Community Impact in 2020

Impact Examples

On Thursday, December 3rd, Be Social Change hosted the Social Impact Holiday Connector to celebrate the impact of our community, even despite great challenges.

When we asked people to share, we were blown away by the wide-ranging impacts this community contributed to the world. Here’s what was shared:

 

  • Dylan Alban: Expanded tablet-based access to education resources to thousands more incarcerated learners this year
  • Kate Williams, 1% for the Planet: Serving and supporting my staff all year
  • Morgan Long: I helped GOTV for the 2020 election with three environmental organizations
  • Stephanie Warren (she/her): I contributed to PepsiCo winning best ESG reporting at the corporate governance awards!
  • Matt Nink. / NGC Consulting: Started 2 new retreat programs, and created new partnerships with GREAT temammbers in Milwaukee
  • Danielle Mowery: Launched social media presence for Partnership for the Homeless in NYC
  • Jen Parlin: I stopped using paper towels!!! I switched to towels and I love it!!
  • Georganne Shirk: As a CASA volunteer, reuniting an infant in foster care with her grandparents in NJ for a visit – while the courts were closed! Still working on permanent placement.:)
  • Elizabeth: I launched my first podcast, entrepreneurs IRL
  • Ragz: I am proud of the youth ambassadors who were recruited this year for the dance program
  • Jackie @ CUNY Tech Prep (she/her): Launched our first campaign at CUNY Tech Prep, with Classy – which I learned about through Be Social Change! https://www.classy.org/campaign/wearectp/c311146
  • Caroline Towbin (she/her): Organized phonebankers in Maricopa, AZ
  • Brenna Dolan (she/her): I managed the logistics for rescuing fabrics the waste stream.
  • Kim: I’m proud that I’ve been able to keep pushing my new company forward and getting some good promotional materials:-D
  • Anne Friedman (she/her): June pride month cause campaign partnership with an awesome company called Only Human
  • Jen Ruiz: I gave a TEDx talk virtually!
  • Mollie Ruth (she/her): I’m proud of learning how to take more time for myself and enjoying it!
  • Leanne Walker: My husband and I sold our home in Durango, Colorado and bought a home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.. we both got new awesome jobs.. all during this covid crazy time!
  • Nadine Cino: pivoting
  • Emma Shirato Almon: Graduating with an honors thesis!
  • Jorge & Myriam papas de Tiago Kinder: Fully funding and starting installation at Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN…and the inclusion of a distance learning module on Solar.
  • Bruce Allen: In 2020 I made tremendous progress in breaking down geographic barriers within the Southeastern B Corp community
  • Bree Falato: I learned to focus on myself and my family
  • Meeta Anand: Led a statewide coalition towards achieving a fair and accurate Census count in NYS!
  • Alexandra Harper: I launched my first group program
  • Kim: Started meditating and have stuck with it daily – morning and evening!
  • Kris: We just launched The Community Engagement Almanac: a tactical guide for supporting productive and equitable conversation with community-based stakeholders. Excited to share this new resource… https://tythe-design.org/resources/
  • Ezra (they/them): I helped coordinate my first sci/art collaboration, and started exploring the nonprofit sector as a career path!
  • Deb Brodheim: Helped League of Women voters obtain 2 new grants
  • Emma Jacobs: I worked on an awesome team to help bring a Business For Good B Corp Consultancy Internship to the University of South Florida!
  • Tessa Bill: Established UGG’s first branded sustainability program, comms plan, and budget.
  • Geetika Pandey: Started working on my impact venture socialimpactlistings.com
  • Sue Pasieka: Started a new strategic partnership to help foster ocean stewardship across the Americas.
  • Alli Shurilla (she/they): Redesigning my business focus
  • Samantha Fennell: I re-launched my business which better aligns with my personal mission.
  • Jeanne: So happy to have finally found a great organization to work with that has real impact in empowering people to invest in social ventures. Genuinely grateful for the people I work with.
