Is everything connected?
Yes! In the realm of imagination and creativity, everything is connected to the point that nothing can prove to you that the theory of everything is true.
No! Only some things are connected in the practical world of knowledge, logic, judgement, criticism, and reasoning. Neither everything nor nothing.
Dr. Bippin Makoond (Inventor and Co-founder of Linkology) talks about creativity where he says, “Creativity behaves more like an emotion, so we are all born creative, and we need to excite that creative emotion in all of us.” Then he says let’s take two things, ‘Sushi’ and ‘Tom Cruise’. What is the connection between them? Of course, these two things are totally disconnected and unrelated in your convergent brain.
Alas! If you could use your divergent brain like you are conditioned to use your convergent brain. If only! If only! Then you would have been the next genius our humanity demands to solve billions of issues troubling us.
Extensive studies have proved that 98% of ingeniously divergent-convergent thinking genius children of three to five years old become less geniuses; 30 % by the age of ten and 12% by the age of 15; while they grow up that till they become adults all the genius left in them is merely two per cent. Late Professor Land called it ‘The Success of Failure’ in his study of creativity.
That means, as we become adults, we are brainwashed and conditioned to become less and less creative, imaginative and innovative.
It is indeed a worrying fact. However, please do not worry. There is a solution: Linkology Inc– the Creativity boosting company. They said that to increase your intelligence, you must nurture your creativity / mix of both convergent and divergent thinking. All you have to do is, after waking up in the morning, think about any problem of yours and come up with as many ideas or ways you can solve that problem. Or, a simpler solution is to use the Linkology app (https://linkologyinc.com) and play it for only 5 – 10 minutes daily. And in a month, see the difference for yourself. Keep playing it for a year, and you will realize the power of your own creatively supreme mind. Introduce your children as young as seven years to this game, and by the time they enter year six or sixth standard, you’ll be amazed at how they progress.
Now, what is this Linkology? And what is the connection between playing a gamified neuroscience app and boosting your creativity and intelligence?
Then let me introduce you to the dream team behind the creation of the platform and the Co-founders of the company Linkology Inc.––Dr Bippin Makoond, is also the Inventor of Linkology, Sunil Rajan, Harsimran Singh, and Bikash Mathur.
When Four Fortunate Fates Linked
It all began in spring 2016 when Bippin (Bip) presented a captivating lecture on the neuroscience of creativity at Imperial College and Kingston University in London. Intrigued by the possibilities within neuroscience, Bip explored breakthroughs in creativity and, curious to test their effectiveness, applied these findings to engage his 11-month-old daughter in creative games. Alongside Vyankatesh Inamdar (Indy), he developed a series of games based on the latest neuroscience discoveries and got his daughter and a few other children to participate. Bip meticulously documented their experiences, and the outcomes significantly transformed his perspective, sparking a deeper inquiry into enhancing children’s creativity. Driven by a desire to share his discoveries, Bip aimed to empower fellow parents and educators with these insights.
Meanwhile, Sunil, who has expertise in the Education and EdTech sectors, recognized the deficiency in creativity within STEM education while serving large EdTech clients during his CxO role at Top 25 Private Equity portfolio organization and at NASDAQ-listed $18B organization. Sunil advocated for integrating creative elements into the standard school curriculum and instigating creativity’s infusion into educational institutions. However, the results were mixed with much resistance to moving away from the old normal, which led him to think of delving more into the subject of creativity.
Simultaneously, Bikash and Harsimran (Harry), seasoned professionals in Sales and Technology in the Digital Banking Financial Services Insurance sector, encountered challenges implementing innovative and creative solutions for their global clients. Their clients sought breakthrough solutions, yet the workforce lacked creativity. Committed to introducing creativity and innovation into their clients’ business models, they continually crafted and honed innovative strategies and looked for creative minds in the technology sector.
The Pledge in Unison
The co-founders recognize and hold a deep appreciation of the repercussions of dearth of creativity in children’s educational journey in a future where the environment may pose greater challenges. Studies indicate that the problems that our future generation needs to tackle in the next 100 years are significantly more than the collective problems that mankind has witnessed and solved in the last 300,000 years of human existence.
The four co-founders had two things in common: being Parents and Creativity. Through experimenting with modern insights into how creativity functions with their own children’s minds, they witnessed impressive results. Eager to share the joy of watching little princes and princesses tinker and create, the founders wanted to develop something at scale and extend this wonderful feeling and knowledge to fellow parents who aspire to ignite their kids’ innovative spirits. The convergence occurred when these four founders, parents themselves convened at a pub in Baker Street, London. Together, these friends are dedicated to building something extraordinary, envisioning future generations finding creative solutions to questions beyond our current comprehension.
