Support an Innovation Ecosystem for the inner world
Donation protected
Abstract
For the past two years, I have been passionately researching innovations and entrepreneurial movements focused on the human inner world. The first phase of my journey took me across various regions and communities where these movements are taking root. Along the way, I engaged with doctors, investment bankers, serial entrepreneurs, and intellectuals — individuals who have transitioned from conventional careers to building and solving for a richer human inner world. I am now stepping into the next phase of my work: creating something substantial to bring this movement to life and help build an alternative “innernet economy.”
The Vision
The first wave of the internet built innovations for consumption and convenience. The second wave sparked a movement around conservation and impact. Now, a third wave is emerging — one that centers on human consciousness. This new frontier must be built on the principles of a holistic inner world, not on the metrics and systems designed for consumption-driven businesses.
Why this matters?
- The Shift Needs Infrastructure: Millions are seeking to live more consciously, but today’s work, livelihood, and funding systems don’t support this transition. We want to inspire entrepreneurs to build an alternative ecosystem that sustains and empowers this shift.
- Mental Health Needs New Solutions: Traditional treatments often fail to heal at the root. As more people turn to holistic, ancient wisdom-based approaches, we aim to support and scale these solutions through grassroots innovation.
- Sacred Ventures Need Aligned Capital: Founders working to enrich the human inner world often struggle with conventional funding models that prioritize profit over purpose. We aim to aggregate alternative funding — ethical, mindful, and long-term — and offer venture-building support tailored for mission-driven, inner-world entrepreneurs.
- Unlocking Consciousness Research for All: Breakthroughs in altered states of consciousness remain locked in ashrams, research labs, and federal institutions. Our vision is to restore intellectual honesty, credit the original discoverers, and democratize this knowledge to fuel ethical, consciousness-centered innovations for the world.
How the money will be deployed?
- Build a Core Team: Assemble a small team of content creators, SEO experts, and internet jockeys to optimize our research, craft narratives aligned with Sacred Startups’ vision, and share them with the world.
- Forge Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with agencies, government bodies, and private organizations to build a robust knowledge and venture-building ecosystem.
- Grow Inspired Communities: Organize passionate individuals into online and offline communities to foster learning, collaboration, and host events around the world centered on these ideas.
- Establish a Mentor Network: Build a strong network of mentors from science, academia, and inner-world practices to guide and nurture innovations in the right direction.
Why Crowdfunding?
We believe this movement should be seeded through the support of the people. Crowdfunding allows us to protect the integrity of the narrative, guide the direction of our research, and validate the growing momentum behind this shift. While community support is our starting point, we will also pursue additional funding from organized institutional capital as the project evolves.
Who is leading the project?
Shashi Gopinath: 5X Founder, Mentor, Ecosystem builder
Shashi is a purpose-driven entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with over 20 years of experience across India, Europe, and the U.S. He has a proven track record of building ventures from the ground up, redesigning education systems, shaping startup ecosystems, launching impact-driven products, and leading large-scale community movements.
Find out more about Shashi here
Read the full vision statement here
Read what Chat GPT has to say about the movement here
Read Founder's reason behind starting the project here
Organizer
Shashi Gopinath
Organizer
San Jose, CA