Hello Reader,

Welcome to my 100th newsletter🎉

To do ANYTHING for 100 times is an accomplishment (which you know if you've ever attempted 100 pull-ups, or eating 100 oysters, or interviewing 100 changemakers around the world).

To mark the occasion, I logged back into Mailchimp and dug up the very first Social Venturers newsletter from December 2018. We were living in Toronto, Canada, at the time. With the help of a babysitter I was slowly dipping my toes back into work supporting Startup Champions Network and reading the ESHIP Playbook cover to cover.

Back then, this newsletter was a general life update and my musings on motherhood. Some elements have remained steadfast over the years (my reading list and resources that I think are too good to keep to myself). Others have run their course (I cut back on the personal musings). New ones have emerged (namely ecosystem building as the main topic).

The cadence changed from occasional newsletter every few months to a committed fortnightly issue. And there's no reason to believe that the evolution stops here.

I will continue to test new content elements and formats, I will continue to change and adapt alongside our field. I will lose some of you readers (thanks for being here this long!) and I will gain new ones (yay!).

I have often described this as a "love letter to my community" and that's the one element that will remain unchanged: An email every two weeks that reminds us that our work as do-gooders, systems architects and behind-the-scenes operators is not in vain. That - even though often invisible, undervalued and rarely recognized - what we do matters in the long run. I will continue to equip you with the research, tools, insights and resources to do this work without burning yourself out in the process.

And to those of you who have ever taken the time to respond to this newsletter, a heartfelt THANK YOU! Unless you yourself have written 100 newsletters it might be hard to understand how wonderful it is to receive a response from a reader. Please keep 'em coming!

Ecosystem Essentials

In this new section, I will share one new idea, skill, research insight or tool with you to make you better at what do you, or help you do it with less effort.

The Skoll Foundation published a series of articles under the banner of mainstreaming social innovation in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Now, I’m the first to roll her eyes at big sweeping statements like “The time is now for philanthropy to align the speed and scale of our investments with the scope of the global challenges that social innovators seek to address.”, because, duh!

After combing through the series, however, I believe that we as "bridge builders" and "systems orchestrators" can learn a handful of things from their findings.

1. I have always thought that we are limiting ourselves by focusing on entrepreneurial ecosystems. The ecosystem mindset can be applied in various other sectors, geographies and to global and local challenges - it is a unique way to see the world and to make sense of how we affect change within it. This series delivers a global-solutions perspective, and two case studies, that go beyond the entrepreneurship context.
2. The series outlines engagement strategies for stakeholders that we need at the table:
   1. Philanthropists: Joint funding models to build long-term strategies for systems change​
   2. Government: Leveraging government to fund and scale innovation where it's most needed​
   3. Private sector capital: How to unlock program-related and mission-oriented investments to fund the work​
3. One article in this series shines a light on new evaluation approaches that center equity, trust and adaptive learning. Monitoring and evaluation within complex, adaptive systems are a tough nut to crack.

4. Their call-to-action outlines three priorities that we can all get behind (otherwise this newsletter might not be for you):

• Tell meaningful stories that showcase the success of this systems work
• Apply existing financing practices, mechanisms, and approaches to better support and extend the reach of social innovation (addressing philanthropists and impact investors)
• BUILD THE ECOSYSTEM. An ecosystem doesn't build itself, it needs ecosystem builders aka bridge builders aka system orchestrators.

5. One of the outcomes of this research is the Centre for Exponential Change, an "orchestrator of orchestrators" or a resource hub for bridge builders = ecosystem builders.

Bookish

All things books and independent bookshops

• If you're looking for some wholesome historical fiction with a touch of magic, check out Elizabeth Becker's debut novel The Moonlight Healers.
• I joined my neighborhood book club for Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.
• ​Liquid by Mariam Rahmani was my March pick for Book of the Month and it's a contemporary perspective about finding love.

I'm on a mission to visit, shop at and tell the stories of 40 Independent Bookshops by the time I turn 40 in December. Here is my latest bookshop adventure:

Middleburg Books On a snowy January afternoon, I stumbled upon the most charming and magical little bookshop in a small town west of Washington, D.C. Middleburg Books

On my desk

The International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) will hold its 39th International Business Incubation Association (ICBI39) in Philadelphia, PA, April 5-9, 2025. This event brings together entrepreneur support professionals from across the U.S. and around the world to engage through keynotes, peer-led sessions on a broad range of topics, the exchange of ideas and solutions with other attendees, and more.

I'm excited to co-host a session on effective storytelling for ecosystem builders. Come join us:

To continue to hold space for our creative community in the Shenandoah Valley - and keep it free and accessible for attendees - we have launched a crowdfunding campaign. We are raising $15,000 to cover the cost for our events and to ensure we can pay our small business vendors for their hard work. If you want to support us in our mission, do so here:

Shen-Anika-ns

I ended last year, and began this one, by spending a lot of time outside. The more I hiked and "forest bathed", the more I wanted to do it.

Right now, I dedicate one afternoon a week (mostly Fridays) to hiking. Living a mere 20 minutes from the Shenandoah National Park provides me with ample opportunity and near-countless trails.

Three tools that make each adventure even more fun:

• ​All Trails app to research and plan my hikes, guide me on the trail and make sure I don't get lost.
• Hiking boots. I grabbed a pair of Teva's at the end-of-season sale last year. Having good shoes goes A LONG WAY on rocky, slippery and icy trails. Don't skimp on proper footwear, your ankles and knees will thank you!
• My most anticipated highlight on each hike? Not the views. Not the rest. It's THE SNACKS! Last Friday, I hiked 8.3 miles with a friend and I had spent more time planning our lunch menu than the actual trip. No joke. I made Feel Good Foodie's Smashed Avocado Chicken Sandwich from her cookbook. Food tastes best outside!

I will be back in your inbox in two weeks!

In camaraderie,

Anika

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