Center for New Community: New Website!

Center for New Community (CNC) was established in 1995 by a group of religious leaders and community organizers to address the nation’s most intractable social, economic and racial injustices. In the nearly two decades since, CNC has had significant impact through its organizing and programmatic initiatives across the nation, and is widely recognized for its work to counter racism and organized bigotry.

The Firebelly U Fellows were approached to collaborate with this amazing organization early on in the program, and had the good fortune to work with CNC for the entire nine months of their Fellowship. After meeting and learning from the CNC team, the Fellows realized the organization needed more than just a few well-designed flyers and a website, they needed a customizable communication system. The Fellows worked hard to create templates with styles that were easy to use so CNC could share important time-sensitive information in a quick and clear manner. The migration of their previous site to a new platform with a simple CMS also allows them to get the word out. 

Working alongside and learning from real change-agents was invaluable and something the Fellows will never forget. CNC are leaders in making our world a better place. Check out the new site we created with them or follow their blog, Imagine 2050, to keep up with everything CNC.

El Fin.

I’ve been putting off writing this post for a long time. We were asked to provide a wrap-up of sorts about our FirebellyU experience and a bit of a glimpse into our future. I guess my procrastination with this entry is indicative of my reluctance to admit that FirebellyU is over. 

When we first stepped into the studio 9 months ago, none of us really knew what we were getting into. Sure, we understood that this was going to be a Social Enterprise incubator, but we hardly ever imagined that FirebellyU would turn into what we experienced over the past nine months. 

Looking back, its amazing to see both the quantity and quality of work the fellows and I put into the program (oh, and not to mention the dean + the chancellor!). From surprise visits, to death-marching blog posts, to off-sites, to client meetings, to clogged toilets and dead keyboards - FirebellyU always had a surprise in store for us.

One of the reasons I chose to be a part of this experiment called FirebellyU was due to being a participant at Camp Firebelly. Camp blew my mind in terms of helping me realize that my “limits” are not static, but dynamic—this was by far the most resounding take-away. I expected a whole other level of boundary-pushing from FirebellyU - that’s what I signed up for.

Be careful what you wish for…

Two months in, I was kicking myself. The FirebellyU experience was kicking my ass. I was working all day on our client work, while at night, focusing on “figuring things out.” I kept pushing myself…I NEEDED to find a start-up to create. Food trucks? Fitness Centers? It was a nightmare trying to dig deep to find a way to blend my save-the-world aspirations with business practicality. 

Quixotic was the output. In its first rendition, Quixotic was a service-based company that focused on helping companies connect with their customers better through a redesigned approach to CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility. 

The Shark Tank experience scared the hell out of me and helped me, as they say in the start up world, pivot. I realized that CSR was not what I wanted to do - I wanted to build movements. I wanted to inspire others to take action in their world. 

So I set off on a journey towards becoming a movement-builder that zigged and zagged through learning how to code, collaborating with a friend to help build a movement, and even applying to join a team of professional movement builders.

The journey was a tumultuous one, but it helped me get where I am today: Quixotic (2.0). Quixotic is an initiative focused on building products that inspire optimism in our daily lives. I’ll be building out four web-based products over the next six months called Little Big Wins, FuckYou.Smile, IHeartthistown, and Consume&Create. Keep an eye on Quixoticinc.com and @QuixoticInc for updates!

With Quixotic in full gear, I’m packing things up as I move from lovely Chicago to the burbs of NYC in Long Island. That’s home-base, both past and present. I’ll be connecting with the activist and start-up communities in NYC to get a foothold and a network of collaborators and supporters. It’ll be difficult leaving such an amazing network of friends here in Chicago, but rather than lament about the future, I want to cherish the past. 

The past 9 months have been life changing, as expected. I came in expecting to creating a start-up…what transpired was an intense internal psychological, professional, and emotional struggle to find out what my skills truly are and how I can transpire them into a sustainable business model. The pressure cooker of FirebellyU tested me in so many ways and has helped me become so much more than I could have imagined. 

Sigh…I’m terrible at goodbyes…so, let’s not think of this as a goodbye—more of like a see ya later. 

It’s been real, FirebellyU, but I must go - Quixotic needs me.

Wait, Firebelly U is over? Sad face. 

Wow. What a whirlwind!

Nine months ago I started my first day at Firebelly University with what seemed like the beyond crazy dream of starting a design studio that served a higher purpose than just selling products. I wanted to work with organizations I believed in, I wanted to create campaigns that moved people, I wanted to make a positive impact on the world – and I wanted me, & my colleagues, to be paid for their work. A novel idea, I know. 

