We are
Weaving Futures
We support impact networks, network leaders, and organizations in weaving new futures, shifting systems, and co-creating conditions for collective flourishing in our complex world.
Why Impact Networks?
An impact network approach to collaboration brings individuals and organizations together around a shared purpose to address a complex challenge.
It starts with the question:
What can we do together that we can’t do on our own?
With distributed leadership, impact networks navigate complexity and achieve results by enabling collective learning, innovation, and coordinated action.
Our Approach
We work from the inside out to support people in developing the mindset and skill-set needed to launch a new impact network, revitalize an existing network, and/or collaborate for systems transformation.
As an impact network ourselves, we embody the network principles and practices we share with our partners and the broader field, including our relational approach to collaboration.
Drawing inspiration from the natural world, we are adept at engaging complexity and fostering emergence through continual experimentation, learning and iteration. We operate within a virtuous cycle, in which learning together informs our consulting work and strengthens the field of impact networks.
Weaving Futures is committed to fostering a more just world in which opportunities are accessible to all. In keeping with our core values, we embed equity and liberatory change practices within each of our offerings.
Our Collaborators
We partner with networks, organizations hosting networks and collaborative initiatives, foundations, governments, institutions and their leaders. Our collaborators are:
Catalysts committed to navigating complex social systems and finding leverage points for activating change.
Open-minded explorers who engage difficult topics with humility and integrity.
Visionaries who understand living systems and seek to co-create relational, respectful, responsible approaches to advance the common good.
Leaders who trust in the inherent good of human beings and see potential in collective approaches.
Forward thinkers who weave diverse perspectives and ways of knowing to co-create futures that are more equitable, inclusive and impactful.
About Us
Weaving Futures is a network of experienced practitioners, strategists, designers, facilitators and coaches who support impact networks. Based in the U.S., we work around the globe with a shared commitment to creating a more just, equitable, and joyful world.
As co-creators of Converge, we honed our expertise by guiding the development of impact networks and network leaders throughout the world. As a community of practice, we continue to prioritize learning and field building.
Now operating as a Perpetual Purpose Trust, Weaving Futures advances an impact network approach to collaboration for navigating complexity, shifting systems, and co-creating the conditions for collective flourishing.
Our Theory of Change
The process of weaving impact networks builds capacity to co-create desirable futures and shift systems.
Connect. Through connecting around a shared purpose, network participants build relationships of trust.
Coordinate Actions. With trust, people can better coordinate their learning and actions.
Collaborate for Systems Change. Once people have taken action together on a small scale, they are poised for larger scale collaboration and impact.
What People are Saying
You’ve given me a new way of thinking about pretty much everything. I’ve realized how stuck in this old paradigm I have been. Thank you for nudging me to really see what impact networks are about.
Julie Uridil, Vitality Lab @Google
At Women's World Banking, we were deeply committed to engaging leaders to accelerate women's financial inclusion in a responsible and sustainable manner across the globe… [Weaving Futures] taught us about designing a network community where our stakeholders could share ideas and practice new leadership behaviors in a safe space, and, ultimately, translate that learning into meaningful on the ground action.
Sarah Kleiner Buitoni, former Director, Women’s World Banking
Weaving Futures taught us how to ‘be’ as network weavers and facilitators, trained us in the art and science of design and facilitation of community experiences, and the essence of our role as community builders. Working together, we built the skills and infrastructure to facilitate collaborations for systems transformation.
Sam Bonsey, Co-Founder and Executive Director, The ImPact
You provided me something I could not have found elsewhere--a safe place to put forward my toughest work-related challenges with a skilled and empathic listener and facilitator who asked the exact right questions I needed to move forward.
Toby Rubin
Former CEO, Upstart Lab
The emphasis on both personal growth and systems change in the Impact Network Leaders Peer Learning Cohort has been transformative for my practice.
Sekai Chiwandamira
Regional Head, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)
Your natural and genuine way of being is infectious... Participants at our events reflected that the exercises you led helped them share with more vulnerability. I was so pleased to see our community accessing their own wisdom and authenticity.
Michelle Stransky
Conference Director, Wisdom 2.0 San Francisco
Weaving Futures taught us how to ‘be’ as network weavers and facilitators, trained us in the art and science of design and facilitation of community experiences, and the essence of our role as community builders. Working together, we built the skills and infrastructure to facilitate collaborations for systems transformation.
Sam Bonsey, Co-Founder and Executive Director, The ImPact
Your natural and genuine way of being is infectious... Participants at our events reflected that the exercises you led helped them share with more vulnerability. I was so pleased to see our community accessing their own wisdom and authenticity.
Michelle Stransky
Conference Director, Wisdom 2.0 San Francisco
The emphasis on both personal growth and systems change in the Impact Network Leaders Peer Learning Cohort has been transformative for my practice.
Sekai Chiwandamira
Regional Head, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)
You provided me something I could not have found elsewhere--a safe place to put forward my toughest work-related challenges with a skilled and empathic listener and facilitator who asked the exact right questions I needed to move forward.
Toby Rubin
Former CEO, Upstart Lab
At Women's World Banking, we were deeply committed to engaging leaders to accelerate women's financial inclusion in a responsible and sustainable manner across the globe… [Weaving Futures] taught us about designing a network community where our stakeholders could share ideas and practice new leadership behaviors in a safe space, and, ultimately, translate that learning into meaningful on the ground action.
Sarah Kleiner Buitoni, former Director, Women’s World Banking
You’ve given me a new way of thinking about pretty much everything. I’ve realized how stuck in this old paradigm I have been. Thank you for nudging me to really see what impact networks are about.
Julie Uridil, Vitality Lab @Google
Our Core Values
To create conditions for healthy collaboration, we center the following values and principles in our work:
Love.
We move from a place of love, creating and tending relationships based on trust and care for ourselves, each other, and our planet.
Liberation.
We work for a more just and equitable world, engaging liberatory practices, including fostering agency, leveling power asymmetries, repairing harm, and catalyzing systemic change.
Humility.
We practice many ways of knowing and doing, bringing curiosity and empathetic inquiry to better understand ourselves, each other and our world.
Emergence.
We actively embrace life as a journey of inner and outer growth, continually learning and skillfully engaging with complexity and change as it unfolds.
Joy.
With a spirit of wonder, creativity, and possibility, we tap into joy as a transformative force that enlivens and sustains our work.
Depth.
We bring our authentic selves, our creativity, and our dedication to both the process and product of our impact network tradecraft.
Co-Creation.
We balance autonomous and collective action in service of our shared purpose, demonstrating care, mutual responsibility, and reciprocity as part of an interdependent living system.
What We Do
Clarify shared purpose and values, build a foundation of trust, and initiate practices and initial teams to advance collaboration. Create the processes and structures that will enable connection, learning, and action across your system.
Impact Network Start-up and Coordination
Lead engaging and productive convenings (online and in person) that bring individuals and organizations together to advance their shared purpose.
Network Convening Design and Facilitation
Foster transformative leadership development through coaching, cohort-style trainings, and customized workshops that build the capacities of network leaders, weavers, and coordinators. Learn more about our current offerings.
Design and lead the search and hiring process in collaboration with your team to select and onboard a new network facilitator, weaver or coordinator.
Search and Hiring
Partner with network leaders to assess network health, operations, and outcomes. Support connectivity, learning, collaboration, and impact using qualitative and quantitative methods such as surveys, interviews, and social network analysis (SNA).
Impact Network Evaluation
Contribute to the field through writing, conducting research, and convening periodic virtual learning exchanges on topics related to network leadership, impact networks, and a relational approach to collaboration.