Unity Effect

As the cycle of the year is coming to a close, we say THANK YOU to everyone who has travelled the path with us. Whether you collaborated with us on a project, joined one of our events, took the time to read our newsletters, met one of our team members for a call, or we just knew you were out there doing your world-changing work - it’s the knowing that we are part of something bigger than ourselves that keeps us going and fills us with hope that the just and thriving world we dream of is possible. Thank you for being a part of that! We're saying goodbye to 2024, full of gratitude, hope and joy, but also quite tired. This year has been full of transitions, new opportunities and growth for us. Especially launching the Impact Garden model has been a wild ride: https://lnkd.in/eDBfUaJU. We are looking forward to a few days off to listen in and slow down. If you want to do the same and reflect back, take some time to read this article on Source by Johannes Hochholzer: https://lnkd.in/ee2YSJug. We'll be back in January to start next year with you. Join our workshop on "Setting Boundaries and Saying No" on the 23rd of January: https://lnkd.in/e2Mjxdfc. #together #collaboration #2024 #goodbye #endoftheyear #thankyou

As we are approaching the end of 2024 there’s something we need to do one last time. Share the wonderful events of our partners with you! Here’s what’s coming up until the end of the year and the beginning of 2025: Apply by 16th December for March 2025 start: Social Tides are still accepting applications for their GROW AI Accelerator, a six-month equity-free programme designed to empower impact organisations harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to create meaningful social change.  https://lnkd.in/emzVpgQw Until 20th December: The Fito Network 🧩 are running a crowdfunding campaign where every amount you give is matched. The Fito Network is a network of networks: bringing together and supporting network and movement leaders from every corner of the globe. Support their campaign so they can continue offering curated opportunities for collaborative changemakers, tools for transformation, and spaces for collaboration. Learn more about their work and contribute here.  https://lnkd.in/e9Gvy9bX Starting 22nd January 2025: The Inner Green Deal is offering an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Sustainable Transformation (MBST) programme. Learn how to turn climate anxiety and helplessness into mindful and impactful pro-environmental action, and experience the transformative energy of connectedness and collaboration. https://lnkd.in/euXVT9ei The Ecosystem Cards: International Alumni Center gGmbH (iac Berlin) and resense360 have co-created a tool to deepen your understanding of the status quo, envision desirable futures, and engage with ecosystems more intentionally. You can download the cards here. https://lnkd.in/eAn88UZf Read our newsletter to learn more about what’s currently happening at Unity Effect. Sign up to never miss one: https://lnkd.in/dxcyksC #collaboration #partnerships #together #newsletter #cycles #transitions #unityeffect #events #opportunities

A dream is coming true! There are a few things that are very close to our heart, and also deeply embedded into our organisational DNA here at Unity Effect. Our four founders, for example, come from three different continents. We’ve always treasured the value that our diverse backgrounds and perspectives bring to our team and work. It’s also a reason that we chose to work internationally and offer our workshops and programmes online since the beginning, so we could bring diverse voices and experiences together. Another core aspect of our work is already implied in our name - we’ve always seen ourselves as part of a larger ecosystem (network) of actors contributing to a just and thriving world for all, and we actively engage in different networks and ecosystems around the globe. We believe that the only way to achieve both our individual and collective goals is through honest collaboration and by building innovation ecosystems based on the principles of regeneration. And lastly, we love developing new ideas such as our Impact Garden and empowering those working on innovative approaches to address the challenges of our time. Now we can bring it all together! Jointly with the Institut Arbeit und Technik | Westfälische Hochschule and AiDiA - Afrodeutscher Startup Pitch - the Afro-German Start-Up Pitch, we started a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany. The essence of that project? Developing a framework to evaluate the innovativeness between migrant entrepreneurs and innovation ecosystems. Do you want to learn more about it? Click on the link to get to our blog article: https://lnkd.in/ee2YSJug. #collaboration #dati #learning #impact #international #unityeffect #impactgarden

🥳 After many hours of talking, designing, rearranging, recording, editing and reviewing, we are finally here to share a special invite with you! Join Jannik Kaiser and 🦜 Laila Martins for our free online course on the Impact Garden, a framework to create the conditions for systemic change, which can be applied as an evaluation framework, for strategic planning, or to build innovation ecosystems: https://lnkd.in/eK5yGWjq. It’s all about anchoring a regenerative way of being and doing in our work. In our self-paced course you will: 🌳 Learn about the Impact Garden framework and how it supports us to move away from linear logic models towards a systemic understanding of change. 🍃 Apply the Impact Garden as an evaluation framework, including formulating meaningful indicators and participatory data collection. 🌿 Implement the framework as a strategic planning tool to link external goals to internal capacities and map out the current and desired future state in a holistic way. 🌵 Use the Impact Garden as a foundation on which to build regenerative innovation ecosystems and foster participation, trust and intentionality. 🍀 Receive templates and resources to apply and adapt the Impact Garden to your work. 🌴 Have the opportunity to engage with other practitioners and participants from the course. You can take the Impact Garden online course here and feel invited to share the course with your colleagues or network! https://lnkd.in/eK5yGWjq If you want to meet us directly and explore how we can use the impact garden to nurture regenerative innovation ecosystems, join us for our free workshop on the 28th of November on Regenerative Innovation Ecosystems. You can find more information in the comments. #regeneration #ImpactGarden #onlinecourse #learning #UnityEffect

