When you have the seed of an idea…
And you want to bring it to fruition…
but you’re not sure where to start…
start with a seedling.
April - November 2024
Sometimes the change you want to see in the world doesn’t exist yet
And the work you deeply want to do isn’t a job you can just apply for…
You have to create it.
Which is exciting and scary and can be lonely at times!
The Changemakers Circle is a fertile ground for kindred spirits to cultivate their own purpose-infused ventures…
A place where you can find community, encouragement, and tools to help you bring your vision to life.
Watch this 5-minute video to learn more about the Changemakers Circle and the impact it has on social entrepreneurs like Andrea and Patrilie.
All about the circle
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The Changemakers Circle is a community of mutual support for creative, passionate women and non-binary social entrepreneurs to learn by doing – as well as by listening to each other and to their own inner wisdom.
If you’re thinking “Hmm, am I a social entrepreneur?” read on…
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Social change-oriented women and non-binary folks who are cultivating ventures, organizations, businesses, passion projects, side hustles, or even just budding ideas. The ventures should be guided by a desire to make a positive difference in the world, in the community, and/or in people’s lives.
The meetings will be highly interactive and participatory, and will be held online to allow for participation from any location, time zone permitting.
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Over eight months, participants will design and implement a prototype of your own project – in other words, a smaller version of your vision for your venture or a new stream of your work. Metaphorically speaking, let’s say your bigger vision is a lush, beautiful, sustainable garden. The smaller prototypes that help you get there can be considered “seedlings.”
Along the way, we’ll be inspired and enriched by the wonders of the natural world, gleaning relevant wisdom from the organic growth and interdependence of living things in a garden.
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This isn’t a frontal lecture course where you lurk on Zoom while checking emails. It’s a program where active participation and community building are an integral part of getting the results you’re seeking. Everyone is encouraged to show up with your mind, heart, body, and spirit. The group will be capped at 18 participants in order to facilitate active participation and community building.
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Some venture incubators are very analytical and data-driven, all head and ambition. Some are more on the “woo-woo” side, with an emphasis on all the feels. We combine action and intuition, head and heart, outer and inner work. You’ll tap into your innate wisdom AND get useful information from the outside world by doing real-life experiments.
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Our vision is for circle members to start turning their initiative from a dream into an emerging reality. We see you growing your ventures in values-aligned ways, nourished by the cross-pollination of community and the inspiration of the natural world.
The program design aims for you to come away with…
Real practical learning from prototyping an exciting new piece of your work
A clearer sense of direction for where to go next in developing your venture
A growth mindset, especially around developing your venture, ditching perfectionism
Deep, inspiring, mutually supportive relationships with others on changemaking journeys
Resilience skills to help you endure the inevitable highs and lows of fulfilling your vision
Greater clarity about how your social change commitments can infuse your venture
A conscious and compassionate approach to issues of privilege, identity, and oppression, as they relate to your venture
Heightened connection with your purpose, intuition & creativity
Experience communicating your vision with others
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We’ll have two 90-minute group sessions each month on Thursdays at 3:00 pm ET. Generally, the first session of the month will introduce a new “key element,” while the second session will provide space to actively discuss and develop your venture prototypes (“seedlings”). Occasionally guest speakers – seasoned social entrepreneurs – will ground the thematic conversations.
To encourage community building, the group will have a private channel (on a platform called Mighty Networks) for sharing updates, resources, and queries. You’ll also have the opportunity to be paired with a check-in partner to touch base outside of group sessions, if desired. A resource list and venture planning worksheet will be provided.
Three individual 30-minute strategy sessions with Sarah or erica are included, and can be scheduled at your convenience. Sarah has times available during weekdays Eastern Time, and erica has availability ranging from Sundays through Thursdays. We aim to support time zones across the US and internationally.
For more in-depth support, one-to-one coaching packages are available as an add-on.
Group sessions will take place on the following Thursdays at 3:00 pm Eastern Time:
April 4 (new kickoff date!)
April 11 & 25
May 16 & 30
June 13 & 27
July 11 & 18
September 5 & 19
October 10 & 31
November 14
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The package includes 13 group sessions, 1 community event, and 3 private 30-minute strategy conversations with Sarah or erica on planning, implementing, and learning from your prototype. We are offering a sliding scale at three price points:
Standard Rate $1,000 - recommended for: those with individual income between 50-100K | those in domestic partnerships with combined income between 100-200K | those experiencing financial comfort but not excess.
