About the working group
Aims to provide opportunities for shared learning and the creation of collective learning to inform practice. Recognises that systems change is complex and requires new mental models, processes and organising approaches.
Open for new members
Open
Number of members
Debbi Brock, Saleha Khumawala, Kate Taylor, Maria Zapata, Stacy Grau, John Kania, Gisela Solymos, Adi Shachar, Helena Lindemark, Inge Hill, Jamils Richard Achunji Anguaseh, Jessica Jacobson, Johanssen Obanda, James Stauch, Kamilah Sanders, Kip Meyer, Leigh Steele, Lubna Dajani, Li Zou, Margarita Maniati, Maria Ballesteros-Sola, Matteo Bierschneider, Michael Sherraden, Madhup Verma, Nageswara Rao Ambati, Nazha Gali, nimesh ghimire, Nicholas Verginis, Nicole Swedlow, nidhi sharma, Odin Mühlenbein, Paulo Savaget, Patricia Marquez, Precious Nyarambi, Ahmad Qais Anvary, Monica Raina, Rasha Istaiteyeh, Sander Fleuren, Silvia Lopez Herrero, Sanjay Matadeen, Smita Mankad, Susanna Chui, Tanuja Prasad, Tracey Gilmore, Adriana Marina, Andy Chang, Arjun Kumar Bhattarai, Azadeh Tajdar, Bruce Goldstein, Cameron Price, Chloe Beevers, Claudia Akel, Dora Hietavirta, Stephen Rwagweri, Eva Marszewski, Florencia De Los Santos, Romina DiGiovanni, Peter Kalulu, Erik K. Johnson, Aytakin Huseynli, Salomon Achulo, Maanasa Paramasivam, Chris Leiker, Madeleine Thompson, Kapil Dawda, Olumide Adisa, Jen van der Meer, Bernd Herbert, Naomi Ciira, LuAnn Werner, Raja Singaram, Jonas Yawovi Dzinekou, Maria Gabriela Arguello, Disha Shrivastava, Karen Yepes, Stacey Dakin, Bart Leyen, Amalia Spyratou, Ana Maria Botero, Andrew Mangeni, Margaret Sherraden, Nikolay DENTCHEV, SUBARNA SIVAPALAN, Nadiya Parekh, Cristian Gil, David L Wright, Kalaivani Chellappan, Tam Nguyen, Bahlkani Muhammad Haroon, Kossivi AMOUZOU, Naida Culshaw, Nishant Malhotra, José Maria Menendez, Ibrahim Gadzama, Selma Nasheya, Qasem Al Ahmad, Fatoumata Marong, Lisa Hehnke, Niko Moesgaard, Diu Nguyen, Hermine Mbondo, Clif Kussmaul, Maria Antonieta Angarita, Adam Al-Selwi, Toumert Alkhalloufi, Gloria Bitutu, Lane Perry, Jack Sim, Heri Bitamala, Rita Golstein-Galperin, Ananias Cassinda, Nupur Verma, Sindi Vangjelaj
Contact person
Sindi Vangjelaj
Coordinators
Collaborators
We are looking for connections with mind-liked organizations to expand our work. Also, we want to grow our presence in Latinamerica and believe that the LATAM chapter is a great place to start off
To be part of a community with likeminded people with a common set of values, from all over the world!
Aportar desde mi experiencia para la transformación de sistemas a través de la innovación social basada en la Teoría U.
To engage with social entrepreneurs across the US and the worlds; to get Syracuse University students involved with Catalyst2030 and its programming; hope to roll-out a cross-campus, cross-disciplinary social innovation lab across Syracuse around SDG-related themes; hopefully do a presentation on system's change models for the May 2024 Catalyst programs; help build and support other faculty teaching social entrepreneurship - happy to share my syllabus and learning; work on collaborative projects in the impact space.
Founding member
Hope to contribute Knowledge of systemic design, business modelling, business design and strategy
My passion is to work with change-makers, social entrepreneurs, and impact actors to address the most pressing global challenges we face today. Specifically, my focus is on nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, regenerative agriculture, sustainable supply chains, sustainability reporting, sustainable finance, climate mitigation, climate adaptation and resilience, and just transition.
I am committed to creating a world where people live in harmony with each other and the environment, where diversity is valued, and everyone has the opportunity and resources they need to fulfil their potential. My vision is to revitalize the global partnership for the Sustainable Development Goals and create systems change to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
Build the capacity of communities and organisations to align with and impact the sustainable development goals.