  • Steven Clift: GoodCarts launched our new Shopify App! https://apps.shopify.com/goodcarts – And attracted 40 new store members
  • Mia Stenning: I shaved my head for the first time ever. Eek!
  • Gail Goldspiel: Shipping 16 boxes NYC to another state and successfully getting all of them to arrive in the new apartment in just a few days!
  • Pino Fortunato: 2020 I have launched www.greenbuildingmap.com
  • Rebecca Cohen-Lindfors: Being laid off due to COVID, as well, and fell into some great experiences. Have met great people, as well.
  • HS: I’m proud to have finally balanced my workload so I can throw myself full force into the job hunt:) And for moving to NYC!!
  • Damien: I have learned how to rapidly age my hands through frequent washing.
  • Nancy Down: Worked on an awesome impact investing project
  • Catherine Orr: Proud that we created a powerful climate change video campaign for a big impactful org – while pivoting to remote production.
  • Dave Lishansky: Found a mentor who can teach me all the things I still don’t know
  • Dana Ray | she/her: I’m so proud of growing my network and meeting so many fabulous people–creatives, leaders, entrepreneurs— in 2020! All on zoom!
  • Gesina Beckert: After being laid off due to COVID, I attracted my first clients and helped build a more sustainable supply chain and communicate positive food impacts.
  • Meris Stone: Finding the job I was looking for and volunteering with a community repro health organization.
  • Martin Royal: Transferring an in-person employee engagement and leadership program to a virtual environment and still maintain the focus and expected outcomes! Now wondering if going back to in-person will be worth it!
  • Kristina Kohl: Writing a new book, Driving Transformative and Equitable Change to Build an Inclusive Organization.
  • Joanna Giordano: became a certified Health Coach to add value for my clients’ healthy living aspirations.
  • Sheri Kurdakul: We partnered with The Halo App to create the VictimsVoice Halo Fund, where we will be able to give up to $1,000 no-interest loans to victims of domestic violence to get out and feel safe – https://VIctimsVoice.app/pay-it-forward
  • Cristina Deptula: We got three panels full of authors accepted to speak at the Association of Writing Programs conference – and we kept three families out of homelessness and got another person off the streets and into working with us.
  • Jenna: I’m incredibly proud of the proud of the food program I built at Chef Central, the education I was able to spread, and I’m excited to use it as a springboard to a career with real impact on the world!
  • Silvina: In my professional life, I am proud that I found my partner, Soledad, and that together we have built a great platform to help smaller operations adopt and understand sustainability. In my personal life, I am proud that I was able to volunteer and help a lot of people who had a very though year.
  • Kim L: I’m proud to work for Essential Partners, a nonprofit that helps people to connect across divides. We’ve impacted thousands of people in the past year.
  • Jacob Xavier: Getting into grad school + making new friends.
  • Dr. Benjamin Ritter: taught myself how to cut my own hair!!!!
  • Molly Holland: I engaged in a fabulous creative community.
  • Jeremiah Grant: I just accepted a new job and will be moving to Seattle!
  • Himanshu.: Just graduated Year 12!!!:))
  • Laura Penalosa: Launched Coffee with Purpose podcast to dive in to the work that some incredible people are doing in the impact space, leaders at Lyft, Eileen Fisher, Shopify – amongst others! It took a lot to get here and it’s been excited to get it out in the world.
  • Jasmine Paul (she/her): I took on a larger roles within my organization due to changes brought on by the pandemic and am really proud of our group over the last 6 months.
  • Vruti Patel: Working with a career coach (Jenn!!) to learn more about myself and my next steps in my career! Excited to see how I go about this in 2021!
  • Michelle Thomas: Shepherded Mata Traders, a wholesale clothing company, thru Covid-19 – despite the to-be-expected loss in wholesale revenue we did not cancel any orders with our fair trade producer groups and were able to place our Spring 2021 orders on time!
  • Alana Jackler: Writing a workbook/ video class series to empower nonprofits to create social videos.