The four co-founders pledged, “We shall nurture the creative confidence of all the Children of Planet Earth and provide them with a safe and fertile environment to harness their Creative Energy and innovate on targeted problems to make the world a better for all living things, not just the human species.”
According to these seasoned technology professionals, children possess an inquisitive nature and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They are inherently creative, effortlessly forging new connections. However, as they mature, their confidence in their creative abilities often wanes. Fostering their creativity and preserving their curiosity necessitates careful guidance and unwavering support. While conventional educational systems are undoubtedly crucial, their structured approach can sometimes inhibit the flame of imagination.
Creativity is Vital for the Future
It is going to be the most critical aspect of our times. Acknowledged widely as essential for shaping future leading economies, creativity is the paramount tool of the 21st century. Encouraging creative confidence in children and adults is an urgent matter, with scarce existing solutions dedicated to nurturing, evaluating, and harnessing creativity. Linkology Inc. was started in 2021 as a recognition of these issues by all the Co-founders in their professional and personal walks of life.
For nearly 14 months, they collaborated with professors at Imperial College London, University of Oxford and Kingston University. They conducted extensive research examining over a thousand groundbreaking developments in humankind, dating back to the Big Bang. However, instead of scrutinizing these breakthroughs, the focus was on the brilliant minds behind them. The objective of the research was to
- a)Understand how the world’s greatest inventions came about,
- b)Learn from these brilliant minds and build solutions to help the current and future generations to be more creative.
The output of the research and the recognition by the four of them about the creativity gap in society inspired the creation of LIVUS® and MAGIAN.AI. LIVUS is their secure digital creativity platform that provides children with a safe and secure environment to hone and boost their creativity. MAGIAN, the digital consultant is an innovative platform that allows qualified users to innovate and solve specific problems. Linkology’ s academic partnerships with Prof. Nobuko Yoshida from the University of Oxford and Prof. Souheil Khaddaj from Kingston University have been instrumental in developing the eco system at Linkology.
The Game Begins
“Linkology is a creativity-boosting company. The primary aim is to ensure that creative confidence in kids does not get subdued as regimented ways of learning take center stage as kids grow. Creativity is an emotion; just like love, jealousy, and anger, it can be expressed at varying degrees. It is more akin to an agricultural problem that needs to be farmed and cultivated. By fostering collaboration, encouraging divergent and convergent thinking in equal measure, utilizing the subconscious mind and the power of visualization, Linkology hopes to build creative confidence in children and empower them to become innovative problem-solvers” says Sunil.
Creative confidence is the center of everything they do. At the core of innovation, invention, and discovery lies creativity. It’s the catalyst that sparks the journey toward groundbreaking ideas. Before delving into the realm of innovation, it’s essential to contemplate the nuances of creativity itself. “Our extensive research has revealed a compelling aspect: Creativity seems to resonate more as an emotion than a mere skill or inherent talent” adds Bip.
Unlike conventional approaches that engineer creativity into people’s lives, Linkology’s methodology leans toward an agricultural analogy—it nurtures and fosters creative confidence. The platform is built on a) the foundation of the extensive research they have conducted with reputed universities for over many months, b) Data science, c) Neuroscience d) Computer Science e) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and seamlessly integrating these to empower individuals.
Team Linkology’s vision is resolute: to ensure every child worldwide retains and enhances their creative confidence. It’s a mission undertaken by one child, school, organization, and city at a time. Their guiding principle and philosophy revolve around subjecting everyone to the ACID test of creativity: Acquire knowledge, Connect knowledge, Innovate on targeted problems, and Disseminate newfound knowledge. And the best way to disseminate knowledge is through great storytelling. “By fostering an environment ripe with diverse knowledge domains, we inspire children to make connections between seemingly disparate elements—an environment our platform readily provides,” says Bip, adding, “So long as we provide a fertile environment for our children’s mind to access various knowledge domains, they will constantly be inspired to connect things that seem unconnected, and the platform provides this environment to do it.”
Linking in All the Creatively Aspiring Minds
In today’s dynamic and competitive market, any brand needs to stay flexible and responsive to its clients’ changing needs and expectations. “We consider schools, colleges, and enterprises as our clients. As of December 2023, we have nearly 10000+ people, 6 schools using the platform., Our user base is geographically spread across the US, UK, Mauritius, India, China, Australia, and the Philippines. Our biggest source of inspiration is to see the creative confidence across our user base grow as they use the platform. Success and failure with these users inform us to be more adaptable and relevant to the future users,” says Harry.
