Rebuilding Connection in a Fragmented World with Aaron Hurst

About this episode: How do we solve the growing crisis of disconnection affecting our society, workplaces, communities, and personal wellbeing? At a time when loneliness, declining trust, polarisation, and superficial online interaction are becoming increasingly common, the need for genuine human connection has never been greater. In this episode of the Business Elevation Show, Chris Cooper is joined by visionary social entrepreneur, bestselling author, and connection pioneer Aaron Hurst. Over the past two decades, Aaron has founded influential organisations focused on purpose, belonging, social impact, and community, including the Taproot Foundation, Imperative, and most recently the United States Chamber of Connection — an initiative dedicated to rebuilding trust and addressing the growing crisis of social disconnection. Aaron is also the bestselling author of The Purpose Economy and helped develop one of the first measures of employee fulfilment in partnership with NYU. Together, Aaron and Chris explore why connection and belonging matter more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world, the impact disconnection is having on wellbeing and performance, and what leaders, organisations, and communities can do to foster deeper trust and more meaningful human relationships. This promises to be a thoughtful and timely conversation about how we bring people back together in ways that enable individuals and communities to flourish in a rapidly changing world. About Aaron Hurst: Aaron Hurst is a visionary social entrepreneur and CEO focused on advancing social impact, purpose-driven leadership, and human connection. Over the past two decades, he has founded several influential organizations—including Taproot Foundation, Imperative, and Board.Dev—each dedicated to building more connected, purposeful, and resilient communities. His latest venture, the United States Chamber of Connection, addresses the growing crisis of declining social connection and trust by bringing together leaders and communities to strengthen civic engagement and relationships. In 2023, Aaron co-founded Board.Dev with Alethea Hannemann, helping nonprofits strengthen governance by training and placing tech executives on nonprofit boards. Previously, he co-founded Imperative, which introduced the first purpose profiling technology to help Fortune 100 employees connect with purpose at work. The company later evolved into an enterprise peer coaching platform and was acquired by Chronus in 2024.