⏰ And the countdown starts: In 7 days, we are hosting a free workshop on Regenerative Innovation Ecosystems and you are warmly invited! Imagine a future where innovation isn’t just about the latest tech, but about healing our planet and uplifting our communities—that's what Regenerative Innovation Ecosystems are all about. We, at Unity Effect, believe that the processes of innovation and ecosystem building can do more than just solve problems – they can deepen our understanding, enhance collaboration, and expand our positive impact. Our Impact Garden Framework is rooted in regenerative principles, drawing inspiration from living systems and nature. Instead of enabling extractive innovation, this framework explores the soil and ecosystem that nurture life-centred innovation, helping you understand the bigger picture and cultivate thriving innovation ecosystems. In our workshop, we will explore: 🌱 How regenerative principles can guide innovation development 🌱 The role of living systems thinking in building ecosystems 🌱 We will introduce our Impact Garden framework and introduce practical strategies for applying it for innovation and ecosystem building Before the session, you can also explore a case study on implementing the Impact Garden here for the Inner Development Goals Summit 2024 Track 5: Transforming Systems - Inner Development for Climate Innovation, in partnership with the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat Global Innovation Hub: https://lnkd.in/euu24F9r. In this project, we facilitated the collaboration between these two organisations and their ecosystems, guiding them through a structured process to generate innovative and regenerative project ideas that support their shared mission. No prior experience in innovation or ecosystem building is required – this workshop is open to all. Plus, we have a special surprise waiting for you at the end! We look forward to learning, sharing, and growing together with you! #FreeWorkshop #Regeneration #Innovation #Ecosystems #learning #Impact #ImpactGarden #UnityEffect

🙌 Good news: Great leaders don't just fall from the sky. Research shows that rather than being born a leader, you can grow into your leadership potential step by step. But what are the qualities we look for in a purpose-driven leader? While researching for our model on capacity development we came across these 9 qualities you can keep in mind to "train" regularly on your own leadership journey: 🗯 Inner Clarity ✨ (Physical) Wellbeing 🌳 Resilience ➡ Goal Orientation 💚 Empathy 👌 Optimism 💪 Empowering others 🕸Engaging with complexity 🤗 Forming meaningful relationships Pretty much the opposite of what leadership often looks like, right? Want to know how we help develop these qualities? 📣 Here's an example of our work: Last year, the Joachim Herz Stiftung launched the innovate! Academy, which supports scientists on their way from basic research to marketability and entrepreneurship. They receive financial support for their research and a comprehensive seminar programme. We're proud to accompany the scientists through a two-year leadership and personal development programme. 🤝 Our contribution is not only the participatory design of the programme, but also the ongoing development of the programme as it evolves. Over the last year we paid special attention to the overall learning & experience design. With the arrival of the second cohort, we have been able to integrate the learnings from the first cohort and deepen the programme, also based on our experience as founders. To experience our work in action, you can take a look at our tailored workshop series where you can foster your resilient & regenerative leadership skills with your whole team. The link is in the comments. The world needs warm-hearted, kind leaders & teams now more than ever! So let's go! #strongertogether #leadership #purposedriven #resilience #clarity #empwerment #regeneration #teamwork #UnityEffect

Hot take: I guess in our team I’m known for the weirdest check-in questions. It took me a bit to figure out why this is a gift. Just to give you some examples: How do you feel the seasons changing? If you were a painting, what would you look like? What was the best taste of your last week? Some weeks ago I asked everyone: Imagine yourself as a bike - what do you look like? Do you have a bell, lights, two wheels or more, or maybe less? How many gears are there and which colour is the bike? We came up with some great answers: feeling like unicycles or like ringing the bell all the time, being a cargo bike in the top gear or a mountain bike going down the track. And we noticed: Sometimes talking through new metaphors can challenge us to change our perspective and in doing so we can find out more about ourselves and the others around us than with the standard question of “how is everybody?” So I guess that’s all to say for today: The weirder the better! And don’t forget to check-in with me in the comments: What bike would you be? 😉 . . . In Carla’s corner you are joining me for a hot cup of tea to talk about working from home, in a remote team and about wellbeing at work in general. Next to sharing challenges I pass on ideas, new perspectives and simple tools I use trying to navigate daily life.

Welcome to the team 🦜 Laila Martins! Over the past few months our collaboration with 🦜 Laila Martins has deepened and this month we can officially invite you to be part of the Unity Effect Core Team - what an honour it is to work with you! You bring so much joy and clear vision to what is truly relevant at this time on earth, for which we are very grateful. For anyone curious to meet Laila, there's a chance to do so at our next free workshop on Nourishing Regenerative Innovation Ecosystems - based on the Impact Garden Framework. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/d6wtX2Gg #Welcome #Team #Onboarding #Regeneration #Ecosystems #ImpactGarden #UnityEffect