Linkology continues to build its partner ecosystem, which includes Universities, Technology companies, Trade organizations, Educational Institutes etc. Regular dialogue and discussion help the team produce more innovative solutions. In addition, based on the research and client learnings, they already have a robust set of new features that will be rolled out periodically.
The Leadership of Innovational Instincts
All four Co-founders’ leadership style is often recognized as a driving force behind Linkology’s swift achievements. Shedding light on the same, Sunil says that they are a two-and-a-half-year start-up and still growing as an organization with a team size that is relatively small. “I believe that leadership is not only about setting a vision and direction but also about empowering and inspiring others to believe in the cause that will have such a significant impact on society,” he adds. “My leadership and team-building approach is based on three core principles: trust, collaboration and feedback.”
Bikash says, “Our company and our product can be successful if and only if we can influence the larger ecosystem. The vision we have set out for ourselves is bold and challenging. It cannot be achieved just by team Linkology. It is extremely important that our students, teachers, partners and clients trust and believe in the cause; we have to collaborate with a forward-looking objective and an unwavering focus on the vision while being open to feedback to make the product work and be more relevant. Hopefully, our three core leadership principles can help us achieve our goals as we work within the ecosystem, given the magnitude of the change we want to bring about,”
The essence of the platform lies in fostering and enhancing creative confidence within a secure digital space. The platform also provides many adjacent benefits like developing new pedagogy, improving vocabulary, improving collaboration and connective thinking etc. “Our primary platform design focus is usability, accessibility, and affordability. Using the platform every single day should become a way of life; easy to decipher reports on progress and improvement areas should be always accessible and available to help the user constantly monitor and measure” adds Bikash.
The Logic of LIVUS®
Through research since the beginning, they unveiled four key creativity traits prevalent among the worlds greatest innovators they studied: the ability to forge connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, delving into the subconscious, visualizing problems, and practicing interconnected thinking. These pivotal traits are the bedrock of Linkology’ s functionality, perpetually influenced by ongoing research and partnerships. These form the foundational elements for functionality that inspired the birth of LIVUS® which serves as a haven where children can freely explore their imaginative faculties while refining their skills through the ACID test of creativity. It stands out as the solitary platform dedicated to creativity, employing a closed-loop ecosystem and boasting ThinkData based on the MindMesh of its users.
One of the platform’s standout features is AIAC (AI-aided creativity), an AI-driven recommendation engine. Leveraging the intricate Thinkdata of millions of users, AIAC identifies patterns and proffers creative solutions through the Linkology Ideation portal.
The Quantum of Imagination
The platform’s effectiveness and notable impact on the Creativity Index have been demonstrated among thousands of registered users, spanning direct platform users and school enrollments in the US, UK, India, and Mauritius. Moreover, user usage data underscores Linkology’s positive influence on academic progress. It reshapes pedagogy, enriches vocabulary, and cultivates communication and collaboration; essential skills for the evolving landscape of the future workforce. “The platform is built in a manner that is non-intrusive to regular teaching and therefore does not pose any extra burden to an already busy teacher. Additionally, we offer diverse progress reports tailored for students, teachers, and parents, providing insightful updates on user development.” says Harry.
For a child to unlock their creative potential, parents and family play an important role. Linkology’s LIVUS® platform can be used by all students and grown-ups to boost their creative confidence to come up with breakthrough innovations.
Linkology’s key innovations revolve around:
#Recognizing Creativity as an Emotion: The platform nurtures creative confidence by treating creativity as an emotion, fostering an environment where young minds can flourish.
#Diverse AI Integration: Utilizing multiple AI engines, not limited to OpenAI alone, to enhance children’s creative potential, amplifying their imaginative capabilities.
#Teacher-Friendly Design: The games are thoughtfully designed to alleviate the workload for educators, serving as a support system akin to an ‘ironman/ironlady’ suit. They seamlessly integrate into existing curricula without causing disruption.
#Tailored Learning Analytics: The platform transforms a child’s creative progress into an innovative ‘ThinkData’. This personalized mind mesh enables customized learning experiences, identifying strengths to improve areas of weakness subtly. They term this approach ‘Linkology Personalized Pedagogy’, delicately guiding children to understand and develop their weaker areas without overwhelming them.
#Commitment to Research: Through close collaboration and sponsorship of academic research in neuroscience, data science, and computer science/AI, team Linkology continually integrate fresh insights and design principles into their platform. These endeavors aim to enhance the quality of their educational offerings consistently. Prof. Nobuko Yoshida from the University of Oxford and Prof. Souheil Khaddaj from Kingston University continue to serve as the Academic Advisors to the company.
