In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, human connection has become more vital than ever. What actually sets exceptional organizations apart is not technology or strategy; it’s the human factor. Yet, in this changing business landscape and isolating work environments, human connection is frequently neglected. Employees are reduced to mere cogs in the machine rather than valued individuals with unique experiences and perspectives. The consequences are stark: disengagement, turnover, and decreased productivity, undermining the very foundation of organizations.
Amidst the chaos, The Stories and Wisdom Company helps businesses tap into the differentiator. It emerges as a beacon of hope, revolutionizing organizational transformations through the power of storytelling, gamification, and social learning. Founded by Pradeep U.N., this innovative platform fosters a culture of connection, driving purpose, productivity, and belonging.
The Genesis
In May 2020, when the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest, an African American man named George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, leading to global protests. Pradeep, CEO of The Stories and Wisdom Company, was working at a large big-tech company at that time and grappled with a divide in emotions and tensions about unfair social contracts, institutional privileges, and inequity. He saw how employees struggled to connect with each other and how this affected productivity and job satisfaction. He went about solving this with a sense of belonging.
Pradeep combined his expertise in inclusive design, storytelling, and gamification to develop a unique solution. One of the biggest challenges was enabling a visual, gamified storytelling experience to be truly inclusive. He worked with visually impaired and deaf program managers to help with design methods and used the WCAG 2.2 compatibility guidelines to eventually build something that could be engaged by all, beyond just race, culture, and geographic boundaries, but also different abilities.
Today, The Stories and Wisdom Company stands as a testament to the transformative power of storytelling in the modern workplace.
Designing Connection
Collaborating with experts from psychology, learning, neuroscience, and organizational behavior, Pradeep designed the Stories platform. Through iterative design experiments and feedback loops, they crafted a methodology that augments team connection and group learning. The team worked tirelessly to develop a deep understanding of human emotions and behaviors. The specialists designed interactive storytelling experiences that encouraged users to share their stories and engage with others. Interactive designers crafted compelling storytelling prompts and narrative arcs. Through iterative testing and feedback, the platform was refined to optimize user engagement, emotional resonance, and behavioral change.
The Stories Platform
The Stories Platform is a dynamic, digital storytelling experience that fosters meaningful connections and empathy within and across organizations. It is a turn-based game, similar to Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples, where users engage in quick storytelling and response rounds. But where the game stands out is in the allyship reactions that follow.
Suppose a user draws a storytelling prompt and shares a brief personal anecdote. Peers can respond with Allyship reactions, such as “I’m with you” or “Inspired to Act,” sparking empathy and connection. The reactions are an accumulated visual data-gift that provides closure to the initial storyteller and invites them to inquire about the data with curiosity. For example, the storyteller can inquire, “I see 3 people who reacted with Inspired to act. I’m curious about how my story inspires you to act?” This is an invitation for that person to react and share their connection, which is authentic and enables a deeper level of trust and drives change.
The whole experience is refreshingly human, values-based, and organic, and it drives change meaningfully through individual commitment and shared motivation. At scale, this represents the holy grail for organizational transformations.
The Success Story
The Stories and Wisdom Company has achieved remarkable success, transforming organizations and lives through its innovative storytelling platform. It has won 16 awards over the past 10 months, including 5 Golds at the American Business Awards in New York City, and 3 Golds at the International Business Awards in Istanbul.
Clients have seen remarkable results:
- 33% increase in sales team productivity
- 56% increase in job performance
- 50% reduction in turnover risk
- 75% decrease in sick days
AI-Driven Decision Making
While the Stories platform enables bonding for employees, their Wisdom platform anonymizes these stories and leverages AI to look for deriving sentiments, identifying patterns, and providing contextual insights. This empowers leaders to make informed choices and navigate complex scenarios.
For instance, a global organization utilized Wisdom to facilitate quarterly connections across Asia. AI-enabled translation allowed employees to engage in their preferred languages, including Spanish, German, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and English. This ensured authentic conversations while providing regional HQ with accurate, real-time translations. Such AI powered insights have improved decision-making outcomes, fostering empathy and understanding.
By integrating AI analytics, the Stories and Wisdom Company’s platform facilitates ongoing feedback loops, driving organizational transformation.
Envisioning the Future
The Stories and Wisdom Company is poised for continued growth and innovation, transforming organizational cultures through storytelling and AI-driven insights. Building on its success, the company envisions expanding its global reach by partnering with international organizations to foster meaningful connections and inclusive workplaces.
About the Founder and CEO, Pradeep U.N.
Pradeep is the visionary Founder and CEO of The Stories and Wisdom Company. A renowned expert in organizational transformation, Pradeep leverages storytelling, gamification, and social learning to create purpose-powered workplaces. Previously, he served as Senior Director of Inclusive Innovations at Microsoft, earning induction into the Microsoft Innovation Wall of Fame in 2022. An accomplished speaker and workshop facilitator, he has presented at C-level executive board meetings and leadership conferences. Pradeep holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon and an Engineering degree from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Based in Seattle, he balances his entrepreneurial endeavors with life as a doting father to twin second-graders. Pradeep’s story is one of passion, innovation, and connection. Under his leadership, The Stories and Wisdom Company weaves a tapestry of human experiences, transforming organizations worldwide.
