I have spent that last decade running acceleration programs for early-stage (social) entrepreneurs, growing the B Corp movement in Virginia, US, and telling stories of purpose driven founders and those who build ecosystems for them to thrive in. I also earned an undergraduate degree in European Studies (Germany & France) and a MSc in Sustainability (Germany & Australia). Somewhere along the journey, I got married to an incredible human, became a mother, fell in love with cooking and obstacle course racing.
What these 15 years in the social impact space have taught me is that we can only solve systemic challenges through systemic solutions. I learned that unlocking human potential is at the core of social and environmental change, and that without community, we are nothing.
I work with impact-driven individuals around the world to roll up our sleeves together: I don't believe in merely sharing my expertise and let you figure out the rest. Instead, I stand shoulder to shoulder with my clients to help them execute on their vision for an alternative future.
What these 15 years in the social impact space have taught me is that we can only solve systemic challenges through systemic solutions. I learned that unlocking human potential is at the core of social and environmental change, and that without community, we are nothing.
I work with impact-driven individuals around the world to roll up our sleeves together: I don't believe in merely sharing my expertise and let you figure out the rest. Instead, I stand shoulder to shoulder with my clients to help them execute on their vision for an alternative future.
|
|
|
Research & Storytelling
I was classically trained in scientific research methods and ethics at l'Institut d'études politiques (Sciences Po) de Bordeaux, the Centre for Sustainability Management at Leuphana University Lueneburg, and the University of Queensland Business School. I hold both a bachelors degree in European Studies and a Masters of Science in Sustainability. Throughout my academic and professional career I have been fascinated by what happens at the intersection of quantitative and qualitative inquiry: What story does that data tell and in what context does that story become meaningful?
Some of my favorite projects:
Some of my favorite projects:
|
Social Venturers is a global community of purpose-driven individuals who believe in the power of (social) entrepreneurship for systemic change. As the founder of Social Venturers, I create and curate insights, resources and a peer community of impact makers to help them build purpose-driven careers, organizations and ecosystems. |
|
Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building is a storytelling campaign that I was fortunate to run over the course of 2020 in collaboration with Jeff Bennett and Jessica Edwards to raise the profile of entrepreneurial ecosystem builders around the United States. We interviewed over 40 ecosystem builders to tell stories about what drives to do this work, what frustrations and challenges they experience, what skills we need to invest in and what needs to happen to advance the field of entrepreneurial ecosystem building. |
|
Ecosystem Building 101 is an Insights series hosted on Social Venturers that sheds light on the seven design principles for effective ecosystem building. The entire series is developed in Fireside Chats: peer-to-peer knowledge sharing sessions with entrepreneurial ecosystem builders from around the world. Insights are knowledge briefs comprised of stories from the field, proven practices, tools and resources. |
Masterclasses
Twice a year, I reach deep into my treasure chest of practical skills to share them with anyone who wants to confidently talk about her/his/their purpose and how they're bringing it to bear for greater good.
These masterclasses are not your typical workshop: In a done-with-you format you receive one-on-one guidance on your specific trajectory, but in a private group setting. At the end of the session you will leave with a game plan tailored to your unique needs. All you have to do is show up and be ready to grow and get a little uncomfortable. Over the course of 90 minutes to two and a half hours, I will walk you through a tested process and you will leave prepared for whatever adventures lies ahead of you!
Each masterclass is $95. Sign up for all four for $300 (and save $80!).
These masterclasses are not your typical workshop: In a done-with-you format you receive one-on-one guidance on your specific trajectory, but in a private group setting. At the end of the session you will leave with a game plan tailored to your unique needs. All you have to do is show up and be ready to grow and get a little uncomfortable. Over the course of 90 minutes to two and a half hours, I will walk you through a tested process and you will leave prepared for whatever adventures lies ahead of you!
Each masterclass is $95. Sign up for all four for $300 (and save $80!).
Storytelling for Community: December 1, 1.00 p.m. - 3.30 p.m. EST
Storytelling is much more than mere communications. As Peter Block says “Stories can give us a narrative to guide and instruct us. They are crucial to our knowing who we are; they provide a sense of identity.” In this masterclass, you will learn how to create narrative for your community that shines a spotlight on its members' strengths, talents and absolute brilliance. Your community might be geographic, virtual, mission-based - you name it!
I have run several storytelling campaigns from highlighting startup founders to raising the profile of entrepreneurial ecosystem builders around the US to an ongoing global campaign that celebrates systemic change makers in the social enterprise space! For this masterclass, I will dig deep into my treasure chest to share with you how I use storytelling as a tool for community building!
