Let’s say hello, I’d love to know more about you and why you’re here!
I’m Gen, I’m a coach working with people who lead systemic change and I’m the creator of this newsletter and host of this community.
I live about 30 minutes south of Lisbon by the sea with my husband and our two dogs. We moved here for a career break just before the pandemic and liked it so much that we decided to stay. I love learning from a great book or podcast, taking photos, long dog walks on the beach, spending time outside especially in forests and gardens, and hanging out with my husband and friends.
I’m really interested in the links between consciousness and growth and the impact we can make in the world, both individually and collectively. I’m also interested in the future of coaching and one dream I have is for everyone to have access to high quality support for their development.
Tell me a bit about you, lets get to know each other in the comments section below! What brought you here? What are you working on right now and how could this resource and community help you? What are your dreams and visions for the future?
It’s so great to have you here, thanks for joining us 🧡
Hi Genevieve and everyone, it is great to be here.
I live in Switzerland and work as a Relationship Coach. I am leading systemic change in how society views and prioritises relationships. I am on a mission to normalise investing in our personal relationships through therapy and coaching. I am currently focused on an in-person couple’s relationship workshop I will deliver on Saturday 20th May in London. Think fun team building but for couples! If you would like to learn more, please feel free to get in touch. This community could help me by being a place to share ideas and get feedback, and I am very happy to do the same in return. My vision for the future is to work with a network of therapists and coaches to deliver relationship-focused workshops, therapy and coaching globally. My dream for the future is to run individual, couples, and organisational retreats from a farmhouse in Italy.
It's really inspiring to read about everyones stories and experiences.
I'm Hannah and I now work as a consultant and am finding my feet, developing business and sales is a new arena for me. My background was working as a people leader in not for profits and then purpose driven start ups. I kind of fell into HR / People and have found my real calling in organisation design and feminism.
There are hugely powerful systems at play that shape the experiences of women, including in the workplace. We know about the gender pay gap, but the economic differences between men and women are so much more complex than that. So through my work I help purpose driven start ups / scale ups to design their companies. Calling out the uncomfortable behaviours and habits that play into these systems.
In the last 4 years I've also had 2 daughters, and found myself out of a job each time. So I volunteer weekly for Pregnant then Screwed, giving advice and support for pregnant women and mothers facing issues and discrimination in the workplace.
I enjoy the system changer newsletter because it keeps me motivated and inspired to continue. It can feel draining to always swim against the current!
Hi everyone! It's lovely to be here. I'm Britt and I live in Toronto. I'm a Portfolio Manager at Grand Challenges Canada, an impact-first investor and innovation platform, where I manage a portfolio of global mental health innovations working to improve the availability of mental health supports for young people in low- and middle-income countries. I've been working with innovators and social entrepreneurs since 2015, when I actually met and worked alongside Gen in London supporting the delivery of an accelerator program for cleantech innovators! I particularly love supporting early-stage, community-based innovations working on solutions to health challenges in underserved parts of the world. I firmly believe in supporting locally-led organizations and try to do what I can within the development sector to shift power/paradigms and centre the expertise of those closest to a challenge. I'm energized by the innovators I have the privilege of working with!
On a personal note, my partner and I are expecting our first baby in July and we are soaking up this time and freedom before this new chapter starts. It's hard to prepare for, but I'm excited for a new adventure!
While I'll be taking a career pause with parental leave coming up, I'm always interested in learning from others as I continue to develop my leadership style and reflect on how best to put my skill set to use to make positive changes in the lives of others.
Greg here (never mind my ancient nom de plume... the Internet does that). I'm doing a few things in parallel. For one, I help head up an experimentation practice and supporting data/technology for a global fashion platform that started in Portugal. (This allows me to explore systemic change principles at scale and backed with data.) But I'm also a director for a global sustainable development forum, an advisory board member for a global sustainability movement centered in Lisbon, and a mentor at multiple startup incubators.
I also have long ties to the House of Beautiful Business, which we both have in common. One of the truest things I've ever heard about the climate movement recently came from a House program from Ramona Liberoff of PACE, who eloquently stated that the primary challenge is leadership. Because leaders are required to commit to difficult decisions, ways of thinking, and ways of doing that not only inspire others but also require taking the arduous, resistant path to oppose all the systemic forces that have nudged us all into our current state of affairs.