Catalyst 2030’s collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach aligns with my belief that no single entity can solve the world's greatest challenges alone. By joining this global movement, I want to amplify my work in Miami and beyond, leveraging the collective power of social innovators to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. The opportunity to collaborate with like-minded changemakers and share our unique solutions motivated me to become a part of this transformative community.
My work focuses on improving teaching and learning at the university and secondary school levels. Approaches such as Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) and Project-based Learning help students to master content and skills, preparing them for future careers. I have received grants, developed learning materials, led workshops, supported colleagues, and presented or published papers on my work. I have worked with faculty in the US, India, Ghana, Poland, and elsewhere.
Through Catalyst, I hope to find people with common interests and priorities.
I want to expand our impact through new partnerships and alliances. I want to teach and test how to navigate complex systems using our Simplexity Wheel. I am looking to create open and regenerative models through our interventions (research project or new product as Melting Planet)
Joining Catalyst 2030 during the incubation period was an enlightening experience, learning from social innovators around the globe and playing an active role on the governing council and the operations and finance team.
Dora Hietavirta
We assembled 23 years career experience into a social innovation titled Traditional Artisans inclusion which we wish to scale across Africa. We see Catalyst 2030 as a collaborative global platform from where we can build partnership, networking, collaboration for information sharing, knowledge building, technical and financial support required to scale the innovation.
The Traditional Artisan Inclusion model (TA – I model)
1. The targeted development problem
We are addressing industry and market exclusion leading to extreme poverty among traditional artisans in Africa who have artisan heritage as the only resource. Due to the neglect of the sector in modern capacity development investment, the persisting traditional artisans are remote rural and urban slum women and youth, indigenous people, the elderly, the chronically sick, persons with disabilities and the displaced who lack alternative source of income. Their ancient designs haven’t been consolidated as a distinct product line to generate its own relevant market in museums, research and cultural centers and streamline stages of crafting evolution, creating story diversity and increased market value. Due to their unique limitations of being generally illiterate, digitally excluded, physically and technically incapacitated, they are left out of the existing modern capacity development investment, elitist training models and the entire growth of the sector which now globally stands at the value of US$ 500 billion (2020) and growing at 20% per year (PBP, 2021). Amidst extreme deprivation, as a last resort, they cling to their artisan heritage, seeking source of livelihood, resilience, social relevancy and therapy. They constitute the poorest production group with individuals living on less than US$ 2 a day.
In Africa, artisan practices exist in every community as a source of livelihood and a space of innovation, recreation and enhancing spiritual and social relationships. The sector is second to agriculture in providing employment and source of livelihood among people at grassroots and it has absolute advantage in reaching out and reclaiming productivity accompanied with therapy and restoration of social relevance among the most technically and physically incapacitated demographics and hence driving equity and inclusion.
In 2024 sector mapping report Uganda acknowledges that the bulk of artisan skills are trapped in informal sector (MGLSD, 2014). Globally 60% of the workforce is informal and ILO estimates 300 million people to be underserved as home workers and many of these are traditional artisans.
Using innovative tools and strategies to mitigate their unique limitations and build their capacity to meet market demands, availing their products to global markets through digital marketing solutions, traditional artisans will improve incomes and move from living on less than US$ 2 a day.
2. The targeted population category
This innovation develops artisan products to access global market for the benefit of traditional artisans who are impacted by capacity development services and the overall transformative effect of the business.
Traditional artisans are an economic category who manufacture goods using hands or simple tools individually or in small groups, relying on traditional skills and practices. Production and marketing is informal. Because the sector is relegated in investments, the persisting traditional artisans are remote rural and urban slum women and youth, indigenous people, the elderly, the chronically ill and the displaced who have limited economic alternatives and their endangered cultural materials and artisan practices are the only resources they have. There are often people in conditions of either extreme deprivation or technically and physically incapacitated that they retreat to handmade for source of livelihood, social relevance and therapy.
3. The development solution/TA – I social innovation
a) The definition
Traditional Artisan Inclusion model employs innovative tools and strategies to empower market excluded traditional artisans in Africa to consolidate ancient and create adaptive designs and delivering products to the global market through an online marketing platform linked to partner platforms, trade fairs and agencies.
b) The core process of the model
1. Innovative training tools which are customized to unique limitations of traditional artisans, are developed and periodically reviewed
2. A network of community based TA - Inclusion facilitators, developed, grown and periodically appraised
3. Traditional artisans are mobilized and recruited pairing the elderly with the youth for intergenerational sharing
4. A catalogue and cataloguing frame which juxtaposes the ancient and adopted designs is developed and periodically updated and used in training and marketing
5. Three training modules using innovative and customized tools and focusing on consolidating ancient designs, creating adaptive designs, business and digital marketing are applied on cohorts of traditional artisans
6. Established and constantly developed and utilized an online marketing platform linked to other partner platforms, international trade fairs and agencies.
