Stephanie Ricci contributed to this story.
Dax Dasilva is one of the most passionate leaders. After founding Montreal-based technology giant Lightspeed, where he was CEO for 17 years, he chose a new path becoming Executive Chairman of Lightspeed to dedicate himself to the forefront of the environmental organization, Age of Union, focused on conservation efforts.
“We’re trying to disprove that it’s too late to do anything regarding our ecological crisis,” says Dax Dasilva, founder of Age of Union. “It’s that and the fact that people think that nothing can be done, when I see on the ground change makers and grassroots efforts make such big, big impact.”
First launched as a book in 2019 that amalgamates leadership, culture, spirituality, and environmental stewardship to present a recipe for change, Age of Union evolved into an environmental alliance in 2021. Its purpose is to protect threatened species and ecosystems by supporting projects that tackle today’s most pressing conservation challenges.
Dasilva has invested CAD$40 million in 10 impactful projects worldwide so far. To further its cause, it aspires to empower and ignite collective action by capturing the work of biodiversity projects through compelling short films and features.
For example, the organization has been involved in the making of the documentary “Wildcat,” which follows the journey of US veteran Harry Turner who cares for baby ocelots in the Amazon rainforest while coping with PTSD, making it an inspiring story of resilience and compassion.
Storytelling as compass
Dasilva, whose entrepreneurial success was built on the premise of inclusivity and diversity, believes that narratives play a crucial role in inspiring and reconnecting people, communities, and nature amid the ongoing ecological crisis.
Through the art of storytelling, he aims to help bridge the gap between a larger audience and the environment to nurture a renewed sense of care and shared responsibility for the space we inhabit.
“You protect what you love, and that’s also part of why I want to bring some of these stories, wildlife, and ecosystems into people’s view,” says Dasilva. “We live in these urban environments where we’re more disconnected from nature, but if we learn to be out in nature and love nature, then we would rally for nature.”
A center where art meets tech
The conservation initiative finds its operational hub in a building nestled within Montreal’s hip Mile Ex neighborhood, a place with significant history for Dasilva and his ventures. Having once housed Lightspeed during its early stages with a mere 50 employees, the 12,000 square feet space later became the Never Apart art gallery.
Today, the venue, renamed the Age of Union Centre, has been transformed to offer environmental art experience rooms inspired by nature. It facilitates gatherings and serves as an office space for discussions about the organization’s projects and other environmental topics.
“It’s a way to be immersed in everything that we’re doing at Age of Union and use art to break through in a way that only art can,” says Dasilva. “It’s a reset for nature.”
He stressed that an artistic approach using digital art, video, and photography allows the organization to reach new audiences, inviting them to experience the beauty and fragility of various ecosystems while fostering meditative reflections.
“We got the best version of the center and what we know how to do with exhibition spaces and bringing it to the most important fight we have, which is for our planet.”
A second book on the horizon
Dasilva dreams of eventually expanding the Age of Union to support hundreds of projects and partners on a global scale. Building upon the success of his first book, he has dedicated himself to putting the journey into writing.
The second book will delve into the world of the change makers he has encountered during the nonprofit’s formative years.
“They are real examples of what it takes to be a leader in some of the most extreme and stressful conditions and experience tremendous amounts of loss,” he says. “These are the kinds of leaders that one day will be remembered as folks that did remarkable work for all of humankind.”
From courageous encounters aboard the Sea Shepherd ship to the depths of the Amazon and beyond, he aspires to uncover the relentless efforts and challenges faced by remarkable individuals who are saving the world one species at a time.
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