I'm here because I'm always learning and open to new perspectives of how we can better operate within systemic change. I spent decades working in Silicon Valley and developing a cringe over how technological progressivism was always the solution -- without ever questioning what we internally bring to the world. So five years ago I made the leap and moved to Lisbon for more humanistic ways of being within the world and have never regretted it.
Hi Gen and everyone - so glad to have found this group.
I have been working as a researcher and advisor on climate policy and finance for several years, at the London School of Economics and Climate Policy Initiative, among others. Currently I’m looking into other themes to build a career around, like land use and community ownership, relationships between digital spaces and the planet, and spiritual/wellbeing/therapeutic routes into environmental action. Looking forward to reading System Changers and being inspired by the newsletter and this community.
Like others here I’m really interested in how changing ourselves can bring about wider change, but I also think the conditions which affect how ideas and behaviours are transmitted between people are key.
Gen, I first read your post about self-confidence and the start of your writing journey, which really resonated. Thank you for addressing the shortfall of advice for the 0-100 subs stage! I launched In the Balance in July, but have taken a while to pick up steam. Though dedicating more time to it now, I still often feel blocked and doubt my ability to contribute, so taking courage from the openness and humility I see in others. Thank you!
Hi Gen, a new subscriber here :) I also live in Portugal and so it's not surprising that we know dozens of people in common, or so LinkedIn tells me. I love the style of your newsletter and I'm looking forward to reading more of it :)
Apr 14, 2023·edited Apr 14, 2023Liked by Genevieve Nathwani
Hi Everyone, great to read through these notes, a few familiar names (and nome de plume). I'm a Design Researcher in the Sustainability field. I've witnessed the growth of the discipline over the last 15 yrs and it's a really exciting time, as organisations are finally understanding the value of design to leverage sustainability goals. It's been a challenging space to be in, especially as a solopreneur! A great person (Ed Gillespie some of you might know) many years ago advised me to be a Trojan Mouse (not Horse) being a one-person practice means I can get in there and ask uncomfortable questions.. Thats what I've tried to do in my role to change the systems through Design practice. To me systems change is also about collaboration, who we link up with, who inspires us, and what we make together. No great project ever got done by one person alone.
I wear too many hats in order to earn a living, but I am especially interested in thinking about systemic change because I'm writing a book about the infrastructure that underlies people's political thinking. Hoping for some interesting insights :)
I also do a lot of design around political and social issues so will be curious to hear from that angle also!
I'm Flora & I'm based in the Peak district in the UK. I'm a coach to product leaders. I work with them on being more impactful in their roles, and more fulfilled in the work that they do. It's hugely rewarding work and I feel very grateful to spend my working days with ambitious, creative, and thoughtful people.
My vision for the future is to keep exploring how coaching & community can be impactful to people - and giving my self space to dream big when it comes to building a business around that. I also want to build a business with plenty of time for personal adventure, growth, and enjoyment along the way.
This community can help me by bringing ideas and inspiration for many ways to live life, and progress in life.
I work as Communities Manager for London Community Land Trust. We're a small community-led housing group with roots in radical organising and the concept that: maybe homes should be affordable based on what people earn. I've been in my role for 7+ years and in that time we've grown from one project to 9 at varying stages. I allocate the homes, support residents to set up management companies, support steering groups through planning and engagement processes and convene research projects, among other things.
Tbh I'm not that interested in housing! I am interested in how people come together to build capacity for change in their communities, how relationships are built overtime through shared journeys and connections to place and home - and housing just happened to be the avenue that took.
After a year of coaching with Gen and a nasty eviction, I found the courage to leave my job, leave London and go travelling with no set endpoint. I'll be visiting a range of community projects from Canada, (so far) down to Brazil. I'll be trialling the freelance life and trying to find more balance - time to rock climb, swim in the sea, write poetry - whilst hopefully practising my Spanish.
Over the years in London I've been part of some amazing communities and through the process of leaving I'm starting to unpick the depth of those things! So I'm not sure where I'll be this time next year, but I have a suspicion it will be a truer place.
