Last month, I led a workshop at the Elevate Prize Foundation's Make Good Famous Summit. But it wasn't your typical conference.
First of all, Elevate gives ten non-profits $300,000 in unrestricted funding. And, they?clearly showed they care about people, not just the organizations they work for.
Right before the workshop I led on Visual Storytelling for Impact, there was an hour-long?session on?breathing and meditation. Elevate understood that a burnt-out leader means a burnt-out team. ??
This focus on well-being wasn't just a one-off.
The first two days of the event were dedicated to intimate skill-building workshops for the NGO winners. This fostered a sense of community that often gets lost in big conferences.
Even as the summit expanded with more attendees on the third day, that feeling of closeness stuck. It allowed for meaningful interactions, which, let's be honest, can be hard to find at any event.
I was inspired.
I?took a?morning walk on the beach with one of the Elevate Foundation?winners,?Mpindi Abaas, who runs the?Media Challenge Initiative, an?organization that trains and assists young?journalists in Uganda.
We talked about work, life, and family.
This kind of real connection occurred?throughout the week. It culminated at the closing ceremony when a past winner,?Koketso Moeti, surprised Elevate CEO Carolina García Jayaram and founder Joseph Deitch with a heartfelt speech.
She spoke about how much Elevate's support meant to her and how valuable the summit's focus on well-being has been.
It was a powerful moment that showed the impact a summit can have.
Do you and your team want to learn more about the storytelling best practices that I taught during my seminar? Click below ??