7. Craft categories with high market value including consolidated and adaptive designs are identified, production commissioned and products availed to global market through online marketing platform linked to partner platforms, international trade fairs and agencies.
8. Spontaneous, dramatic, ongoing and informal sharing of skills that develop into a chain training system is encouraged through awards
c) The unique aspects of the model
1. Recognizing and targeting traditional artisans as a distinct production group
2. Innovative tools and strategies that are customized to the unique capacity, physical, technical and contextual limitations of traditional artisans
3. The strategy of pairing the elderly and the youth for intergenerational sharing of skills, knowledge, capabilities and perspectives
4. Encouraging ongoing, dramatic and spontaneous sharing of skills developing into a chain training system
5. Balancing sourcing of products for marketing with capacity development of the makers which is informed by the robust market and product research
6. Consolidating ancient designs into a distinct product line and create its relevant market in museums, cultural and research centers
4. The theory of change of TA – I model
Preconditions
1. Applying innovative strategies of mobilizing and constantly engaging traditional artisans where the elderly are paired with youth.
2. Recruiting, training, inducting, periodically appraising and constantly engaging community based TA Inclusion facilitators
3. Applying 3 module customized capacity development to traditional artisans using innovative tools on consolidating ancient designs, adapting to changing lifestyle, business enterprise building and digital marketing skills
4. Developing and constantly updating master catalogue and cataloguing frame and utilizing in training and marketing.
5. Established and constantly developed and utilizing online marketing platform linked to partner platforms, international trade fairs and agencies
6. Ongoing encouragement of dramatic and spontaneous sharing of skills developing into a chain training system
Required inputs to realize the preconditions include funding inform of grants, and equity and support in form of technical assistance, information and networking.
Outputs
1. Established, constantly reviewed and applied innovative and customized capacity development tools and strategies
2. Traditional artisans who include the elderly paired with youth, trained in three modules
3. Established, periodically updated and constantly utilized in training and marketing a master catalogue and cataloguing frame
4. Established, utilized and constantly developing online marketing platform
5. Functioning partnerships with other online marketing platforms, international trade fairs and agencies
6. Market ready products in form of ancient consolidated and modern adapted designs
7. Sales and revenues on products of traditional artisans from international marketing and trading activities.
Outcomes
After undergoing a complete process of capacity development activities, traditional artisans who include the elderly paired with youth, are increasingly consolidating ancient designs into a distinct product line and availing products to newly developed specific relevant market in museums, culture and research centers. They are also increasingly adapting design skills to changing lifestyles and producing adapted styles. They are adapting technology enabled marketing and accessing the global craft market. They are managing business relationships with value chain partners and building viable micro artisan enterprises which are attracting further training, business financing, capital investments and marketing partnerships from ecosystem institutions. Ancient and adaptive designs are emerging as clear separate product categories, streamlining evolutionary stages in crafting, creating diversity of themes and stories and uses with associated increased market value.
Long-term outcomes
Traditional artisans in Africa who include the elderly and the youth competitively accessing global craft market and effectively integrated in capacity development programing and mainstream creative manufacturing sector and creating jobs across the value chain.
Impact
Traditional artisans in Africa who include the elderly and youth and predominantly of female gender increase incomes, improve livelihood and welfare and moving from living on less than US$ 2 a day per individual.
Key assumptions
1. The economic, political, social, legal and health environment in targeted countries in Africa remain conducive
2. The most effective way of creating incomes among traditional artisans in Africa, who have artisan practices as the only resource is to improve capacity to access market
3. Consolidating ancient designs into a product line instead of only fusion of ancient and adaptive aspects, can diversify market and increase benefits to traditional artisans
4. The employed innovative mobilization and training strategies to traditional artisans, can mitigate their unique limitations and effectively boost their capacity.