I live in metro Atlanta, GA. USA. I found this space by searching for "systems thinking for social change" in the substack app. I was first introduced to systems thinking during my doctoral studies in 2009, I've been self studying it ever since, and it has greatly informed all of my writing, podcasting, and organizing efforts since.
I'm currently working on my two week-old substack platform, Sustainable Solutions Media, where I've imported all of my past writings and podcasts and where I've been publishing new content several days a week with my co-creator, Shani Goodson. Our content emerges from anti-oppression, liberation, & sustainability topics of interest and it's all deeply informed and inspired by systems thinking.
My dream and vision for the future is for my content and organizing work to be influential in the transition to a world where liberation, social & environmental sustainability, and unconditional love... for all, are the balancing feedback loops that inform our dominant socio-economic systems.
I'm looking forward to exploring this space in the coming days and weeks and learning from fellow System Changers!
Hi Genevieve and everyone. It's good to be here and find out what everyone's doing. I've just taken up a role as a trustee of a charity based in the UK called Newsmast: https://newsmast.org/
Hi, my name is Kathi and I am new on Substack and this brought me here. I really enjoy writing and processing my personal stories on Substack. I work as a sexologist and an counselor - maybe these topics will be part of my writing in the future. I identify as an artist - always have been and slowly claim it for myself publicly. We share the same dream, that everyone should have access to high quality support and enough resources to live their potential.
Hi Genevieve and community, great to join the system changers and learn of your journeys.
I’m Chris, I’m interested in sustainable purpose led business, living and working in manufacturing in Yorkshire, UK.
I crashed out of 30+ years in corporate life and am writing about mental health, workplace wellbeing and system change to help businesses and the people in them; I’ve got involved in a young B Corp Dog Food business that is a great vehicle to change the way the sector works, but that’s another story.
I’m excited to be on board and love your substack story. 💪
I'm in the United States. My Substack and entrepreneurial journey are both less than 2 months old. Im learning a lot right now.
I'm a certified health and life coach, but what I feel motivated to embrace is 'vulnerability and resilience' coaching. I'm still sculpting it, but it feels good right now. We'll see if the for sticks.
I'm excited to be here to learn from you all. Thank you for creating this space Gen 🙏🏾
Hi everyone! My name is Ayo and I live in New York. I'm currently running a publication here on Substack called Sounds Like Impact. It's focused on social impact podcasts and calls-to-action we can take to make a change.
Prior to this I worked in audio at Spotify, doing both editorial and production, and before that you could find me doing operations and program management work across the social impact sector and in research settings.
I am so glad to have found this newsletter and look forward to keeping up with what is going on here. People working on the frontlines of systemic change are so essential and I'm glad that you and your subscribers are making a community happen to support this work.
Hello 👋🏼 I'm Julia, Lead Product Manager at Otta where we're building the better way to find a job in tech. Otta's product is designed to put candidates fast, tackling challenges like salary transparency and recruiters ghosting candidates. Ultimately, we want to be a career champion that helps candidates find fulfilling work.
Both inside and outside of work, I care about how we use our words to communicate, share knowledge and create belonging. And how we make our product teams more diverse and inclusive so that the products we build help more people.
I'm exploring new ways to amplify my impact and connection, and I'm excited to learn from others here, especially around how you manage your energy and pace yourself sustainably.
I live in the Hampshire countryside with my husband and our cavapoo Paddington. Time in nature, moving, cooking and making our house a home ground me and help me reconnect with my values.
Hi everyone 👋🏽 I'm Abadesi based in London and I know Gen from her past life in tech startups and venture capital. As minorities in our industry there's a solidarity that unites us women in tech- we've survived to tell the tales.
I'm the founder & CEO of Hustle Crew, a careers community that turns insight into training for employers who want to be more inclusive. Our training creates space for teams to have uncomfortable but necessary conversations about bias.
I'm here because I believe systems change is the only way to create lasting change! I'm attempting to dismantle systems of oppression like patriarchy and white supremacy within the tech ecosystem so the negative impacts aren't embedded into artificial intelligence. I want the future to be fairer than the present and I believe this is how I can make a difference... as serious as it sounds I'm actually a very laid-back person who enjoys reading fiction, playing piano, watching stand up and cooking food from the countries my parents grew up in: Nigeria and the Philippines.
