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 founders and ecosystem builders around the world and am happy to share my insights into social impact and entrepreneurship, storytelling as a foundation for community building, program design and delivery for purpose-driven founders and practitioner-driven research.
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 founders and ecosystem builders around the world and am happy to share my insights into social impact and entrepreneurship, storytelling as a foundation for community building, program design and delivery for purpose-driven founders and practitioner-driven research.
Masterclasses
If you want to grow and evolve, you must leave your comfort zone. But you don't have to do it alone.
I offer workshops on topics that I have executed myself for years. All of workshops are done-with-you: At the end of the session you will leave with a game plan tailored to your 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!).
Sign up in 3 simple steps:
I offer workshops on topics that I have executed myself for years. All of workshops are done-with-you: At the end of the session you will leave with a game plan tailored to your 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!).
Sign up in 3 simple steps:
- Register for your masterclass (or all 4)
- Receive an invoice within 48 hours and pay conveniently via debit/credit card or direct deposit
- Receive your materials 24 hours ahead of the class, get REALLY excited, and show up ready to work!
No more snoring panels: October 13, 2020, 11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. EST
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: October 29, 1.00 - 3.00 p.m. EST
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: November 12, 11.00 a.m. - 1.30 p.m. EST
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
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
Consulting
... I dislike the term but I do like sharing what I know with individuals and organizations that want to know!
My areas of expertise stretch across entrepreneurial ecosystem building to social entrepreneurship and impact. The Insights section on Social Venturers is a good overview of my specialties.
Areas that I enjoy consulting on:
My areas of expertise stretch across entrepreneurial ecosystem building to social entrepreneurship and impact. The Insights section on Social Venturers is a good overview of my specialties.
Areas that I enjoy consulting on:
- Storytelling as a tool for community building
- Entrepreneurial ecosystem building
- Corporates: Discovering ways to becoming a more sustainable business
- Impact assessment and B Corp Certification
- Strategic planning for social impact
- Executive leadership for social impact
- Public speaking
Speaking
I have a lot to say when it comes to social entrepreneurship, social impact and ecosystem building for social change. I have spoken at a number of events in-person and virtually (see below) on the following topics:
- Ecosystem Building for Social Change: 7 tactics of becoming a more effective ecosystem builder
- Storytelling for Community Building
- Creativity as a selfcare method for changemakers
- Building inclusive entrepreneurial communities
- COVID-19: How ecosystem builders around the world are responding
- From changemaker to ecosystem builder: Maximizing your impact through an ecosystem approach
I've presented at:
