Populis: the future at your fingertips

Tracey McClure investigates where the digital world of Social Media is going and how the Church is expected to respond to this new, rapidly changing phenomenon:
"As a mom with two young kids, I am constantly eyeing the college and job market with concern and perhaps a bit of envy as I plan for my kids’ future – hoping they’ll go along for the ride. Today’s world is a lot different from the one I grew up in. The days of those clanky typewriters, 500 pound gorilla computers and bulky mobile phones are ancient history. The speed with which new gadgets, new social media and new business can be made in the digital world is mind boggling.

That’s why when I had the chance to go to the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum’s recent Youth Communications Forum on Social Media – I jumped at it. The career possibilities on the seemingly limitless world wide web are infinite. Organized by the university’s Institute for Higher Studies on Women, I could tell I wasn’t the only mom out there with similar ambitions.

I was wondering: how are Catholics invested in the internet? One of the most amazing stories I came across at the Forum was that of 31 year old Luca Ascani. He got into the digital world when he was just a 20 year old university student with 500 euros in his pocket. Just eleven years later, his online media company Populis is worth 58 million.”

His was one fairytale anyone would want come true. So, I asked him to inspire me – and you - with his story…”

Listen to the interview with Populis Chairman and Co-founder Luca Ascani in this program produced by Tracey McClure ...