Congrats, you're a Changemaker!
FAQs
What’s the story of LeadersAtlas?
Abe Sorock and Andrew Shirman, the founders of LeadersAtlas, developed a powerful methodology for skill sharing and community building while serving as Curators for the Global Shapers, a volunteer-based global leadership network associated with the World Economic Forum.
The methods were so effective and the results were so powerful that they were asked to pilot the program in a Fortune 100 company. Two years, three continents, and seven countries later, LeadersAtlas is proud to offer a unique and time tested approach that will prepare your team to change and thrive.
How does the application process work?
We'll review your application and if it looks like your topic will make a strong presentation, we'll reach out by email with next steps!
I missed Orientation - where can I review the information from it?
What kind of people will be selected as Changemakers?
Our definition is broad. We view Changemakers as anyone creating positive impact in their local communities. We want to help them amplify their mission, message, and ability to inspire meaningful change.
We are especially interested in using our expertise to support those working to improve the livelihoods of underserved, vulnerable, and/or marginalized people and communities.
Potential examples include:
- A teacher at a school with large refugee populations
- A water sanitation program manager
- A nurse treating COVID-19 patients
- A racial justice activist
- A youth voter outreach organizer
- A recovering alcoholic running cross country to raise awareness about addiction
- An artist and mindfulness practitioner
What's the CHANGEMAKERS process?
- You apply via the application link
- If accepted, we interview you about your best skill and provide you with a custom presentation deck
- You present and everyone's impressed
- Everybody applies skills learned from your session!
What types of topics will Changemakers present about?
Think of this as an “interactive skill-based TED Talk”. We work with the Changemaker to identify a skill that sits at the nexus of passion, expertise, and relevance to the group. The idea is that the topic should be narrow enough to be specific and personal to the trainer, while broad enough that it can apply to everyone in the room, no matter their background or interests.
Potential topics for the above examples:
- Teacher: How to Empower Others in Challenging Circumstances
- Water Sanitation: How to Use Data to Optimize Your Impact
- Nurse: How to Be Resourceful During a Crisis
- Racial Justice: How to Incorporate Anti-Racism Into Your Daily Life
- Youth Voter Outreach: How to Reach Your Target Audience with the Right Message
- Addiction Awareness: How to Overcome Your Fear of Being Vulnerable
- Art and Mindfulness: How to Integrate Art into Personal Well-Being
What do the marketing and presentation logistics look like?
What will the final presentation look like?
It's an hour long session where you alternate between speaking, answering questions, and prompting your attendees to participate in workshops where they practice the skill you're teaching.
Sessions take place on Zoom. LeadersAtlas will "host" the Zoom room, but you will facilitate the session.
What are the expectations for Changemakers?
What's in it for the Changemaker and the Community involved?
The Changemaker gets a chance to share what they’re good at with their peers. LeadersAtlas makes it easy and enjoyable for them to do so, significantly limiting the time and energy the Changemaker would spend doing this on their own.The community receiving the presentation or workshop gets to learn from one of their own members who is making change. Additionally, this is one of the best mechanisms we have found for team building and culture strengthening, especially in a virtual and remote COVID-19 world.
Self-Promotion Tips
Your CHANGEMAKERS presentation is mainly for your community, so you'll be responsible for recruiting your attendees. Here's a couple ways for you to get started marketing your session:
- Let your communities know the date of the event by sharing our general announcement poster as well as your individual announcement poster as soon as they're ready. You can share on Linkedin, or ask us for the poster file itself.
- Invite key people from your community to the LinkedIn event so they can register for your session via the correct zoom registration link.
- Email the zoom registration link to specific people who might not see your social media promotion, but who you think would benefit from attending your session.
- Share the LinkedIn event on your personal LinkedIn page (plus any other social media channels where you have a following).
- Ask communities of which you're a member if you can promote yourself on their channels.
Presenter Tips
- Review the deck, your stories to tell, and transitions between slides. Think about the overall argument you want to make and the examples you want to highlight in your delivery. Share personal stories - you know what you're talking about!
- You don’t need to be a perfect speaker as long as you have something valuable to deliver to the audience. What do you want your audience to take away from your session to be more productive, happier, less stressed, more connected? Be intentional about highlighting the key points you want to make.
- Give enough time for people to participate in your workshops. Sometimes it takes a minute or two for attendees to get warmed up; avoid the urge to immediately fill the silence, but if it looks like no one will speak up, a LeaderAtlas member in the session will get the ball rolling for you. Then, validate people's contributions (out loud or via chat) and connect them to your topic.
- Ask your attendees to: turn on video if possible, mute themselves if there is background noise, participate out loud or via chat, and complete the attendee survey before leaving the zoom room.
- Finally, you can trust the process and have fun! You’ve done a great job so far, or you wouldn’t be viewing this page. We’ve facilitated 100+ of these sessions and they are designed for you and your community to enjoy and get a lot out of them! You are ready to give your presentation, have fun!