If you ever have questions about equity, inclusion, belonging, ethics, responsible AI, HMU 👊🏾
Hi Genevieve and everyone, it is great to be here.
I live in Switzerland and work as a Relationship Coach. I am leading systemic change in how society views and prioritises relationships. I am on a mission to normalise investing in our personal relationships through therapy and coaching. I am currently focused on an in-person couple’s relationship workshop I will deliver on Saturday 20th May in London. Think fun team building but for couples! If you would like to learn more, please feel free to get in touch. This community could help me by being a place to share ideas and get feedback, and I am very happy to do the same in return. My vision for the future is to work with a network of therapists and coaches to deliver relationship-focused workshops, therapy and coaching globally. My dream for the future is to run individual, couples, and organisational retreats from a farmhouse in Italy.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone else!
Linda x
Hi 👋
It's really inspiring to read about everyones stories and experiences.
I'm Hannah and I now work as a consultant and am finding my feet, developing business and sales is a new arena for me. My background was working as a people leader in not for profits and then purpose driven start ups. I kind of fell into HR / People and have found my real calling in organisation design and feminism.
There are hugely powerful systems at play that shape the experiences of women, including in the workplace. We know about the gender pay gap, but the economic differences between men and women are so much more complex than that. So through my work I help purpose driven start ups / scale ups to design their companies. Calling out the uncomfortable behaviours and habits that play into these systems.
In the last 4 years I've also had 2 daughters, and found myself out of a job each time. So I volunteer weekly for Pregnant then Screwed, giving advice and support for pregnant women and mothers facing issues and discrimination in the workplace.
I enjoy the system changer newsletter because it keeps me motivated and inspired to continue. It can feel draining to always swim against the current!
Hi everyone! It's lovely to be here. I'm Britt and I live in Toronto. I'm a Portfolio Manager at Grand Challenges Canada, an impact-first investor and innovation platform, where I manage a portfolio of global mental health innovations working to improve the availability of mental health supports for young people in low- and middle-income countries. I've been working with innovators and social entrepreneurs since 2015, when I actually met and worked alongside Gen in London supporting the delivery of an accelerator program for cleantech innovators! I particularly love supporting early-stage, community-based innovations working on solutions to health challenges in underserved parts of the world. I firmly believe in supporting locally-led organizations and try to do what I can within the development sector to shift power/paradigms and centre the expertise of those closest to a challenge. I'm energized by the innovators I have the privilege of working with!
On a personal note, my partner and I are expecting our first baby in July and we are soaking up this time and freedom before this new chapter starts. It's hard to prepare for, but I'm excited for a new adventure!
While I'll be taking a career pause with parental leave coming up, I'm always interested in learning from others as I continue to develop my leadership style and reflect on how best to put my skill set to use to make positive changes in the lives of others.
Hi Gen -
Greg here (never mind my ancient nom de plume... the Internet does that). I'm doing a few things in parallel. For one, I help head up an experimentation practice and supporting data/technology for a global fashion platform that started in Portugal. (This allows me to explore systemic change principles at scale and backed with data.) But I'm also a director for a global sustainable development forum, an advisory board member for a global sustainability movement centered in Lisbon, and a mentor at multiple startup incubators.
I also have long ties to the House of Beautiful Business, which we both have in common. One of the truest things I've ever heard about the climate movement recently came from a House program from Ramona Liberoff of PACE, who eloquently stated that the primary challenge is leadership. Because leaders are required to commit to difficult decisions, ways of thinking, and ways of doing that not only inspire others but also require taking the arduous, resistant path to oppose all the systemic forces that have nudged us all into our current state of affairs.
I'm here because I'm always learning and open to new perspectives of how we can better operate within systemic change. I spent decades working in Silicon Valley and developing a cringe over how technological progressivism was always the solution -- without ever questioning what we internally bring to the world. So five years ago I made the leap and moved to Lisbon for more humanistic ways of being within the world and have never regretted it.
And we still need to have a coffee!
Hey hey, I’m your neighbour, Nick in Portugal. Lovely to see you online as well as IRL.
I’m intrigued to learn more of your world views on systems change, that’s why I’m here 😊
Hi Gen and everyone - so glad to have found this group.
