It’s my pleasure to bring you this issue of Visionary Talk. Here, I document what I’m learning as I work with clients to address Grand Challenge – big, bold initiatives that take on some of the wickedest problems that society is facing.
I work with organizations that have chosen to become the backbone organization of a Grand Challenge. The backbone organization provides infrastructure, administration, and leadership that unites many other organizations and activists collaborating to find solutions to these difficult systemic issues.
My past clients have included:
- The American Geophysical Union and its Thriving Earth Exchange
- The American Nurse Association and Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation
- The Center for Financial Planning, sponsored by the CFP Board
of Standards
I am currently working with Inteleos on their Ultrasound Proficiency Grand Challenge and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute on its Grand Challenge to eliminate the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders.
Through this newsletter, Visionary Talk, I’ll share case studies from my work with these organizations. Together, we’ll explore the models and frameworks that I use, including:
- Dr. Christina Economos’s 10 Key Elements for Creating a Social Movement
- Kania and Kramer’s Collective Impact model
- and what I’ve learned about engaging people, one of the hardest thresholds to cross, during ten years of street theater work.
I look forward to sharing more with you in the weeks ahead.
