Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Come together! Navigating Conference Season

Like many of my colleagues in philanthropy & impact investing, I find myself in the thick of conference/event season, feeling a bit overwhelmed and overextended. To help wrap my head around it, I've put together a quick, subjective round-up of spring conferences in the social innovation & impact investing world ranging from super cool to old school, pretty much all on the "if you could go to 'em all you would" list.
Skoll World Forum, World Economic Forum on Latin America Global Youth Leadership, Clinton Global Initiative University, The Global Engagement Summit, Global Philanthropy Forum, Global Health & Innovation Conference, Social Venture Network, Investor's Circle, Wall Street Green Summit, Slingshot Day, Sustainatopia. And that's just March-April.

What are your top conference/gathering picks? What's missing? What's not happening that you'd like to see? How do you manage conference fatigue/burnout?

Thursday, March 29, 2012

FAST FORWARD @CGIU

Looking forward to connecting with commitment makers at Clinton Global Initiative University! Here are some tips of essential things to carry you through an intense gathering like this. Be sure and bring:
* business cards
* cell phone & charger
* I.D.
* pre-CGIU information (agenda, logistics, etc.)
* material/info about your commitment (if appropriate)
* sense of humor, humility, and wonder
* intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness
* unbridled passion for your commitment
* willingness to be bold & take risks
* more questions than answers
* endless energy & indefatigable stamina
Be yourself, enjoy the experience, and know that it's a pretty awesome thing to commit yourself to changing our world for the better!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Fast Forward Core Beliefs

Just re-read my previous post from a year ago reaffirming Fast Forward Fund's core beliefs as we move to complete our 1st phase of start-up and our 3-yr-commitment to Clinton Global Initiative University. Except for the notable absence of snow, virtually everything rings true today.
I stand by Fast Forward's core beliefs:
* Investment activism. We all make a difference with our daily financial choices. Investing is action.
* Leveraged impact. Investing in a collective social fund allows young people to leverage relatively small individual resources into large-scale impact.
* Accelerated change. More inclusive, expansive philanthropic models enable youth to accelerate, or fast forward, their participation as social investors advancing innovative solutions to global challenges.
* Lifelong Giving. Cultivating philanthropic social investment among young adults creates lifelong givers and engaged global citizens.

Generous Prompts

What prompts you to live and give generously? To explore what I call "abundant living, mindful giving," check out this blog post by Britt Bravo, one of my fave fun-loving do-gooders, Big Vision guru and Juicy Blogger: "12 Prompts for Generous Living & Blogging". Pick and choose from these prompts, come up with your own, or try 'em out over the next 2 weeks leading up to Valentine's Day!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Quiet enough to hear the genuine...

Trying to be still and "learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine within yourself so that you can hear it in others.” ~ Marian Wright Edelman

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

CGI & Social Good

Inspiration of the morning: beaming face of 17 yr old Juliette from Rwanda asking "how can girls help each other?" to advance Girls Not Brides Campaign announced by Elders Bishop Desmond Tutu, former President Mary Robinson,and philanthropists Luis Ubinas, Pres. Ford Foundation & Jennifer Buffet, Pres. & Co-Chair Novo Foundation. Ending child marriage will help us fast forward progress to meet 6 our of 8 Millennium Development Goals!. Check it out now: www.girlsnotbrides.org !

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Global Impact Week NYC!!!

It's a big, fast & forward (hopefully) week for Global Impact in NYC: between the Clinton Global Initiative, Social Good Summit, UN General Assembly, my 9-yr-old son's 5th grade back-to-school night, I'm swamped! And my head is swirling with questions, concerns, ideas about all the potential for social change as the world's great thinkers & doers converge on NYC this week. Intending to blog from both CGI & SGS, my first question is really what are the right questions to ask. I'm hopeful that I'll be present, alert, inquisitive, and open enough to engage in fierce conversations and seize (or create) opportunity. If you are not attending these gatherings, nor even in NYC for that matter, send me your questions! If you'll be there, ask me in person! Good luck and much gratitude for all those struggling and working so hard for social impact, always and especially this week! And good luck in 5th grade, James! Along with all the sons and daughters of your generation, you are the reason we are committed to global impact in nyc and around the world.