Supporter Rate $1,300 - recommended for: those with individual income above 100K | those in domestic partnerships with combined household income above 200K | those with significant access to savings, investments, or other capital.
Financial Access Rate $700 - recommended for: those with individual annual income under 50K | those in domestic partnerships with combined household income under 100K | those experiencing financial strain.
The program fee may be paid upfront or split into 5 monthly installments.
We do not want cost to be a barrier to participation. If additional financial assistance is needed, please note that in your application, including whether you’re interested in the possibility of a work trade.
To further support a sustainable and equitable relationship with freshly grown food, 5% of the proceeds from this circle will be donated to DC Greens, an organization that furthers health equity by creating cross-sector collaborations and advancing equitable, city-wide policy solutions to build a just and resilient food system. They do this work in solidarity with marginalized communities experiencing poverty and food insecurity.
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Realize Change is committed to being part of what the honorable late Rep. John Lewis called “the Spirit of History.”
What that means to us is:
Being part of bending the arc of history toward justice… toward a world where everyone can meet their basic needs, access opportunity, and realize their potential no matter their race, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, class, religion, or other facets of their social identity.
Striving pro-actively to build communities, relationships, and spaces where everyone who feels called to be there can access the opportunity, show up as their full selves, and thrive. In particular, we’re committed to ensuring that BIPOC and LGBTQ+ participants feel “in good company” in our group settings, and this commitment informs the recruitment process for the circle.
Nurturing individuals to develop as social justice leaders who bring compassionate, courageous, welcoming spirits to their life’s work, and who catalyze meaningful, strategic, and effective change in a world that desperately needs it.
Standing up and taking action together as the Realize Change community — following the lead of values-aligned partners — to do our part in making systems change.
We believe that developing awareness and taking action for equity is never-ending. If “woke” is the destination, then “waking” is the journey, and we’re all on it. We welcome conversation and learning with our community so we can grow ever stronger in our pursuit of a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.
Our growth journey
In the circle, our venture development will be informed and inspired by the guiding metaphor of gardening.
Each month, we’ll explore the phases of growing a garden – and the natural elements that support a plant’s organic growth – translating that wisdom to our ventures.
APRIL | Planting | Earth
Connect with the element of EARTH – the values, commitments, and support systems that ground and nourish your venture
Brainstorm an energizing vision for your new venture or an initiative within your existing venture, once it has come to fruition
Begin “planting seeds” through customer discovery conversations, to help inform your prototype
Explore the idea of the “seedling,” a metaphor for prototyping using “minimum viable products”
Action Steps: Reach out for customer discovery conversations, mindful of seeking diverse perspectives; begin to come up with ideas for prototypes you can try out in a short amount of time this June - September
MAY | Sprouting | Water
Connect with the element of WATER – the mighty and life-giving force whose flow reminds us of justice, transformation, and adaptability
Talk about the world we want to see and how our ventures can help create a reality that is more inclusive & equitable – both in terms of their overall missions AND how we “practice what we preach” along the way.
Talk about how customer discovery is going, what you’re learning
Brainstorm seedling ideas and narrow them down to manageable experiments that you can carry out during June - September
Choose a small, doable idea as your first seedling; talk about how to set up the prototype
Action Steps: Continue customer discovery conversations, synthesize key themes; start planning a prototype (“seedling”) and get ready to try it out
JUNE | Growing | Sun
Connect with the element of SUN – the energizing fire that wakes us up and motivates us to let our ventures see the light of day.
Check in on how the “seedlings” are growing, offering each other mutual support as you get your prototypes going
Action Steps: Start implementing your prototype!
JULY | Blossoming | Pollinators
Connect with garden POLLINATORS – the community of activators that partner with plants to spread their pollen far and wide, a metaphor for the interconnected relationships through which our ventures can reach their full potential.
Discuss the relationships, networks, and communities that are important to your venture – partners, collaborators, funders, customers, beneficiaries, connectors, cheerleaders…
Talk about how the prototypes are going and how we can address challenges by drawing on the wisdom of the natural elements within our ecosystems
Action Steps: Continue running your prototype! Cultivate relationships in your venture
AUGUST | Summer Break!
Action Steps: Continue running your prototype… And remember to rest!
SEPTEMBER | Fruiting | Air
Connect with the element of AIR – the invisible breeze that plants turn into the sugar and fiber of fruit, with a little help from the sun. The exchange of oxygen reminds us of the give and take in our ventures.
Talk about the “fruits of our labor” and articulate the value that our ventures are bringing to the people they serve.
Talk about how prototypes have been going, what you’re learning so far, how you’re gathering participant or user feedback
Action Steps: Wrap up your prototype and get feedback; take a visibility “leap”
OCTOBER | Harvesting | Mycelia
Connect with the element of MYCELIA – the vast fungal network underground that has been likened to the internet, transmitting information and sustenance, as well as breaking down what’s no longer needed
Harvest your learning at the closing celebration with supportive cheerleaders, by sharing how the prototypes turned out, what you did, how it landed, what you are taking away!
Share and receive offers of in-kind resources and leads to continue growing your venture
Identify what you want to take with you (harvest) you’re ready to let go of (compost) as you close this prototyping cycle
Appreciate the circle and explore ways continue iterating and developing your venture
Meet your facilitators
Sarah Beller, co-facilitator & strategy coach
Sarah Beller, photo credit Vernee Norman
Five and a half years ago, I picked nine cards out of my deck of Crazy Sexy Love Notes and lined them up on my coffee-table-turned-headquarters. Breathe deeply. Pause. Listen to your body. Notice the blessings. Believe. You are loved. Offer your love. Risk it. Make waves.
Then I hit “share” on my big announcement: my new venture Realize Change was live, and after 15 years working in the non-profit sector, I was now an entrepreneur.
Over the next few weeks, I had coffees and phone chats with dozens of people, sharing my vision and figuring out how, exactly, I was going to go about making it work. I was putting myself out there, keeping a sense of excitement and possibility, even confirming my first paying client!!
Then one day, I had a conversation that really threw me for a loop. This person was trying to be helpful and supportive, but unfortunately, the effect on me was just the opposite. I was hurt and fuming. I felt small and incapable.
And at that moment I faced a choice: I could fall into old habits of stewing and licking my wounds, waiting for some external circumstance to come along and cheer me up. Or, I could do things differently.
Here’s what I did…
Turning on “Roar” by Katy Perry, I summoned my inner tiger and actually, well, roared.
I looked at nice notes people have given me over the years and took in their sentiments, feeling grateful for these relationships, and for being seen and appreciated in my unique contributions to the world.
Then I took out a stack of notecards and penned my own messages of thanks to people whose kindness and trust in me were key to getting this venture off the ground.
But my fledgling resilience needed more practice to grow stronger and really “stick.” Over the course of the fall and winter, through leadership trainings, coaching sessions, reading, movement, and journaling, I continued to do the deep inner work I needed to do to be successful in my venture.
There were rocky moments, profound moments, and exhilarating moments. Poetry ensued. I resolved on the deepest gut level to finally let out my authentic creativity, so that my soul could thrive. I put my coaching offer out there through listservs and workshops, and brought more and more clients on board. I adopted new money beliefs, and set income targets that sounded something like a salary. I shared 15 years’ worth of original songs with a packed house of friends and family, and with the entire internet. And, oh yeah, I took up the cello.
Among other sources of support, one of the most helpful things during this time was a professional peer group that my friends Kelsey, Gabriella, and I created for ourselves. We met over video conference each month to celebrate wins, seek support and suggestions, and set goals with accountability. It was an ideal antidote to the loneliness of solopreneurship, like having really close colleagues again, even though we were pursuing our own handcrafted paths independently.
Now, over five years into a thriving venture, I want to offer all this to you. As co-facilitators, erica and I are bringing together some the most powerful and effective tools we’ve found — along with years of facilitation, community building, innovation, and mentorship experience — to create an enriching, transformative experience for folks with important and soul-centered social change visions that need to be realized.
As your facilitator and strategy coach, I will see you as a peer. I’ll listen deeply, honor who you are today and who you are becoming, ask tough questions with compassion, and share insights and reflections. In the context of our sessions, you will identify the action steps you most want and need to take — and our community will support you in holding yourself accountable and following through on them.
I truly believe that the world needs you, and your authentic contributions. In the words of a friend of mine:
May the longing of your heart be met with the longing of the world for your unique awesomeness, your radiance, your struggles, your truth.
— Rabbi Laura Bellows
erica riddick, co-facilitator & Strategy Coach
erica riddick, photo credit PK Photography
With a head softened by too much banging against the architectural glass ceiling, I had been dreaming about a transition where my kickass collections of skills honed from a robust career conveying the intricacies of something as big as a house on something as small as a piece of paper would be welcome. The pandemic created that moment, whether I was ready for it or not.
Everyone loves the idea of an architect. Although, I suspect few truly know what is involved in taking an idea through design development into a three-dimensional reality. I learned how to build people’s dreams through a lot of listening. I never thought of it as coaching. We used to build our own homes with help from our communities. Today, often our homes feel like one more system we don’t fully recognize or understand… but we can still tap into the wisdom of building with each other.
Release any assumption that one person has all the skills needed to lead and support the work.
— Adrienne Marie Brown
After a long period of search a job, that I fell completely in love with, found me. The opportunity to support prophetic individuals taking root in the cracks and growing something new in the place of what was never serving us. An incubator of sorts, but instead of fueling the organization we nourish the humans dreaming it. Design thinking re-imagined… my jam, for good.
The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.
— Toni Cade Bambara
It was a natural lateral transition from building abodes to building up people. Every day I still use verbal, written, and visual communication. I definitely tap into my project management skills. But the foundation of my special sauce is a practice of listening honed through repeated design development processes… and the audacious belief that our world needs us to dream.
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
— Audre Lorde
While my rational brain can see the logic, I still have moments where I second guess myself. Saying yes to opportunities is exciting, and also terrifying. I was a participant in Realize Change’s reVision Lab and loved the community of women & non-binary folks so much that I joined the Changemakers Circle. After all, I had been forced into a transition and a little support couldn’t hurt.
Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right.
— Ani DiFranco
I admired the active living example of Realize Change tapping into the power of peer-supported community and carving out a diverse inclusive space… it was beautiful and irresistible.
As co-facilitator, I see my role as listening for the intersections of your wisdom gained along your journey and asking questions that help lead to the next right step. Reflecting your brilliance back to you. I will also be open to all the “crazy” ideas… sometimes that is where magic resides. And, I am going to laugh a lot and remind us all to make this journey fun.
You have everything you need… and, we also need each other.
Hear from past changemakers
Portraits of the 2019-2020 Changemakers Circle by Tara Pokras
Participating in the Circle helped me take practical and immediate action forward on a project I'd been wanting to prioritize for a long time.
— Whitney K.
The Changemakers Circle made a huge difference in being a supportive and collaborative space to bring my concept to fruition, build my confidence in sharing my venture idea, and receive constructive feedback and helpful connections from other women pursuing meaningful ventures. I recommend the Changemakers Circle if you need a greenhouse of support and encouragement for your ideas to flourish in.
— Andrea W. S.
Participating in the Circle gave me the tools, resources, and peer support I needed to think bravely, take action, and be confident enough to share with others.
— Circle Participant
The Changemakers Circle curated a consistent space where I felt heard, seen and supported. As a queer femme of color it's sometimes challenging to find groups like this that are inclusive of both my race/ethnic background AND my gender identity, and Changemakers delivered.
The Changemakers Circle is a great fit for anyone that has felt minimized or dismissed in a work setting due to their gender, race, or other social identity and is interested in pursuing social entrepreneurship, but doesn’t know where to start.
— Patrilie H.
The Circle gave me the emotional support to raise $90K and to make fundamental changes in my life and my business.
— Carla M.
Working for myself and leading a solo venture is rewarding in many ways and it can also be isolating and lonely. So having a community of people who are supportive, encouraging and are pursuing similar projects has been quite meaningful for me and has made me feel less alone in my work and out in the world. Looking back to six months ago when this started, in large part aided by the Circle, I feel much more confident and connected; I'm incredibly grateful for that.
— Liz L.
After participating in Sarah's cohort for women social entrepreneurs, I'm coming away with renewed faith in myself and a greater feeling of community. I would recommend this program to people who are actively working through issues in their work for social change. This cohort helps prepare you to do your life's work!
— Lisa H.
I know that anything is possible now.
— Nanayaa K.
Screenshot of the Changemakers Circle celebrating our metaphorical “harvest” in October 2023.
Interested?
UPDATE as of April 1, 2024: We still have a few spots available in the cohort. Please let us know you’re interested by submitting your brief application AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. No commitment or payment is required to apply.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please apply as soon as possible, as the application form will close once the program has filled.
Looking forward to seeing your venture blossom!!