ChangeMaker Connect Forums are virtual gatherings curated for women at all leadership stages in nutrition and food systems. A Forum is hosted every few months and chaired by a member of our NGLC leaders task team. The sessions feature short talks and breakout discussions designed for meaningful connection. Since 2021, 495 participated in these online forums, and the network continues to grow. The NGLC has hosted two types of forums: Spotlight Dialogues, which have been completed, and the Storytelling Dialogues, the current forums format.
Storytelling Dialogues are the way the speakers share their brief stories. Participants get to hear several women share their stories in navigating challenges in any leadership capacity throughout their careers in food and nutrition systems (FNS). After that, participants split into breakout rooms with each of the speakers. It’s an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and conversations, exchanging knowledge and experience.
It aims to create a platform for groups/organizations to tell stories of the successes and challenges faced when structural barriers hinder prioritizing the goal of improving diets and food systems. Stories can also encompass why these challenges exist (highlighting power imbalances, inequities and/or conventional uses of power), and how these were/are being tackled through collective action (referring to our eight leadership practices when possible). These forums help unite individuals and groups working to address FNS challenges, and foster a sense of empathy, common purpose, and collective agency to act in the face of power imbalances in FNS.
These forums aim to build a powerful, supportive global collective of women leaders committed to a well-nourished world. By coming together, these forums are safe spaces to share, listen, and lift one another up as we dismantle the barriers—internal and external—to transformative leadership.
Women across the globe working in nutrition and food systems who resonate with our eight courageous leadership practices and want to lead with purpose, connection, and impact. Currently, we are focused on creating a space for women from all over the world who are navigating leadership at any level in the nutrition and food system space.
The forums are managed by the NGLC leaders task team, one of whom is paid part-time to support the collective. The rest are all volunteers. We are currently seeking foundation funding to help support and scale our impact. Got ideas? Let us know by emailing us at contact@nextgenderationleaders.org.
Participants are invited by recommendation or can express interest directly. We’re growing intentionally and welcoming new members along the way. Want to attend or tell your story? Fill in this form.