The (subtle) power of relationships: the story of a photographer
The (subtle) power of relationships: the story of a photographer
A few weeks ago I was fortunate to spend three days with an amazing group of network weavers from the BMW Foundation. I walked away with…
Community weaving is about creating (safe) excuses for people to connect
Community weaving is about creating (safe) excuses for people to connect
I have been living in Amsterdam for 2.5 years now and found it surprisingly hard to make friends and build my own local community. In New…
The brutality of the word “Social Impact” — and why metaphors matter
The brutality of the word “Social Impact” — and why metaphors matter
This image is what I think of when I hear the word “impact”.
The magic of finding my peers of relationship-centred practitioners
The magic of finding my peers of relationship-centred practitioners
Reflections & impressions from the Relationships Project gathering.
Beyond the noise of crypto: 4 amazing community technologies
Beyond the noise of crypto: 4 amazing community technologies
Blockchain has a lot of promise for community, but most of it is still largely unusable. Here are 4 powerful non-crypto community tools:
Relationships before structure — an obvious lesson we keep forgetting?
Relationships before structure — an obvious lesson we keep forgetting?
Have you ever participated in a meeting to debrief a collaborative project, where the ultimate conclusion is that we should have invested…
How can we make co-creation in community less exhausting?
How can we make co-creation in community less exhausting?
I don’t know about you, but I find co-design of community awesome and often absolutely exhausting. What can we do to make it better?
We’re all talented at community, but so out of practice. What if we became good at community again?
We’re all talented at community, but so out of practice. What if we became good at community again?
What if we — collectively — became good at community again?
Community as a place to practice a better future
Community as a place to practice a better future
What if our communities are an ideal place to model and embody - today - the future we’re hoping to create?
Paying attention to the community cross-pollinators
Paying attention to the community cross-pollinators
Who are the people helping to weave local chapters into a bigger whole?
The unique motivation of outsiders to run local chapters
The unique motivation of outsiders to run local chapters
At Sandbox, our local chapters are run by volunteers from the community that we call “ambassadors”. At some point I started to notice a…
Community leadership through role modeling?
Community leadership through role modeling?
In the 1950s, social psychologist Solomon Asch developed a series of foundational experiments around social conformity. One of the famous…
Gratitude: the most powerful & overlooked energy source in community
Gratitude: the most powerful & overlooked energy source in community
A few years ago, in my role as IIR for the Kauffman Foundation, I went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to experience the graduation ceremony of…
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
The personal growth dimension of community leadership
Can I weave transformative communities without transforming myself?
“Community is like a muscle that grows when you practice together”
“Community is like a muscle that grows when you practice together”
Whenever we start working with a new group, we usually introduce the practice of a “check-in” at the beginning of each call and a…
How do we collaborate across different networks and organizations in times of crisis?
How do we collaborate across different networks and organizations in times of crisis?
When the war in Ukraine started we saw how many organizations and networks were drowning with incoming requests for help. At the same time…
The power of groups that are both local and global
The power of groups that are both local and global
I’m tired of engaging in global, virtual-first communities. I crave real, in-person human interaction. And yet, I also wish that my local…
Weaving communities from the inside-out or from the outside-in?
Weaving communities from the inside-out or from the outside-in?
And what can we learn from the conversion mindset?
Applying force in community doesn’t work
Applying force in community doesn’t work
And what is leadership without force?
“You never know when you need relationships, but when you do, you need them fast”
“You never know when you need relationships, but when you do, you need them fast”
Communities as an investment for emergent collaborations in the future.
Do we undervalue the role of personal interest in purpose-driven communities?
Do we undervalue the role of personal interest in purpose-driven communities?
And at what cost?
Community leadership: are we paying enough attention to member enthusiasm?
Community leadership: are we paying enough attention to member enthusiasm?
And when is enthusiasm more important than strategy?
The limitations of community as a vehicle to solve problems together
The limitations of community as a vehicle to solve problems together
“Life isn’t a problem to be solved, but a gift to be explored” — Roohi Radparvar.
Community leadership: how can I uplift the voices of members while still expressing my own vision?
Community leadership: how can I uplift the voices of members while still expressing my own vision?
Three years ago I helped co-initiate a community called Wasan, bringing together network builders in philanthropy and non-profits. We had a…
Community leadership: How transparency & vulnerability are super-powers, but scary to act upon.
Community leadership: How transparency & vulnerability are super-powers, but scary to act upon.
Like so many groups, we struggled at Sandbox with finding a sustainable revenue model and our financial situation was often shaky. Among…