The concept really did seem distant and foggy though that first week. Hell, it was foggy for the first 8 months! However, after lots of workshopping, I have learned that it is possible to run a design studio with a conscious. And not only is it possible, I’ve learned how to do it. Correction, I haven’t learned how to do it, I am doing it. 

Firebelly U has given me the opportunity to pitch my business to some of the most successful social entrepreneurs and creatives in the Chicagoland area and beyond. Their advice and anecdotes have been completely invaluable.

SO much so, that last March Made By We started working with their first client – the Ohio Innocence Project out of Cinicinnati OH. We were a perfect partnership because they were doing all sorts of amazing work, but having trouble sharing the impact they were making in their community outside of their organization. 

We worked together to create an inforgraphic that was so successful it brought one of the inmates to tears, and a member of the legal team offered me their first born child & swore to tattoo my name across their chest. For the record, much as we like babies and tattoos, Made By We prefers payment in the form of cash or check, thanks!

Since then, we have started working with five other non-profits and social enterprises – and our community of collaborators is ever growing. The ‘We’ of ‘Made By We’ does not only refer to the collaborative approach we take with our clients, but also to the fact that MBW is made up of many collaborators and creatives. 

Depending on the style and scale of a project we expand our creative team for a custom fit. Offering pay to in-house designers,  freelancers, young designers & others who may not get the experience to work with the social sector otherwise. We’re growing fast, too, so make sure to let me know if you’d like to collaborate!

In a way, I can’t believe Firebelly U is over. That might have to do with the fact that I’ve still been in the office every day for the last two weeks. It has been a tremendous experience and I will never be able to fully express my gratitude to Dawn & Deborah for taking a chance on me. The wildcard. And to all the people who have been supporting us along the way, I have no idea how I’ll have repay you all for your inspiration, motivation, kind words and generosity. I probably wouldn’t even have a roof over my head, let along be starting a business, without all your help. You know who you are & I love you all!

Enough with the mushy — I am beyond excited that I am now able to focus all my attention on Made By We help it grow into the company I could only dream of nine months ago. Things are kicking off slowing by surely and I can’t wait to see how we grow. If you’re interested in working with us, or collaborating internally, reach out to me here or tweet at us here! 

Do You Love Trolls? A Year in Review.

We were released into the wild for a little over a week ago now, and, you know what? The world isn’t collapsing around me. For those of you who know me well, you’ve probably gathered that uncertainty makes me nervous and a little anxious. It’s funny then, that I would choose to enter Firebelly U and start my own business. It’s like deciding to eat peanuts when you’re allergic. Though, however much I freak out about what’s next, what I have realized through my little self-strengthening exercises and limit pushing is that the whole world really won’t collapse in an instant. I’m not afraid of a challenge and the Mayans had it all wrong anyways. So here I am, Day 12 or so after Firebelly U, alive and well. 

Let’s take a step back. The launch was exciting, intense, and amazing! It was wonderful to see close friends, mentors, clients, and colleagues all in one space to support us. What a great turn out! I am truly grateful for all the love and support in one room. Many of the people there knew what I was up to with Knowtify, but most only knew a fraction of what I had been doing these past several months. One good friend came up to me and said, “Amy, I knew this Firebelly thing was a big deal and an exciting opportunity, but I had no idea how much you guys actually did and how unique it is!”

In case you missed the fantastic launch event, let me tell you a little about Knowtify. With Knowtify, I’m setting out to tackle some of our most confusing issues. Things that give you a headache, make your stomach turn, and all-in-all bug the crap out of you. I think you can think of some—perhaps investing money or choosing health insurance. Yeah, no one likes dealing with those, me included. Anyways, I figured, one of the things I was always good at (and really enjoy doing) was researching complicated issues and conveying them visually. So voila, enter Knowtify. 

The process of figuring out what I really loved to do was not an easy one. I went through a series of workshops and heartfelt talks with the other fellows, Deborah, and Dawn. For a while there, in the beginning, I was really lost. The one thing I continuously came back to was my love for digging into facts and finding stories. That love and the annoyance of many of our services is what propelled me forward. The guidance of the others allowed me to see opportunity in my passion. 

Once I narrowed down to starting Knowtify, it was just a matter of owning it and rolling with the punches. To be honest, I really struggled with this. There were many moments when I thought, “Amy, what the heck are you doing!? Why are you doing this?! Are you crazy!?” Yet, at Firebelly U, everyone believed in what I was setting out to do and truly believed that I could make it happen. This encouragement took me far and I will miss their daily nudges and constructive criticisms. 