What to bring:
What you'll receive:
Storytelling is much more than mere communications. As Peter Block says “Stories can give us a narrative to guide and instruct us. They are crucial to our knowing who we are; they provide a sense of identity.” In this masterclass, you will learn how to create narrative for your community that shines a spotlight on its members' strengths, talents and absolute brilliance. Your community might be geographic, virtual, mission-based - you name it!
I have run several storytelling campaigns from highlighting startup founders to raising the profile of entrepreneurial ecosystem builders around the US to an ongoing global campaign that celebrates systemic change makers in the social enterprise space! For this masterclass, I will dig deep into my treasure chest to share with you how I use storytelling as a tool for community building!
What to bring:
- A genuine desire for community building
- An rough idea of who is in the community that you are SO excited about that you want to celebrate and highlight it for the whole world to see!
What you'll receive:
- An introduction to the role of storytelling in community building
- A foundation of building blocks that describe your community in terms of its desired future, shared challenges and combined gifts and talents
- Campaign ideas
- A personalized approach to telling your community's story
- interview format(s) and story collection tools
- storytelling channels
- timeline for execution
No more snoring panels. RETURNING IN 2021. WAITLIST.
Have you ever sat through a panel discussion that was so boring that even the speakers seemed uninterested? Are you getting ready to take the stage yourself and you're unsure how to create an engaging talk? Or are you hosting a conference or panel yourself and want to make sure your speakers are on point and create value for the audience?
Having organized and spoken at dozens of events myself, I have developed a fool-proof approach to ensure speakers show up prepared and are able to bring across their expertise that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. From creating work books from speaker presentations to developing a strong narrative that brings your point across, in this masterclass I will share my best kept secrets for creating engaging speaking experiences for both speakers and listeners.
Arrive with:
Leave with:
Have you ever sat through a panel discussion that was so boring that even the speakers seemed uninterested? Are you getting ready to take the stage yourself and you're unsure how to create an engaging talk? Or are you hosting a conference or panel yourself and want to make sure your speakers are on point and create value for the audience?
Having organized and spoken at dozens of events myself, I have developed a fool-proof approach to ensure speakers show up prepared and are able to bring across their expertise that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. From creating work books from speaker presentations to developing a strong narrative that brings your point across, in this masterclass I will share my best kept secrets for creating engaging speaking experiences for both speakers and listeners.
Arrive with:
- an upcoming speaking engagement: this could be a presentation, workshop, panel discussion or keynote that you are in charge of (conference organizers are welcome, too!)
- An idea of what you want your audience to think, feel or do after they saw you in action
Leave with:
- A compelling story to start your talk or panel
- Conference organizers: a game plan of how to engage your speakers and audience
- An outline of your entire talk
- Ideas of how to engage the audience
- A brainstorm of opportunities to help the audience participate and follow up with you
- A list of tips and best practices on how to prepare yourself (and/or your panelists or speakers), sketch out your content and deliver it
- Feedback on your idea
Rooted in Purpose: RETURNING 2021. WAITLIST.
Having interviewed 50+ ecosystem builders for social change, I have had many conversations about why we do what we do - be it as (social) entrepreneurs, mentors, storytellers, advisors program managers for incubators and accelerators, investors, etc. A clear understanding of your vision of the world, your purpose for being here and the values that guide your decision-making is an anchor in a fluid environment like today's workplace and the social impact space overall.
Never get stomped again because you weren't 100% sure what to prioritize and how to best achieve the impact you want to see in the world. In this masterclass, we will get clear about your unique talents and gifts, and how to leverage them to propel you toward a career and life that are driven by purpose.
Show up:
Discover:
Having interviewed 50+ ecosystem builders for social change, I have had many conversations about why we do what we do - be it as (social) entrepreneurs, mentors, storytellers, advisors program managers for incubators and accelerators, investors, etc. A clear understanding of your vision of the world, your purpose for being here and the values that guide your decision-making is an anchor in a fluid environment like today's workplace and the social impact space overall.
Never get stomped again because you weren't 100% sure what to prioritize and how to best achieve the impact you want to see in the world. In this masterclass, we will get clear about your unique talents and gifts, and how to leverage them to propel you toward a career and life that are driven by purpose.
Show up:
- With a healthy dose of curiosity and an idea of why NOW is the time to have this conversation with yourself
- Vulnerably - uncovering your purpose is a very intimate experience, and I promise to create a safe space for you to do the work!
- Ready to be 100% present and willing to dive deep into your past, present and future
Discover:
- What you truly value in work, life and relationships
- How to shut down that itty bitty shit committee that runs a 24/7 commentary on your life
- What type of work, relationships and achievement you want to seek out going forward
- Why you are here (simple stuff, I know!)
- How to bring your purpose into the world, your work and/or your life
- How to show up as yourself.
