Happy New Year! I hope that the first few days of 2019 are treating you well. Perhaps you set a New Year’s resolution, and if you did, I wish you the best in keeping it! I am not the type to set New Year’s resolutions, but as a former English major, I often finding myself…
When reflecting on educational experiences that shaped who I am, I must admit, I don’t readily think of my earliest experiences before the age of 5. However, after attending a conference at the University of Chicago last week, I’m now more aware of how those early language and learning environments affected my future. The 2018…
Last week, I had the opportunity to join changemakers from across the country at the inaugural Upswell, Independent Sector’s forum for turning ideas into action. At the event, I facilitated two conversations focused on shifting power to communities. During those discussions and throughout the event, I heard examples of the importance of connections and community…
“When solutions are missed in the process, divisiveness can happen.” Historian and writer Jon Meacham shared this thought during his speech at the Southeastern Council of Foundations’ annual meeting on November 8, 2018, in Louisville, Ky. He talked about the work that needs to be done in a political climate where lines are drawn and…
Below is a summary of our article on collective impact and community authority appearing in the winter 2019 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. The story of StriveTogether began on a bridge. In August 2006, leaders from three communities met in the middle of the Newport South Bank Bridge, known locally as the Purple…
This post originally appeared on the blog of the World Economic Forum. How might we prepare global residents for the future of work? Past waves of globalization offer lessons on what it will take to more effectively weather the transition. As leaders consider how to shape a new architecture for Globalization 4.0 (the theme of…
Have you ever heard of the Woke Olympics? It’s a competition where players, most of whom are white, “stay woke” by calling out instances of racism, especially those committed by fellow white people. So simply by naming racism publicly, you’re now woke. Anyone else see flaws in that logic? In real life, those of us…
Like many of you, I performed my civic duty and voted in Tuesday’s midterm election. For the rest of the day, I proudly sported my “I voted” sticker and then rushed home, ordered a pizza, hurried my kids to bed and camped out in front of my TV for the next several hours. I’ll admit…
The 2019 Art Inspires scholarship application is available in English here. La aplicación de la beca El Arte Inspira está disponible en español aquí. There is an overused idiom often said about art: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” While the phrase is cliché, it speaks to the power of the arts to evoke emotion, explain the…
Guest blog post by Jason Brown, vice president of communications at Envision Utah The prenatal-to-age 3 development landscape is abuzz in Salt Lake City. People from many different organizations are anxiously engaged in making sure parents have the tools, knowledge and support they need to help their children get a great start. When we’re not…
On a brisk October weekend, I joined more than 350 change makers from across America gathered in Bentonville, Arkansas, for an event held by the Walton Family Foundation. With “Meet in the Middle” as the theme for the inaugural Heartland Summit, we learned and networked over four days of speakers, yoga and bike rides, local…
While reading Linda Villarosa’s New York Times article “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-death Crisis,” I had some visceral reactions as a soon-to-be mother. There are glaring and alarming disparities in maternal and infant health for women of color, particularly for African-American women like myself. The article came to mind last…