This past year has been intense, but it changed my life. I believe the most stressful moments, the ones that push you to your limits, show you what you’re capable of. I learned about myself, started to define my career trajectory, and set lifelong aspirations. I felt endless compassion and support from Dawn, Deborah, Liz Rose, Jince, and Johnathon. It never ceased to amaze me that these busy individuals, would stop in a second to lend a helping hand. Without them, this experience would have been entirely different. In a way, they changed my life because without them, I don’t think I’d be where I am now.

Funny how things happen the way they do. I guess the only thing left to say is “thank you.” So, thank you. Thank you for listening to this lengthy ramble (as I’m prone to do), for supporting me, and for being an all around rock star this year. 

Friends, keep in touch and stay tuned for what’s to come with Knowtify. Don’t forget to watch my good friends Jince, Johnathon, and Liz Rose as they continue on their journeys too. Firebelly U might be over, but everything else is just beginning. 

Oh ya, in case you were wondering, this post had nothing to do with trolls. I just happen to like them. 

A Little Help From Our Friends

Heart Giants is officially launched. If you had a chance to make it out to our launch party, you heard me give a brief overview of how we look at the world. If you didn’t have a chance to make it, then here’s a quick summary. Heart Giants is a collaborative design studio focused on making art and design a viable element of small communities. We created Heart Giants with four ideas in mind:

1. We serve the communities where our friends, families and neighbors reside
   The focus of our work is finding inventive ways to tell individual stories and connect them to the world. Having spent time collectively in the field of Journalism, we understand the power of focusing on a single community, telling the community’s stories and defining meaning within our lives.
    
2. We create design that serves people, ignites creativity and shapes community minds
   We work with businesses and organizations that have a mission to deliver a product or service that serves people. Having spent years working for and within mission-based organizations, we have seen first-hand how design can have an immediate, visible impact and extend an organization’s reach.
    
3. We value our clients, their business and the changes that help their organizations evolve
   We work directly with our clients to find the source of their problems and help them achieve success. Spending countless hours with clients has taught us that mutual investment creates mutual success. And, sometimes, we even given away our time, expertise and energy to these organizations.
    
4. We strive to be the source of our community’s creative pulse
   Not only do we create work for our clients, but we create work for ourselves. Starting with our own questions, we create work that sets out to find answers. We may not find answers, but what we find, we want to share with our community. We want to inspire others to create their own work.

Before and after the presentations, our fearless leaders and confidants, Dawn and Deborah poured out their hearts to us. They thanked us for our time, commitment and courage. And if that wasn’t enough, in true Dawn Hancock fashion, they surprised us with an iPad to jumpstart our new business planning—Nice!

For me, this was the first real step in owning Heart Giants. Up until this point, we had been pitching our businesses, but it always just felt like practice. This was a defining moment in carving my own career path. It’s not going to be easy, but not to worry, because I have an amazing group of friends and mentors that will help me create success. First, and foremost, Dawn Hancock and the whole Firebelly family for taking a chance on me and believing in me. Deborah Alden for being the most gracious mentor and therapist that a group of entrepreneurs could ask for. Liz Rose Chmela of Made by We for her worldly perspective and lovable obsession with grammar. Amy Guterman of Knowtify for her focus on data and details, keeping us all striving for perfection. Jince Kuruvilla of Quixotic for bringing his optimistic nature into our lives every single day. If you have a chance to work with these people, I know they will change your life too.

The launch party was an awesome time to thank all the supporters that helped us get through this crazy journey. If you saw our video, then you know that we truly believe it takes a village to get things done. We couldn’t have done this without you. I look forward to sharing life, love and work with all of you in the future. 

Neighborhood Story Project: New website!

Neighborhood Story Project was founded in 2004 as a book-making project based in the neighborhoods of New Orleans. In the years since, they have expanded their practice of collaborative ethnography outside of schools, producing books and posters that do the work of telling stories of the city. They work with authors and neighborhoods, then celebrate publication with block parties. The books have gone on to be citywide bestsellers, selling more than 35,000 books.

Stories of Change Impact Lab

Last month the Fellows packed their bags and set off for Berkeley, California! For an entire week, we were immersed in brainstorming, ideating, learning and sharing with five amazing social entrepreneurs, videographers, strategists, designers and creatives of all backgrounds. The Stories of Change Impact Lab was put on collaboratively by the Skoll Foundation, Sundance Institute and Tomorrow Partners with the goal of bringing “creative firepower to open innovative new pathways” in five inspiring organizations.