5. The traditional artisans will access sufficient internet and power for minimum required digital operations
The theory of change TA Inclusion model
5. Pathways and vision of scale
Every community in Africa has craft practices and conditions of neglect of the sector are also common. The global craft market is potentially abundant. We plan to reach 2 million artisans, transform 1.5 million artisans into competitive market producers, 1.5 million active users of digital marketing platform, create 3 million jobs and increase family incomes by 90% in 5 years after pilot. We shall scale by hybrid model. Through partnership and collaborations and leveraging the ecosystem of social impact, we shall increase our global crafts market share and African countries where we develop makers, prioritizing where the sector is least developed. Expand by re-investing earnings and attracting impact public funding and institutionally engaging in collaborations, joint venture and franchise arrangements. While for profit can handle both capacity development and trading, the nonprofits handles capacity development and links producers to for profits to advance with trading. We are already a member of Catalyst 2030, a global collaborative platform of 3,000 organizations. We use this and other networks to establish collaborations and partnerships around scaling this innovation.
I am motivated because during the Cop28 in Dubai, I got the chance to hear abit about what your organisation does and I was inspired. I believe joining you people on the journey of change is a great way to explore, share and gain insights on another level of climate change, also exchanging ideas on what has worked and what hasn't from different perspectives, I think is a great opportunity or motivation to join the team and support its cause, as it aligns with my values as an advocate.
I believe in working collaboratively to bring real and sustainable change
As humanitarian funding shifts towards sustainable, long-term interventions to reduce aid dependency, RAI recognizes the need to evolve our approaches for lasting socio-economic change in the displaced populations we serve. By joining Catalyst 2030, we aim to improve our systems, adopt best practices, and contribute more effectively to the community and SDG achievement with valuable guidance from the network.
Adi Shachar
To reach the SDGs we need to Catalyse change and engage in accelerated action in collaboration with likeminded professionals - important parts of Catalyst 2030. Partnership for the Goals - SDG 17 - is crucial to be able to reach the SDGs and through Catalyst 2030 I hope to be able to connect and collaborate with other change makers around the world. - Right now my main focus is the Amazon rainforest, which is in acute need for impact investments.
I’m motivated by the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded changemakers and social innovators to tackle systemic challenges, particularly in areas such as socio-economic development, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment.
Join a global community of like-minded individuals. Collaborate with and learn from people and organizations that help advance social impact.
Founding members hoping to build an impact ecosystem
I am a setting leader, jurist and social entrepreneurs dedicated to the socio-economic empowerment of vulnerable persons
I can contribute with: experience in organization and strategies of social movements; promoting and assessing social enterprises; contacts with social enterprises and NGOs. I´m looking to receive knowledge, information, partnership, motivation...
Global Network focused on systems change and Global South
Looking forward to contribute in creating more tech based social entrepreneurs.
Collaboration and networking is key to the way we engage and delivery value. We believe in the power of networking and co-creation.
I hope to contribute by fostering meaningful connections and sharing practices that advance innovation, creativity, and address the needs in context of rural entrepreneurship. My focus is on collaboratively solving problems and empowering individuals to discover and act on what they truly care about. From the community, I seek inspiration, diverse perspectives, and opportunities for meaningful collaboration that deepen our collective impact. A network rich in social capital is critical!
As someone who partners with people, teams, and organizations to co-create a more humane, equitable, and regenerative world, contributing to Catalyst Now offers the opportunity to connect and collaborate with like-hearted people who also work towards building better futures for all.
I have been for years now in support of achieving a sustainable future
I have been a member under my organization and I wish to continue as an individual. The connection making and learning is valuable.
Maanasa Paramasivam
Prominent characteristics is that I am a result oriented and an excellent team player with the aim of contributing to the SDGs achievement globally by 2030.
Sharing and building enriching relationships for a better world
Matteo Bierschneider
VTeamLabs is extremely motivated to make our current endeavors (Learning products and solutions in Academia and Public Healthcare domain) count for broader community and seek suggested guidance and assistance from 360 Social Ventures to fuel our aspirations for global growth.
As a case example, we care for healthy drivers in addressing business problems that pertain to Civic agencies that are not for-profit driven, but mission based. We are aware of Thirty-six (36) Customer Experience initiatives that focus on commitments to improve 17 Federal agencies with one key objective – “To improve the lives of the citizens”. Can we replicate the same internationally for global endeavors with mentorship and financial support from Funding agencies, Foundations, B2B corporates, NGOs alike?
Our goal is to enable these Civic agencies as well as Private sector and NGOs focused on Training and learning, skilling, and reskilling initiatives with opportunities to create/edit SCORM content and provide eLearning consultancy through Front-line Technical workforce program (FTWP) – a potential open-source Solution framework with international IP protection and registered Trademark.
