04/09/2026
Dear all!
The 171st Heidelberg Talks Online (HTO) session takes place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 8-9.30 pm CEST (GMT/UTC +2). The topic will be:
Flow: From Transaction to Trust to Transformation
An antidote to the quid-pro-quo — circular, indirect reciprocity
The speaker will be Nipun Mehta, the founder of ServiceSpace, a global community working at the intersection of technology, volunteerism and gift culture. After receiving a Bachelor´s degree in Computer Science and Philosophy from UC Berkeley, he began a software career at Sun Microsystems. Dissatisfied with the dot-com greed, he went to a homeless shelter with friends to “give with absolutely no strings attached.” They ended up creating ServiceSpace, which has grown into a global ecosystem of over 1.5 million members and delivered millions of dollars in service for free. Nipun has received many honors, including the Dalai Lama’s “Unsung Hero of Compassion”, the Goi Peace Award and the Jefferson Award for Public Service. He was also appointed to a council on poverty and inequality by US President Barack Obama. Nipun has shared his message of “giftivism” with audiences ranging from inner-city youth to the United Nations; his UPenn commencement speech has been read by millions.