Each of these groups – Barefoot College, Imazon, mothers2mothers, Partners in Health and YouthBuildUSA – had a dedicated team of creatives and strategists focused on solving a particularly challenging issue facing their organization. Each of the Fellows (and our dean, Deborah) participated on different teams and have shared their perspectives below. We were so thrilled to have been a part of this event and look forward to seeing the impact it has generated within these five organizations. 

Jince: 

Participating in the Stories of Change Lab was quite the adventure!

There were nearly fifty of us participants in the lab and most of us had never met each other. In the midst of the hecticness of building world-changing ideas, we tried to make time to build lasting relationships. We ate together, laughed together, even played basketball together. We shared stories from our past and empathized over common barriers within our fields…and what stories they were!

I’m still amazed how such varying life situations and experiences have all led us to a similar path. I’ve found myself in this field of social design/social change/do-goodery by way of getting expelled from school, being a devout catholic then a devout atheist, and growing closer to inner reflection―a bit wonky, huh? Talking to a few of my cohorts at the Lab, it seemed like many of us have come to social design by way of crazy careers and life choices. 

Regardless of how we got there, creating sustainable change is the unifying theme for bringing us together into this community―and a community it was. While being embedded in the mothers2mothers team, I saw our group go from a set of strangers to a medley of friends. We had lively discussions and debates about everything from building family ties to the best type of chocolate in the world. Conversations like these gave us a chance to disengage from our work mind and let our play mind take the wheel, which is when our brains have the chance to make broad connections and spot unfamiliar patterns. 

The broad connection we found led to our mothers2mothers team developing a toolkit of solutions for a pervading organizational problem. We spent hours hammering out a cohesive concept then even MORE hours crafting the right story to present it. I myself spent most of my time crafting a short video and helping with the presentation, which was spectacular!

I am so proud of the work that our team achieved to put out in such a quick turnaround! I was floored at the level of insight, authenticity and vigor that the rest of my teammates brought to the table. Even in the hours of uncertainty and mild fear, the team stuck by strong and pushed on together. Though, it wasn’t until the final presentation that this amazing journey truly dawned on me. 

We made friends, pitched ourselves, brainstormed, ideated, drew together, shared meals, exchanged ideas, built companies and websites, and even ate chocolate together. To think…this all happened in a week!

Amy: 

While my year at Firebelly U is coming to a close, I couldn’t think of a better way to see it out than at the Stories of Change Impact Lab. This year has been full of new experiences, friends, and life lessons. As a social entrepreneur, I learned how to write a business plan and run a business. As a designer, I learned new techniques for collaboration and presentation. The impact lab was the perfect storm of the world I’ve been living in for the past year. It was a place where social entrepreneurs and designers united, collaborated, and designed for social impact.

As a member of the Imazon team, it was especially exciting to cut my teeth on an area that I am so passionate about―informational clarity and relevance in the social sector. Imazon’s research has the potential to end deforestation in the Amazon, a critical source of oxygen for the entire world. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to get started.

I have done small workshops in the past, but nothing compared to the five day extravaganza that Tomorrow prepared. Each day was tailored just right, so that by the end of day four we had a clear direction and a solution to propose. As a designer, I went from knowing very little about the organization on day one to feeling well exposed to their challenges by day four. The best part of the process was getting to hear from the different types of people in the room. We had Imazon from Brazil, filmmakers, facilitators, designers, and so on. With all these different perspectives at play, valuable insights were added and discussion had. Everyone approached each day with an open mind and open heart, making our process exhilarating and smooth.

I enjoyed the workshop experience as a whole. I met some amazing and passionate people, who I hope to keep in touch with as our lives continue down various adventurous paths. This workshop also gave me experiences and sparked ideas that I can now bring back to Chicago and apply to my work here. All in all, it was a successful week and one that I hope to have the privilege of experiencing again.

Johnathon:

Being part of the Tomorrow Partners Stories of Change Impact Lab was nothing more than an amazing opportunity at the most opportune time. Getting to share time with the YouthBuildUSA organization and the amazing designers that made up our team was a combination of education and passion. The YouthBuildUSA team was a mix of tenacity, talent and dedication. While the designers were a mix of thoughtfulness, patience and big-thinking. This combination was perfect―as we were tasked with bringing the problems facing education and poverty to the national conversation. Luckily, YouthBuildUSA has already been doing this for 30 years, so the designers just had to listen, learn and create a solution that would help them spread their stories across the country and the globe.

