How do we make a difference? How do we address problems that seem intractable? What can one person or even a handful of us do in response to the poverty and inequality we see around us every day? It’s a question that many struggle with: both individuals who want to make a difference, and organizations […]
Business bottom lines, social missions, and environmental sustainability. These diverse aims have been traditionally cast as antagonistic, but the growing field of social enterprise includes numerous examples of successful ventures that meet a “triple bottom line” of people, profit, and planet. As written previously on this blog, people and organizations in Saskatoon are starting to […]
If you followed my previous dispatches from the 2014 American Evaluation Association conference in Denver (or my rapid-fire tweeting during the conference), you can guess that I really enjoyed the experience. It was great to meet some evaluation social media celebrities in person –Chris Lysy, Sheila Robinson, and Kylie Hutchinson, to name a few -, […]
This is my second time attending an AEA conference, which should theoretically have prepared me for the size and sheer energy that comes with these events: that being said, I’m still a bit overwhelmed! After a great workshop yesterday on systems thinking, the opening plenary provided a insightful keynote by AEA president Beverly Parsons introducing […]
Among the things I’m thankful for (note to my American readers, we celebrate Thanksgiving a bit earlier than you!) is the opportunity to attend the American Evaluation Association’s conference this year. As Chris Lysy pointed out in one his evaluation comics, the reasons for bringing upwards of a thousand people together is constantly evolving, especially […]
The signs of fall are clearly in evidence here in Saskatoon – leaves starting to turn, a chill in the air (though fortunately we missed the snow that hit our neighbours in southern Alberta!), and a calendar rapidly filling with events and grant application deadlines! Webinars Innoweave, a national initiative supporting social innovation, has several […]
I love my work as an independent consultant working with non-profits and for-impacts … however, as a solo entrepreneur, it can be isolating at times. Working at a coworking space like the Two Twenty provides some regular “water coooler” social interaction, and coffee meetings with other consultants and people in the non-profit field keep me […]
As an amateur photographer and a seasoned people-watcher, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m a fan of the Humans of New York photo blog. What makes the content really engaging is that photographer Brandon Stanton goes beyond the portrait by engaging in conversation with the person and sharing something insightful, amusing, or just […]
Since I started Strong Roots Consulting just over two years ago, blogging has been an important component of my work. For me, sharing ideas and resources through this website is not just a way to introduce myself to the community and demonstrate my knowledge and strengths (though it has helped in that regard!): I also […]
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed last night some tweets with the hashtag #evalc2014 – representing the Canadian Evaluation Society’s 2014 National Conference. It’s my first evaluation conference since the American Evaluation Association event almost two years ago, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to connect with my evaluation colleagues […]