Game plan 2021: RETURNING JANUARY 2021. WAITLIST.
Conventional goal setting and strategy à la "Where do you want to be in a year from now?" are out the window. Need I say more? Exactly. I have worked with CEOs, entrepreneurs and a non-profit collective (that's a different story) to create game plans for anywhere from a quarter to a year. I am German after ll.
In this workshop we will shift our focus to
a) Your purpose in work and life (see Rooted in Purpose, Oct 29)
b) How you want to show up in both to create meaningful impact without losing sight of yourself (no more martyring friends!)
c) Small and practical steps that work for you to go where you want to go.
No lifehacks or quick fixes, but sustained effort that adds up to change your course.
What you'll need to make the most of this masterclass:
What you'll get:
Conventional goal setting and strategy à la "Where do you want to be in a year from now?" are out the window. Need I say more? Exactly. I have worked with CEOs, entrepreneurs and a non-profit collective (that's a different story) to create game plans for anywhere from a quarter to a year. I am German after ll.
In this workshop we will shift our focus to
a) Your purpose in work and life (see Rooted in Purpose, Oct 29)
b) How you want to show up in both to create meaningful impact without losing sight of yourself (no more martyring friends!)
c) Small and practical steps that work for you to go where you want to go.
No lifehacks or quick fixes, but sustained effort that adds up to change your course.
What you'll need to make the most of this masterclass:
- A desire to change course in your life and work
- The willingness to actually start changing a few habits and get uncomfortable for some time
- The commitment to take time off and recharge your batteries
- An understanding that how you feel today is not how you have to feel next year (unless you love it; in that case - more power to you!)
What you'll get:
- A deeper understanding of what makes you happy and how to tap into its source more frequently
- A 360 degree view of what is working for you (and what isn't)
- A personalized route to success - whatever success means to you (you might want to check out the previous Masterclass "Rooted in Purpose")
- A collection of smaller wins you can hold on to when the going gets tough
- A personalized system to keep you on track
Consulting
Creating long-term systemic change is hard enough as it is, you don't have to go it alone! As a fractional strategist, I work alongside you and your team throughout whatever transformation lies ahead! I work best with individuals and organizations who are deeply invested in creating positive social and/or environmental change, preferably through an entrepreneurial approach with an eye toward long-term change (learn more about me).
Here are some of my favorite consulting engagements from the last 5 years:
Here are some of my favorite consulting engagements from the last 5 years:
- Accelerators & Incubators: From business model validation to high-growth acceleration, I have launched and run entrepreneurial support programs across the entire spectrum of (social) startups. In fact, I spent 2+ years researching best practices and common challenges in social venture support: Between 2015 to 2016, I backpacked around Europe, the U.S. and Australia to study social enterprise support through first-hand interviews (read about my adventures here). In brief, I support incubators and accelerators in everything from application marketing, selection, curriculum, mentor and Alumni management, pitch practice, event management, marketing and storytelling, impact reporting, founder advisory and community building.
- Purpose-driven entrepreneurs: Starting a business is a bit like becoming a parent: It comes without a manual and your skillset needs to grow alongside your company from infancy to adulthood. From strategic advisory to ongoing executive coaching, I have worked with 100+ (social) entrepreneurs around the world and enjoy acting as a sounding board and accountability partner (Did I mention I'm German?).
- Small and medium-sized businesses: From an introduction to social entrepreneurship and innovation to full-scale B Corp certification, I have worked with companies of all sizes to figure out how they might use their business model to minimize negative spillover effects, give back to their community, become more environmentally friendly and generally an organization that employees like to work for and clients love to work with. In short: How to use your business as a force for good.
- Higher education institutions: I love teaching and sharing what I experience in the field with aspiring changemakers! From guest speaking to teaching semester-long courses, I take a practitioner-based approach to introduce students to purpose-driven entrepreneurship, social enterprise and B Corps.
- Network organizations: Having been part of and worked with a number of decentralized communities (Startup Champions Network, ESHIP community, Virginia B Corp community, Zebras Unite), I love getting deep in the weeds of
- Fostering collaboration among changemakers and decentralized teams,
- Nurturing an inclusive community,
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge, tools and connections among members,
- Providing training and organizing opportunities for professional growth, and
- Continue to grow networks in terms of financial, human, institutional, social and intellectual capital.
- Purpose-driven individuals: I frequently talk to people who are looking to shift their career to the impact arena and are looking for their next opportunity. While I'm certainly no career coach (I know a few it that's what you're looking for!), I am happy to share my experiences as a self-employed changemaker and open up my network to help you find your next opportunity. In the meantime, I do my best to share job openings from the impact world via LinkedIn and as part of Impact Curator over on Social Venturers!