The Crisis We Can’t Ignore
In the past two decades, America has quietly slid into a crisis of disconnection. From 2003 to 2020, time spent alone rose by more than 24 hours a month, while companionship and social engagement with friends, family, and colleagues all plummeted. The U.S. Surgeon General now warns that lacking social connection is more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes a day or drinking six alcoholic drinks daily.
Everyone accepts the risks of smoking or drinking; few see disconnection as equally life-threatening. Yet disengagement costs organizations $8–$9 trillion in lost productivity globally, while leaving employees anxious, lonely, and unfulfilled.
This is the problem The Stories and Wisdom Company was formed to solve.
A Founder’s Turning Point
For Founder and CEO Pradeep U.N., the moment of clarity came during the turbulence of 2020. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Pradeep, then a senior director at Microsoft, saw how inequity and broken social contracts created divides inside even the world’s most advanced companies. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic stripped away the everyday ways people connected at work.
“If organizations can’t ensure people feel safe, valued, and connected,” he recalls, “how can they expect innovation, growth, or loyalty?”
A second moment of inspiration came years earlier, watching a murmuration of starlings in the skies over Australia. Thousands of birds, moving in perfect harmony without hierarchy, revealed how trust and micro-connections create collective strength. That image would later shape his vision for a platform where people could connect and thrive in similar ways.
The Stories Platform: Connection by Design
The result is Stories: a digital, gamified, multiplayer storytelling experience designed to spark authentic human connection. Built with insights from neuroscience, psychology, learning science, and organizational behavior, the platform functions like a card game where prompts invite participants to share personal stories, moments of frustration, resilience, or pride.
Listeners respond with curated “allyship reactions” such as I’m with you or Inspired to Act, turning passive listening into active empathy. A second layer, the Wisdom platform, anonymizes these stories and applies AI sentiment analysis, surfacing patterns and insights leaders would never find in a survey.
It’s not about collecting metrics; it’s about uncovering meaning. One Fortune 500 executive called it “a tangible way to immerse employees in deep discussions, with outputs so valuable they feed strategy and innovation across teams.”
Measurable Business Impact
What makes Stories and Wisdom stand out is that connection isn’t treated as a “soft” outcome—it drives hard business results:
- 90% of users report increased respect among peers
- 86% report stronger empathy
- Sales teams using Stories saw 33% productivity gains
- Engineers were 3x more likely to adopt new skills via peer learning than via LMS training
- Organizations recorded a 50% reduction in turnover risk and 75% fewer sick days
These outcomes have powered Stories and Wisdom into boardrooms, startups, classrooms, and even the U.S. Army, where the platform has been applied to strengthen belonging and reduce suicide risk.
Innovation with Inclusion at Its Core
One of the company’s boldest decisions was prioritizing accessibility from Day One. When an early prototype failed a deaf program manager using a Spanish keyboard, the team rebuilt the platform from the ground up, making it inclusive for blind, deaf, and color-blind users alike.
“Designing for the most challenged user improves the experience for everyone,” Pradeep U.N. says.
That commitment to inclusion has become part of the company’s DNA, earning recognition not only from customers but from award committees worldwide. In the past year alone, Stories and Wisdom has earned 22 international awards, from AVA Digital to LearnX to the American Business Awards, which named Pradeep the 2024 Maverick of the Year. Stories and Wisdom Company has also been named Startup of the Year and Company of the Year 2 years in a row at the International Business Awards 2024 & 2025.
Amplifying Empathy with AI
Technology is often accused of eroding human connection. Stories and Wisdom flips that script. Its AI engine doesn’t just translate languages; it translates cultures.
In one Asia-Pacific deployment, employees in China revealed frustrations that went far beyond language barriers—touching on political stance, ethics, and values. For the regional HQ, this was a wake-up call: localization required more than translation; it required empathy. Insights like these shape billion-dollar strategy decisions, proving that AI and storytelling together can elevate leadership judgment.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, Pradeep U.N. envisions Stories and Wisdom as the backbone of purpose-driven organizations worldwide. In the next 3–5 years, the company aims to expand its platforms to help leaders not only measure engagement, but cultivate cultures of empathy, trust, and innovation at scale.
“Business at its core is personal,” Pradeep says. “Our mission is to prove that empathy and storytelling aren’t distractions from performance, they are the engine of performance.”
About the Founder
Pradeep U.N. is the Founder and CEO of The Stories and Wisdom Company. Formerly Senior Director of Inclusive Innovations at Microsoft and an inductee to the Microsoft Innovation Wall of Fame, he is a recognized thought leader at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and culture. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Pradeep has worked with leaders across sectors to transform organizations into purpose-powered playgrounds.
He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and an Electrical & Electronics Engineering degree from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Based in Seattle, he is also the doting father of twin daughters who keep him grounded in curiosity—and occasionally practicing French braiding.
Pradeep U.N.’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Lead with Empathy: Prioritize human connection, trust, and psychological safety to build cohesive, motivated teams.
- Storytelling Drives Culture: Use intentional storytelling to foster collaboration, engagement, and shared purpose across organizations.
- Purpose Over Metrics: Focus on meaningful impact and alignment rather than just numbers or short-term performance.
- Design for Everyone: Make solutions inclusive, accessible, and human-centered, improving experiences for all stakeholders.
- Courage and Curiosity Matter: Stay flexible, embrace new ideas, and lead with integrity to inspire innovation and long-term growth.