I have been working as a researcher and advisor on climate policy and finance for several years, at the London School of Economics and Climate Policy Initiative, among others. Currently I’m looking into other themes to build a career around, like land use and community ownership, relationships between digital spaces and the planet, and spiritual/wellbeing/therapeutic routes into environmental action. Looking forward to reading System Changers and being inspired by the newsletter and this community.
On Substack I write In the Balance, on the social side of environmental change and transition. https://inthebalance.substack.com
Like others here I’m really interested in how changing ourselves can bring about wider change, but I also think the conditions which affect how ideas and behaviours are transmitted between people are key.
Gen, I first read your post about self-confidence and the start of your writing journey, which really resonated. Thank you for addressing the shortfall of advice for the 0-100 subs stage! I launched In the Balance in July, but have taken a while to pick up steam. Though dedicating more time to it now, I still often feel blocked and doubt my ability to contribute, so taking courage from the openness and humility I see in others. Thank you!
Rob x
Hi Gen, a new subscriber here :) I also live in Portugal and so it's not surprising that we know dozens of people in common, or so LinkedIn tells me. I love the style of your newsletter and I'm looking forward to reading more of it :)
Hi Everyone, great to read through these notes, a few familiar names (and nome de plume). I'm a Design Researcher in the Sustainability field. I've witnessed the growth of the discipline over the last 15 yrs and it's a really exciting time, as organisations are finally understanding the value of design to leverage sustainability goals. It's been a challenging space to be in, especially as a solopreneur! A great person (Ed Gillespie some of you might know) many years ago advised me to be a Trojan Mouse (not Horse) being a one-person practice means I can get in there and ask uncomfortable questions.. Thats what I've tried to do in my role to change the systems through Design practice. To me systems change is also about collaboration, who we link up with, who inspires us, and what we make together. No great project ever got done by one person alone.
Hello!
I wear too many hats in order to earn a living, but I am especially interested in thinking about systemic change because I'm writing a book about the infrastructure that underlies people's political thinking. Hoping for some interesting insights :)
I also do a lot of design around political and social issues so will be curious to hear from that angle also!
Hi Gen & everyone in the community ❤️
I'm Flora & I'm based in the Peak district in the UK. I'm a coach to product leaders. I work with them on being more impactful in their roles, and more fulfilled in the work that they do. It's hugely rewarding work and I feel very grateful to spend my working days with ambitious, creative, and thoughtful people.
My vision for the future is to keep exploring how coaching & community can be impactful to people - and giving my self space to dream big when it comes to building a business around that. I also want to build a business with plenty of time for personal adventure, growth, and enjoyment along the way.
This community can help me by bringing ideas and inspiration for many ways to live life, and progress in life.
Hi, I'm Hannah
I work as Communities Manager for London Community Land Trust. We're a small community-led housing group with roots in radical organising and the concept that: maybe homes should be affordable based on what people earn. I've been in my role for 7+ years and in that time we've grown from one project to 9 at varying stages. I allocate the homes, support residents to set up management companies, support steering groups through planning and engagement processes and convene research projects, among other things.
Tbh I'm not that interested in housing! I am interested in how people come together to build capacity for change in their communities, how relationships are built overtime through shared journeys and connections to place and home - and housing just happened to be the avenue that took.
After a year of coaching with Gen and a nasty eviction, I found the courage to leave my job, leave London and go travelling with no set endpoint. I'll be visiting a range of community projects from Canada, (so far) down to Brazil. I'll be trialling the freelance life and trying to find more balance - time to rock climb, swim in the sea, write poetry - whilst hopefully practising my Spanish.
Over the years in London I've been part of some amazing communities and through the process of leaving I'm starting to unpick the depth of those things! So I'm not sure where I'll be this time next year, but I have a suspicion it will be a truer place.
I look forward to hearing from you x
Hello Genevieve and everyone!
I live in metro Atlanta, GA. USA. I found this space by searching for "systems thinking for social change" in the substack app. I was first introduced to systems thinking during my doctoral studies in 2009, I've been self studying it ever since, and it has greatly informed all of my writing, podcasting, and organizing efforts since.
I'm currently working on my two week-old substack platform, Sustainable Solutions Media, where I've imported all of my past writings and podcasts and where I've been publishing new content several days a week with my co-creator, Shani Goodson. Our content emerges from anti-oppression, liberation, & sustainability topics of interest and it's all deeply informed and inspired by systems thinking.