  • Anitha Moorthy: Connected with old friends that I’ve lost touch with, and made some new ones. I work in global health, and it has been interesting to say the least!
  • Mike Slaughter: Found out I will be a Dad (for a second time). Baby is due March 2021.
  • Ami Greener – him: As travel shut down, pivoted to working as a gov contractor here in DC. Helped with GOTV in swing states as well as day of election!
  • Jenny Olensky: I’m proud of expanding my knowledge by taking online courses!
  • Suzanne McGillicuddy: So proud of mentoring a group of students who amplify voices of BIPOC students at FIT and work with them on a documentary that premiered in October that was done during the pandemic interviewing BIPOC students about their experiences with racism on campus and dealing with the pandemic and the movements for racial justice.
  • Andrew: Making the conscious decision to serve purpose driven companies and organizations, helping them create awareness and engagement using stories.
  • Eliza Edge: In 2020, our members at Cahoots (my company) have collectively avoided 4,000 kg tons of CO2e emissions by borrowing us instead of buying new kids clothes. That’s the equivalent of driving 10,000 miles.
  • Jenna: I’ve been volunteering with a few of the local food banks; every set of hands helps!
  • Lakimja Mattocks: Helped young people with the college application process
  • Matt Nink: Grant for Wellness Circles for 300 students, educators, and parents in Milwaukee
  • Sarah G: Impact this year – volunteered full time for the 2020 election!! For the win 🙂
  • Megan Kolioupoulos: I have found my love for reading for the first time since finishing grad school!
  • Dr. Benjamin Ritter: ah impact: 5-6 virtual events a month helping others manage their career pivots and journeys
  • Mackenzie Feldman: growing our Herbicide-Free Campus campaign to 20 schools
  • Tess Gardephe: On a personal note, I started a social justice focused book club with friends and we are happy to welcome others into the book club!!:)
  • Lauren Hughes-McClanahan: I’m a lawyer and help people build and protect their brand. ANNNDD this year I got engaged and married!
  • Elaine Roghanian (she/her): Advocated for equity-centered change within my organization that helped lead to significant restructuring & change!
  • Nicholas Coblence: 2020 I found love and we survived COVID!
  • Darren Port: Produced 17 virtual events for our charity partners and raised over $6.8 Million dollars
  • Jaime Kobin: donated blood
  • Mike Simpson: Transitioned out of the Marine Corps, accepted to and started at Columbia Business School where I’m focusing my MBA on Nonprofit Management!
  • Andres Machuca: Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners partnered with Andrew Yang & Humanity Forward to help 1000 residents of The Bronx receive a $1000 payment!!:)
  • Paulina Ortiz: Working with the Sierra Club in organizing a adventure/outdoor film festival showcasing diverse filmmakers! To go live in Feb 2021:)
  • Kristi Porter: I celebrated my fourth year of supporting nonprofits and social enterprises through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting.
  • Danielle Mowery: Helped Brooklyn Book Festival go virtual this year!
  • Wajih: helping first-generation college students and volunteering to teach children rockclimbing
  • Chuck Brown (he/him): Proud of organizing with 40 local social enterprise leaders around the country at the onset of the pandemic to reimagine Social Enterprise Alliance!
  • Silvina: I volunteered to help families whose parents lost their job. My family help feed homeless in NYC
  • Stephanie Hay: Started working on a health equity venture project with women and BIPOC founders that I truly believe in!!!
  • Tolulope Lawal: I started sharing inspiration on LinkedIn:) Excited to connect with everyone
  • Silvina: I organized a grassroot movement to help 15 families with kids with autism so the parents had a break with homeschooling
  • Munira @ Matter Unlimited: I am fortunate to have just recently recovered Covid-19.. I tested negative this week!
  • Kristi Porter: I also loved sharing the stories of 29 social enterprises and nonprofits who successfully pivoted this year: https://bit.ly/3d9Y0Qf So inspiring!
  • Sara DiBona: Redesign and launching a website, getting married and surviving the year!