For me personally, being connected with YouthBuildUSA was serendipitous. I couldn’t help but feel a connection to the organization and their graduates. YouthBuildUSA gives high school students, in the worst situations, the opportunity to get a GED and go on to secondary education or a sustainable career path. I felt connected because I too know what it’s like to be a self-starter. In fact, this exact motivation and attitude is what has led me to the entrepreneurial space I find myself in now.

My own journey to becoming an entrepreneur has been amazing but long. Having started my career in journalism

as an editorial designer then working through the politics of a not-for-profit as an in-house designer. Then going back to grad school and being given the opportunity to teach young designers was all preparation for what ultimately lies ahead―working with unique individuals that make changing lives possible through design.  

And I have learned over time, that I wanted to create strategy that improves people’s lives and getting to use those skills to help organizations like YouthBuildUSA is exactly the place I’m supposed to be in my career.

I have participated in similar design charrettes, but this lab was different. The stakes were higher and thus the reward was greater. Our team let this thinking be our north star as we focused on creating a story building platform that would allow YouthBuildUSA graduates and the nation at-large to engage in a dialogue surrounding complex issues. Working on this problem was challenging because the reach would create impact, but the audiences were diverse and many. Most importantly, though, the underlying challenge was the chance to change hundreds, if not thousands, of young lives.

Working with such a diverse group of people was incredible: the conversations were dynamic and fruitful; 

leaders emerged and roles were challenged; ideas became tangible, visualized and real potential took shape.

The synergy produced work that the organization could be proud of. It was crafted by their leaders with a resounding voice directed towards an audience they needed to be invested in the most―their graduates.

They are at a critical juncture where the power in their organization is shifting from the founders to the graduates.

As the graduates continue to become successful adults, they possess the skills to lead an organization focused on providing America’s youth a unique voice to change poverty and education.

Liz Rose: 

Working with the Partners In Health (PIH) team was incredible – so many bright minds and passionate individuals all in the same room. Our process began where any adventure should – trying to truly understand where they were as an organization at that moment in time. Who were they trying to reach? What obstacles stood in their way? How could they better fulfill their mission? We asked question after question and listened for the entire first day – quite a data load!

Day two brought more insights and personal stories. Cori Shepherd Stern, a film producer and agent for social change, was a vocal member of our team and had some incredible stories to share. She has been documenting PIH’s work in Rwanda and though some of her stories were heartbreaking, all of them were inspirational and filled with hope. We spent a long time understanding how these personal connections and relationships fit into the PIH model, sketching out systems and working to make their process visual. For the second part of the day we broke into smaller teams and did ‘yes,and’ style brainstorms, which introduced lots of new ideas into the group. Needless to say, we ended the day with LOTS of ideas! Mercifully, one concept stood out from the rest, and by nightfall we had agreed on a direction to pursue.

After a good night’s sleep,  we began to poke holes in our “solution” and really find the problem points. Addressing these concerns was painful and exhausting (everyone just wanted the answer to be perfect and move on) but we kept at it and came up with a stronger solution for it. We probably made the most tangible progress this day, which really helped to keep people’s spirits up. As amazing as our time spent brainstorming in the rooms was, I really appreciated the opportunity to check in with some of the other teams at meal times and learn about their days, too. By day three I already felt like I was surrounded by my best friends… I guess working day and night to solve common problems will do that! 

We started out day four by completely modifying our solution, as is want to happen in these sorts of brainstorming sessions! Katie, Maggie and I cobbled together a presentation with direction from the PIH team, and managed not to be the last team out of the office, despite the last minute changes in approach. We really considered how our solution would live in the real world – would the rest of the PIH organization support it? Was it a sustainable solution with a chance at longevity? How much would it cost to implement and does PIH have the personnel to maintain it? All these creeping thoughts influenced us to continually modify and tweek our solution, and I think we really could have used another week (or two) to really think through all these issues. As much as we wanted to deliver  an airtight solution in one-week, that was not in the cards.

The last day was presentations and I was so proud of all the teams. Design thinking can be a very uncomfortable experience, and all five organizations clearly participated in this process to the fullest and explored new ideas without hesitation or fear. The ideas generated were inspiring, and most important, implementable. 

I am so excited to see each of these organizations continue to tweak and modify the ideas generated at this workshop, and hopefully implement these solutions in the near future. Working with the PIH team was incredible, and I know they will continue transforming the global health landscape for the better way into the future.