Design Influence Season II — Episode 5: The Audacity of Difference — Reinventing LGBTQIA Activism

What does it mean to create shared value partnerships uniting small businesses, corporations, and government? How might we best redirect resources, technical support, and money where it’s most needed?

According to our guest Louise Chernin, the answer in making a difference could be in shifting your point of view:

All of the non-profits need to change […] So, for example, GSBA saying we’re not just going to raise money and benefit our members, but where is the need greatest in the community? And once you start doing that, you start forming relationships with corporations; you start forming relationships with other communities.

In episode 5 of the second season of the Design Influence podcast, we talked to Louise Chernin. She is an activist, LGBTQIA business and community leader, and the former CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association.

Louise shared insights gleaned from 20 years on the front lines of community building, economic empowerment, and making a difference for many people. Some of the critical points of our conversation are:

• seeing opportunities for reinvention in crisis
• supporting collective impact and systems change by making human connections
• showing up as an ally as well as a leader to reach other economic sectors and communities within communities
• embracing activism as a synonym for evolving, mutually beneficial, action-oriented partnership

We recommend you dive into the entire episode to get more context, insights, and wisdom from Louise.