Internationalization of open source-based LCMS solution offering on cloud will help us expand our global footprint and thereby creating newer markets leading to revenue growth. We aim to be the world-class provider of quality EdTech product/solution deployments (SaaS) on two of the world’s leading cloud platform providers from WA State in USA.
We seek collaboration with Governments, NGOs and partner agencies, Cloud and Productivity software collaboration with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle to help us carry forward the Mission/Vision to ensure and drive impactful business solutions with customers' technology needs.
VTeamLabs is also partnering with Smash, where we enable people to become more efficient and productive in all they do: working on projects, obtaining new skills and communicating with others. The Smash process includes AI-infused data about the conditions and context where people have passion and brilliance.
Maria Zapata
Acredito no Network e no crescimento pessoal, procuro oportunidade de expandir os projectos e trazer um impacto global.
Naida Culshaw
Hello everyone! I'm a weaver and community alchemist, university lecturer and Doctorate of Business Administration candidate at Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) in France, as well as a coach and consultant. I'm please to be part of the group as I find many synergies with convening, having been a facilitator of workshops for many years, work in community engagement both in France (where I'm based) and the US.
As a scholar practitioner my research explores how the act of restoration/re-story-ation and re/membering Indigenous wisdom traditions informs individual perspectives and choices, organizational governance design, and/or broader initiatives. Other research interests include Indigenous entrepreneurship, as well as how the infusion of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can inform innovative solutions for our present and future challenges. I see connections with Peter Block's work and the "systemic" cultural roots found in many indigenous communities. I'm looking forward to engaging in exchanges, learning, and sharing with this group.
Bew ways to collaborate and sustain the connections with people sharing the same value, vision and mission. I'm seeking innovative ways to learn and implement systems thinking and systems change.
nidhi sharma
My startup is loosely inspired by SDGs and focuses a lot on social good through proliferation of affordable quality higher education. Catalyst is an excellent platform for networking, adding value through work and enhancing the mission of Catalyst through my work.
Impact Intelligence has, over the years, provided an increasing number of foundations, think tanks, member organisations and corporations with insights and knowledge that have enabled them to fine-tune their strategies and programs to achieve more with the same resources. We have, among others developed unique knowledge exchange hubs together with philanthropy and impact organisations like AVPN, AVPA, Latimpacto, WEF/Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
I would like to contribute from an individual capacity to areas which can make a sustainable difference to the community through volunteering my tech and digital skills to create marketing communication, contributing research papers, brainstorming on projects to build a scalable impact etc.
I strongly believe that there is so much equity, dignity and acceleration towards achieving SDGs that can be reaped from systems thinking and how it aligns to the traditional business practice. The working of the two is what will steer humanity forward and I am here to learn and contribute towards creating more dignity and equity for the entire human race.
Olumide Adisa
Nadiya Parekh
Paulo Savaget
Create more socially conscious cultures and collaborate with other like-minded social innovators.
Patricia Marquez
To bring Positive changes
exchange of experiences and perspectives
Engage with diverse stakeholders, including researchers, institutions, and fellow advocates, to foster collaboration and partnerships. Strengthen the global network working towards sustainability and climate resilience.
Leverage experiences as researcher, entrepreneur, changemaker.
Raja Singaram
My unwavering commitment to driving systemic change and fostering collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an economist and researcher, I am deeply invested in creating innovative solutions to address complex social and economic challenges, particularly in the areas of financial inclusion, refugee self-reliance, gender equality, and sustainable development. Catalyst 2030's unique platform for connecting changemakers across diverse sectors aligns with my vision of leveraging partnerships to amplify impact. By joining this global movement, I aim to contribute my expertise in economic development and policy analysis, while learning from the collective wisdom of its members to co-create transformative approaches that empower communities, particularly in Jordan and the Middle East
I would like to contribute to the community my experience in continuous work with non-governmental organisations, in the development of projects with social impact and in the leadership of work teams.
Stacy Grau
To learn from others, be a part of this great ecosystem and share the educational model I have developed to bring about a transformational change.
The place to be for global systems transformation
SUBARNA SIVAPALAN
As an educator and a researcher, I am committed to SDG Education as well as teaching and researching on social entrepreneurship.
Tanuja Prasad
Through Core Ed-Tech Innovations Ltd., I would like to focus on developing self-sustained education hubs that harness the latest advancements in AI, nanotechnology, space communication, and the Internet of Things to make quality education accessible to all. My goal is to create safe learning spaces that offer support and opportunities for students in regions like Africa and Southeast Asia, without adding strain to the budgetary limits


