has written six transformative books and is pioneering the Unity Project – an ambitious initiative aimed at shifting our global economic system from scarcity to abundance. His latest work, “The Unity Economy,” represents decades of experience in technology, spirituality, and social change.
Humans of Fuzia is honored to feature Brent’s inspiring journey as part of our commitment to showcasing leaders who champion equality and empowerment. His unwavering support for women’s rights and his belief that women deserve equal opportunities in all spheres of life aligns perfectly with our community’s mission. Through his story, our 5.2 million-strong community of entrepreneurs and changemakers across 35+ countries can draw inspiration from his unique approach to creating positive global change through unity, wisdom, and purposeful action.
Can you tell us about your background and the companies you lead?
I’m the president, chairman, CEO, and CIO of multiple companies. Intelligent KM Services is one of them, where I provide project and program management, knowledge management, and information security management services. I’m also an author – I’ve written six books now. One of my books was about knowledge management called “The Power of KM,” and I’d be delighted to share any of my books with readers who are interested.
What is your most well-known book and what makes it special?
My most well-known book is called “The Rainbow Bridge: Bridge to Inner Peace and to World Peace.” I first published it in 2001 as a small pocket-sized book that you could carry around with you. It illuminates the common ground in all the world’s major wisdom traditions – these are universal principles that apply to every single person in the world, regardless of religion, race, culture, age, or gender. Even if you don’t believe in religion at all, they still apply. I’m very humbled to say it’s been endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New York Times bestselling authors, doctors, astronauts, and Olympians, and it’s won several awards.
Tell us about your latest and most important work.
I just wrote my most profound and important book called “The Unity Economy.” It brings together everything I’ve ever written about, experienced, and done professionally and personally into a single book. It’s a paradigm-changing book that talks about how we can change our entire economic system from a scarcity-based model to an abundance-based model. It’s currently in pre-release status, and I’m working on a primer to make it more accessible, along with a companion workbook, facilitator’s guide, and even a children’s edition.
How did “The Unity Economy” evolve into the Unity Project?
After finishing “The Unity Economy,” I realized many people might find economics boring and dry. But it’s really all about creating a new world that works for everyone – it’s about unity, harmony, and abundance. So I expanded it into the Unity Project, which includes several initiatives: the Stand for Freedom Initiative focusing on democracy and freedom, the Veritas Unitas Caritas initiative for educational institutions, Unity Coin as a purpose-driven currency, and the Council of AIs – a system that creates a council of the top seven AI systems in the world with the mission to create a unified, harmonious, and abundant world where everyone can thrive.
You mentioned being a strong supporter of women’s empowerment. Can you share more about this?
I’m a big believer in women’s empowerment. Women need to be empowered, have education, and have all the opportunities that men have. There should be absolutely no difference in treatment whatsoever, everywhere in the world. I realize that’s not the case everywhere, and we have our work cut out for us, but I’m a very big supporter. Every day, I speak highly of women, and anytime I hear anyone speaking negatively, I immediately challenge that thinking.
Which women have inspired you most in your journey?
The first person that comes to mind is my beloved wife, Dia Shandere Hunter. I am just so blessed. The second is Lynn Twist, who just provided a beautiful endorsement for “The Unity Economy.” She’s the founder of the Pachamama Alliance, was one of the original founders of the Hunger Project, and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for causes that make the world better. She’s truly remarkable. I also think of Mother Teresa, who brought so much light and joy and love, and Ama, the hugging saint, who I’ve been blessed to meet and be hugged by.
What do you consider the biggest challenge you face as a leader and changemaker?
I think the biggest challenge is self-doubt. This brings to mind Marianne Williamson, another incredible woman who ran for president in the United States. She has a powerful quote about not shrinking so that other people can feel more secure around you, and that it is our light that most frightens us, not our darkness. “Who am I to be talented and brilliant and gorgeous? Well, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. We are born to shine.” As we do so, we automatically liberate others to do the same. I think self-doubt is the biggest thing, and Marianne Williamson’s quote is an antidote to that.
What advice would you give to budding authors?
Just believe in yourself. If you have an idea that’s going to make the world a better place, even if it’s just for one person, that idea was given to you for a reason. When we get ideas and feel inspired to write, that’s a calling. Don’t wait for perfection – use the 80-20 rule. If you feel like you’re 80% there, go for it. I actually just had an idea this morning to create a special imprint called “80-20 Publishers” for urgently needed books, because we often wait for things to be perfect when 80% is enough to make a difference.
Can you share something about your unique background that shaped who you are today?
My mother was born and raised in Turkey and was 100% Muslim. My father was Jewish, but they raised me and my two sisters as Christians. If that wasn’t confusing enough to a child, my father was also interested in Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation. He took us to learn TM when I was 12 years old, and I’ve been practicing it ever since. Because of this multi-religious, multicultural background, I spent many years studying all of the world’s great wisdom traditions to understand what religion is all about. That’s why I could write “The Rainbow Bridge” – illuminating the common ground in all world religions. This background turned out to be one of the greatest gifts my parents could give me.
“If you have an idea that’s going to make the world a better place, that idea was given to you for a reason. When we feel inspired, that’s a calling – we’re being called to act and do something with this knowledge.”
Connect with Brent N. Hunter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentnhunter/
http://unityproject.one/
http://worldcommunitynetwork.org/
http://spiritrising.tv/
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