York Zucchi: Kindness Is the ETF of Life

York Zucchi has spent decades building global projects, advising governments, and launching education platforms—yet he remains focused on one essential principle: treat everyone with kindness. Born in Switzerland, raised in Italy and South Africa, and active in over 29 countries, York brings deep cultural fluency to his work. His belief is simple: modesty, empathy, and decency are not liabilities in business—they are strengths.

He learned this early. Growing up in a small town on Lake Como, kindness was not optional—it was social currency. “In a small town, the community dictates what is right and wrong. You cannot just be rude and walk away,” he said. That belief carried into his work across Africa, where, as he put it, “the sun shines directly into their hearts.”

For York, kindness is not just a personal value but a strategic one. As founder of The StartUp Tribe, he helps cities address unemployment by building education academies. One of these academies, now one of the largest in Afghanistan, provides thousands of women with access to business, health, and self-empowerment courses, even under current restrictions. “A random act of kindness may not mean much to you, but it can mean everything to someone else,” he said.

York emphasized that how people treat service staff influences how he evaluates potential instructors, partners, or hires. “If I meet somebody, I look at how they treat the waitress, the parking attendant, the security guard... It tells you who they are.” Character is revealed in small moments; kindness is observable, not just stated.

His work is filled with small moments that ripple outward. In Cape Town, a waitress expressed interest in a conversation York was having about training. Rather than dismiss her, his team filmed her for a hospitality course—now live in 455 cities. “Had we been snobs, this would never have happened,” he said. “Why would you treat anyone as lesser?”

York also chairs an investment committee in South Africa that has funded over 250 deep tech ventures. His approach is grounded in transparency and long-term trust. “Kindness pays off—even in investing,” he said. “People trust you, they return, and you build something stronger.”

York is not focused on his individual achievements, but on his impact. “We are all crew on Spaceship Earth,” he said. “I just want to do my part to leave it better than I found it.” That part includes building tools that help people learn, grow, and contribute—with integrity and inclusion at the core.

When asked for advice, York put it simply:

“Kindness is the exchange traded fund of the world. Invest a bit every day, and over time, it pays off.”

York Zucchi is a global entrepreneur and investor whose work shows that kindness—when paired with action—can scale across cultures and sectors. Keep an eye out for more interviews.