Stronger Stories

The view from the top of BT's Three Snowhill - almost as inspiring as the conversations today at the Social Value UK (Institute of Social Value) annual conference 😁 Though impact is the driver for our work at Stronger Stories, we only began our journey into social value at the start of this year. As relative newbies, it was very reassuring and affirming to hear a lot of our thoughts echoed by those of other attendees! ⭐ A few key takeaways: 👉 Transparency is so key. When reporting your impact, that includes warts and all, not just a version of the story that makes your organisation look good. Every activity offers a learning opportunity, even (or especially!) when there are unintended consequences. 👉 This helps build trust - a recurring theme throughout the day. According to Edelman's Trust Barometer 2024 report, business is more trusted to integrate new innovations into society than government, media, and NGOs. There is still a level of public skepticism, however. 👉 Happily, storytelling also came up a lot 👀 "Stories are just data with a soul" - Brene Brown said this, but it could have easily been a quote from today! The power of social value doesn't lie in the numbers (though they play a key role), but in the emotional resonance that comes with being able to explain exactly how your initiative affected real people's lives. Thanks so much to all the amazing speakers for today (I was particularly inspired by the words of Zoë Colosimo, Hana Kapetanovic, Dr. Tumi Hawkins, and Simon Godfrey; go stalk their work!!), the fabulous Isabelle Parasram OBE and the ISV team for putting this event together. And many thanks to Tom Winter for embarking on this learning journey with me. I look forward to reflecting on the year to come at the 2025 event 🤩

Went back to The American University in Cairo today, this time rocking my Stronger Stories hat. What was supposed to be a planning session with Hala Barakat and Sherine El Essawi for a Storytelling workshop at AUC Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation turned into a deep chat about the power of storytelling, the importance of democratising access to the skill of storytelling, and what it all means amid the madness of today's world. Going back to my alma mater with a mission to inspire and upskill felt so energising, and I can’t wait to see how this workshop unfolds—stay tuned for updates! 👀

Blue skies over Birmingham for the Social Value UK Institute of Social Value Annual Conference today! 🤩 Strong messages so far underlining the importance of standing for something and going on a journey to grow impact with integrity - with the support of the ISV. 💪 As we continue our own journey with measuring and assessing our social value at Stronger Stories I’m looking forward to soaking up insights from today’s talks and panels, along with Aphie Gover 🧠

“Don’t keep your head down. Don’t be scared to tell your positive stories.” Juergen Maier CBE FRS FREng delivers a rally cry to UK leaders who want to drive positive inclusive change and tackle the toxic narratives of the anti-movement. #stories #leadership #cipr Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Anyone who knows Stronger Stories knows we're big fans of Elizabeth Bananuka and Blueprinted. In case you missed it: their The Pros Conference is back with 'Make Comms Great Again: How to Use Your Comms Skills for Good' taking place on Thursday 28 November 2024 at London’s Conway Hall. The conference will explore new comms techniques and audiences, showcase great work, celebrate creativity, and provide an inclusive, dynamic space to engage with big topics including DEI, climate change and the political landscape. It will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshops delivered by a host of experts including journalists, content creators, activists and comms specialists. Confirmed speakers including journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, The Guardian's Joseph Harker, Dope Black Dad's founder Marvyn Harrison, South Asian Heritage Month co-founders Dr. Binita Kane and Jasvir Singh CBE, and science-first content creator and musical artist, Big Manny, has just been unveiled. We've got our tickets. To book yours or check out the programme head to: theproswinterseries.com

Some interesting thoughts on mission-led innovation and why narrative change plays an important role in its adoption. Mike Pitts thanks for the shout-out, look forward to continuing this conversation in the near future.

“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story,” said Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, drawing on learnings from a lifetime of behavioral economic research. In a world that feels increasingly complicated... with interconnected problems that can seem insurmountable, what is it about certain stories that spark decisions to change? How can we collect and amplify more stories that prompt individuals to take positive action? That's what we'll be exploring in the interactive panel I'm moderating on behalf of Stronger Stories at the Global Washington #GoalmakersConference on December 4th, hosted by Microsoft. Our panel features leaders who have approached this challenge from different perspectives - including: ⭐ Debi Blizard, Principal of Social Impact, Intentional Futures ⭐ Lacey Stone, Chief Development Officer, USA for UNHCR ⭐ Linda Low, Director, Social Impact Practice, APCO ⭐ Jennifer Strachan, CEO, Cinereach I'm looking forward to learning from this brilliant group of panelists -- as well as the other sessions at the conference. It's shaping up to be a great couple of days. Hope to see many of you in my #Seattle network there! If you need a ticket - registration is still open here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gaQFs7cn

“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story,” said Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, drawing on learnings from a lifetime of behavioral economic research. In a world that feels increasingly complicated... with interconnected problems that can seem insurmountable, what is it about certain stories that spark decisions to change? How can we collect and amplify more stories that prompt individuals to take positive action? That's what we'll be exploring in the interactive panel I'm moderating on behalf of Stronger Stories at the Global Washington #GoalmakersConference on December 4th, hosted by Microsoft. Our panel features leaders who have approached this challenge from different perspectives - including: ⭐ Debi Blizard, Principal of Social Impact, Intentional Futures ⭐ Lacey Stone, Chief Development Officer, USA for UNHCR ⭐ Linda Low, Director, Social Impact Practice, APCO ⭐ Jennifer Strachan, CEO, Cinereach I'm looking forward to learning from this brilliant group of panelists -- as well as the other sessions at the conference. It's shaping up to be a great couple of days. Hope to see many of you in my #Seattle network there! If you need a ticket - registration is still open here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gaQFs7cn

For anyone working in sustainability who is still taking on the implications of the U.S. election, I highly recommend this excellent blog by BusinessGreen's James Murray. Reminded me of the importance of telling stories about why clean tech and sustainable businesses are better, which isn't solely about alignment with policy goals. Makes it more important than ever to help customers and the public understand that these things improve people's lives, open commercial opportunities, save money and increase supply chain security. https://lnkd.in/edXS5ZVW Stronger Stories

Hello from Cairo! Yesterday, we were energised and inspired by the incredible stories shared at the CEO Women Conference – an annual event aimed at empowering Arab women in business and leadership. The Entrepreneur Zone was buzzing with stories and insights from amazing partners like AUC Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Entlaq Holding, Flat6Labs, MSMEDAEG, and many others. One of the standout moments was a quote from Mirna Arif: “We don’t need to empower women – women are already powerful. What we need is an equal, balanced system that allows women to thrive.” Here’s to creating a world where everyone can reach their full potential.  #StrongerStories #Storytelling #Empowerment #Leadership #Cairo