Scientific Principles to Guide Nonprofit Work
Sat Jan 17 2026
In this episode we’re joined by Todd Pooser, author of A Systems Approach to Public Administration and Social Equity and founder of The Virtual Commonwealth. Listen in to hear the scientific justification for the foundations of our work to create an equitable and sustainable society. Job seekers may use these frameworks as they evaluate the work and the approach of potential employers.
As we aim to solve intractable problems we need more than opinion, we have scientific models, derived from living systems, that can guide us. Todd uses General Systems Theory to answer this big question:
What’s the elegant solution that solves all of our inextricably entwined problems?
To discover the solution we need to recognize our interdependence and interconnectedness. Then we have 2 sets of 3 rules to follow.
3 Rules of Systems-Based Ethics
Human Health and Environmental Health are One and the Same
There is No Such Thing As Them
It’s Bigger than Physical Things. We have non-material needs.
3 Rules of a Systems-Based Social Contract
Establish a Physical Steady State
Create central mandates while preserving the individual’s right to choose
Reconcile Price and Cost
We use a discussion of Congestion Pricing as a policy that reconciles price and cost.
Noting that there is a 0% chance of political systems creating the ideal situation, Todd introduces The Virtual Commonwealth which is a model for collective action where individuals form investing and purchasing communities because throwing our financial weight behind our beliefs is as critical as our voting weight is to our democracy.
About the Guest:
Todd Pooser is the founder and CEO of the Virtual Commonwealth. Todd’s book, A Systems Approach to Public Administration and Social Equity, uses cross-disciplinary science to formulate “The Plan” – a series of social policies that if enacted, will enable humanity to live in the best possible world given the conditions of our existence.
The Virtual Commonwealth is the commercial application of the concepts advanced in the book, which has been published by Emerald Publishing as part of a series on sustainability and social equity. As COO of an Ad Tech startup, Todd has raised $9M from both public companies and high net worth individuals.
More
In this episode we’re joined by Todd Pooser, author of A Systems Approach to Public Administration and Social Equity and founder of The Virtual Commonwealth. Listen in to hear the scientific justification for the foundations of our work to create an equitable and sustainable society. Job seekers may use these frameworks as they evaluate the work and the approach of potential employers. As we aim to solve intractable problems we need more than opinion, we have scientific models, derived from living systems, that can guide us. Todd uses General Systems Theory to answer this big question: What’s the elegant solution that solves all of our inextricably entwined problems? To discover the solution we need to recognize our interdependence and interconnectedness. Then we have 2 sets of 3 rules to follow. 3 Rules of Systems-Based Ethics Human Health and Environmental Health are One and the Same There is No Such Thing As Them It’s Bigger than Physical Things. We have non-material needs. 3 Rules of a Systems-Based Social Contract Establish a Physical Steady State Create central mandates while preserving the individual’s right to choose Reconcile Price and Cost We use a discussion of Congestion Pricing as a policy that reconciles price and cost. Noting that there is a 0% chance of political systems creating the ideal situation, Todd introduces The Virtual Commonwealth which is a model for collective action where individuals form investing and purchasing communities because throwing our financial weight behind our beliefs is as critical as our voting weight is to our democracy. About the Guest: Todd Pooser is the founder and CEO of the Virtual Commonwealth. Todd’s book, A Systems Approach to Public Administration and Social Equity, uses cross-disciplinary science to formulate “The Plan” – a series of social policies that if enacted, will enable humanity to live in the best possible world given the conditions of our existence. The Virtual Commonwealth is the commercial application of the concepts advanced in the book, which has been published by Emerald Publishing as part of a series on sustainability and social equity. As COO of an Ad Tech startup, Todd has raised $9M from both public companies and high net worth individuals.