My dream and vision for the future is for my content and organizing work to be influential in the transition to a world where liberation, social & environmental sustainability, and unconditional love... for all, are the balancing feedback loops that inform our dominant socio-economic systems.
I'm looking forward to exploring this space in the coming days and weeks and learning from fellow System Changers!
Hi Genevieve and everyone. It's good to be here and find out what everyone's doing. I've just taken up a role as a trustee of a charity based in the UK called Newsmast: https://newsmast.org/
It's basically aiming to be "social media with a conscience" and is focused on the sharing of knowledge in a safe space. The manifesto can be found here: https://www.newsmastfoundation.org/about-us/manifesto/
It would be great to get your feedback if you want to check it out. Ideas always welcome!
Hi, my name is Kathi and I am new on Substack and this brought me here. I really enjoy writing and processing my personal stories on Substack. I work as a sexologist and an counselor - maybe these topics will be part of my writing in the future. I identify as an artist - always have been and slowly claim it for myself publicly. We share the same dream, that everyone should have access to high quality support and enough resources to live their potential.
With Love, Kathi
Hi Genevieve and community, great to join the system changers and learn of your journeys.
I’m Chris, I’m interested in sustainable purpose led business, living and working in manufacturing in Yorkshire, UK.
I crashed out of 30+ years in corporate life and am writing about mental health, workplace wellbeing and system change to help businesses and the people in them; I’ve got involved in a young B Corp Dog Food business that is a great vehicle to change the way the sector works, but that’s another story.
I’m excited to be on board and love your substack story. 💪
Hello Gen and all!
I'm in the United States. My Substack and entrepreneurial journey are both less than 2 months old. Im learning a lot right now.
I'm a certified health and life coach, but what I feel motivated to embrace is 'vulnerability and resilience' coaching. I'm still sculpting it, but it feels good right now. We'll see if the for sticks.
I'm excited to be here to learn from you all. Thank you for creating this space Gen 🙏🏾
Hi everyone! My name is Ayo and I live in New York. I'm currently running a publication here on Substack called Sounds Like Impact. It's focused on social impact podcasts and calls-to-action we can take to make a change.
Prior to this I worked in audio at Spotify, doing both editorial and production, and before that you could find me doing operations and program management work across the social impact sector and in research settings.
I am so glad to have found this newsletter and look forward to keeping up with what is going on here. People working on the frontlines of systemic change are so essential and I'm glad that you and your subscribers are making a community happen to support this work.
Hello 👋🏼 I'm Julia, Lead Product Manager at Otta where we're building the better way to find a job in tech. Otta's product is designed to put candidates fast, tackling challenges like salary transparency and recruiters ghosting candidates. Ultimately, we want to be a career champion that helps candidates find fulfilling work.
Both inside and outside of work, I care about how we use our words to communicate, share knowledge and create belonging. And how we make our product teams more diverse and inclusive so that the products we build help more people.
I'm exploring new ways to amplify my impact and connection, and I'm excited to learn from others here, especially around how you manage your energy and pace yourself sustainably.
I live in the Hampshire countryside with my husband and our cavapoo Paddington. Time in nature, moving, cooking and making our house a home ground me and help me reconnect with my values.
Hi everyone 👋🏽 I'm Abadesi based in London and I know Gen from her past life in tech startups and venture capital. As minorities in our industry there's a solidarity that unites us women in tech- we've survived to tell the tales.
I'm the founder & CEO of Hustle Crew, a careers community that turns insight into training for employers who want to be more inclusive. Our training creates space for teams to have uncomfortable but necessary conversations about bias.
I'm here because I believe systems change is the only way to create lasting change! I'm attempting to dismantle systems of oppression like patriarchy and white supremacy within the tech ecosystem so the negative impacts aren't embedded into artificial intelligence. I want the future to be fairer than the present and I believe this is how I can make a difference... as serious as it sounds I'm actually a very laid-back person who enjoys reading fiction, playing piano, watching stand up and cooking food from the countries my parents grew up in: Nigeria and the Philippines.
If you ever have questions about equity, inclusion, belonging, ethics, responsible AI, HMU 👊🏾