#Developing T shaped Mind: All the Innovators have T shaped knowledge. The Horizontal bar represents the divergence (range) of knowledge and the vertical bar represents the convergence (depth) in knowledge, Schools focus and rightly develop the depth while Linkology develops the range. Divergent thinkers are explorers, and they are comfortable flying across the horizontal bar of the T shape model and picking bits and pieces of answers from a diverse range of knowledge. Conversely, convergent thinkers exploit a single area of expertise as they dig deep to find the solution.
The two products of Linkology; LIVUS® and MAGIAN.AI are available direct to consumers, subscription through schools and as an enterprise version. “We strongly believe that creativity is for everyone and not just for the privileged few. Multiple subscription options are available, and the price varies based on the type of subscription – basic, premium and enterprise” says Harry.
The Vital ‘Just-in-Case’ Element
In the realm of industry, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency. When probed about how they leverage technology to optimize its services and stay ahead in a digital age, Bip says, “We don’t. We are not a proponent of efficiency. Quite the contrary, we have a different approach. Instead of focusing solely on efficiency, we value redundancy and independence in our business functions at Linkology.”
Their way of handling the core business functions is unique. They call it the ‘Just-in-Case’ operation, contrasting it with the lean manufacturing movement’s popular ‘Just-in-Time’ operation. “Shifting from a ‘Just-In-Time’ mindset to a ‘Just-in-Case’ mindset is crucial for us. It helps us navigate an uncertain future where creativity, the core of our teachings, drives us to reimagine new business models. We embed resilience into every aspect of our business functions and prioritize experimenting with new ideas. Our goal is to discover effective rather than efficient methods to boost the creative confidence of everyone across the globe. “says Bip.
So, they employ technology that ensures maximum benefit for their users. These include:
- Incorporating various AI engines that compete to provide the best answers while playing the game.
- Using logical reasoning to refine AI responses and reduce misleading information.
- Implementing advanced machine learning in data analytics to offer personalized strategies for effective learning solutions.
- Employing a feedback mechanism based on player input and experiences to enhance their gameplay.
- Applying AI to ‘combinatory play,’ a fundamental aspect of Linkology, generates innovative ideas swiftly during brainstorming sessions. The AI capabilities simplify the ideation process, making it agile and highly effective in problem-solving or capitalizing on new opportunities.
- Developing a series of games and analytics within the platform that enhance players’ connectivity in thinking, thereby fostering creativity.
The Logic of MAGIAN
Their strategy is direct interactions with educational institutions and one-on-one conversations with principals and educators. This approach allows them to showcase their product and gather invaluable feedback, ensuring their solutions align closely with the education sector’s needs.
Looking to the future, team Linkology envisions creating an environment in India that nurtures a continuous flow of innovative ideas through a series of Linkology Ideathons. This nationwide initiative fosters healthy competition between schools and universities, encouraging participation and offering rewards sponsored by private companies. However, this isn’t your average hackathon.
Linkology Ideathons follow a unique lifecycle inspired by the neuroscience of creativity. “We engage pupils and students in creativity-boosting games. Those who accumulate sufficient points progress to the Linkology Ideation Portal, our innovative platform called MAGIAN.AI. – The Digital Consultant” Says Bikash
MAGIAN.AI empowers students by allowing them to innovate and solve specific problems. It’s based on the concept of ‘farming for ideas,’ a departure from other innovation platforms. Why farming? Just as the Neolithic Age saw the innovation of farming, enabling control over food sources, MAGIAN.AI sought to cultivate a new approach to idea generation. “Much like cultivating crops revolutionized food sources, we believe it’s time for an ‘Ideas Revolution.’ We aim to shift from a ‘hunter-gatherer’ approach of collecting random ideas to a ‘farming’ mindset, becoming ‘farmers’ of creativity” says Bip.
Accessing MAGIAN.AI is exclusive; one must grow one’s Creativity Index by earning points and badges through creativity booster games. Entrance isn’t obtained financially; building creativity to become a qualified Linkologist is the sole pathway.
The portal features real-life problems from public and private institutions, each offering rewards. Portal-level participants engage in a gamified process, applying connective thinking to propose solutions. A three-minute video presentation showcasing their solution is submitted. Organizations select winners and allocate corresponding rewards.
The portal stimulates connective thinking, recommending collaborations to address problems. “By nurturing creative confidence and fostering connective thinking, we aim to shift from merely collecting ideas to actively cultivating them.” This transformative approach is pivotal in harnessing creativity to drive breakthroughs. “We strongly believe this initiative will propel India to become a global innovation powerhouse”. Access the platform at https://linkologyinc.com/download and unleash your superpower of creativity concludes Sunil.
#creativity, #innovation, #neuroscience
Contact: Harsimran Singh, Co-founder Email: harry@linkologyinc.com
