Oct 19, 2024
Read Time: 4 min
The Who
What is the first community you felt a sense of belonging to and why? How has this community influenced your personal and professional life?
It’s difficult to pinpoint a single community, as we belong to many—family, friends, school, hobbies, workplaces, and beyond. Having moved frequently—from Ethiopia to Thailand to Egypt—I was always navigating how I fit in and where I belonged. One particularly impactful community was Sandbox, founded by my friend Fabian and others, to connect young changemakers under 30 worldwide. The goal was to build deep, meaningful relationships that would accompany members throughout their personal and professional journeys. This experience was transformative, both personally and professionally. Many of my closest friendships grew from Sandbox, and the Community Canvas—a framework I co-authored with Fabian—emerged from our learnings within this space.
The Why
What role do you think the communities play for the future of your business - be it from a brand, talent, innovation or sustainability lens?
While communities have always been influential, industrialization, globalization, and social media have, in some ways, led us to undervalue their potential. I believe that most of our biggest challenges are social rather than technological—solutions require collective action, shared understanding, and trust. Having worked with communities and startups across multiple sectors, I’ve seen how technological innovation thrives when supported by social buy-in and community engagement. Without these elements, even the most brilliant ideas often fail to gain traction. Communities play a crucial role in bringing people together, fostering trust, and facilitating the exchange of ideas, all of which are essential for driving meaningful change.
The What
Can you share a success story where community cultivation efforts, be it inside your organization or across the ecosystem, have led to meaningful impact? If you did, how did you measure this success?
One success story comes from my work with the Chamber of Commerce in Barranquilla, where, alongside Erica Dorn and Charles Michel, we cultivated a network of business, entrepreneurial, media, and academic leaders. Together, we designed a strategy that organized events and strengthened collaboration around a shared vision. On a smaller scale, with Curious, a New York-based community, I created a digital space for members to share events and activities they were curious about. These informal gatherings led to serendipitous in-person connections, turning the overwhelming experience of city life into something that felt more like a close-knit village. I measured success using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative metrics included engagement levels, member growth, and new connections formed, while qualitative feedback came from stories of impact—whether meaningful conversations or new collaborations. Interestingly, qualitative insights often provided a deeper understanding of community impact than numerical data alone.
What strategies have you found effective in fostering a culture of collaboration and trust, the key ingredients for communities? How do you maintain and nurture this culture over time?
Collaboration and trust thrive when people feel a sense of belonging and opportunities for shared experiences.
Belonging strengthens when members move from passive spectators to active co-creators, engaging in meaningful contributions.
Trust is built through shared experiences—especially informal ones—where members can connect naturally. Open dialogue, progressive vulnerability, and reciprocity play crucial roles in forming strong relationships.
Maintaining this culture requires a balance of structure and autonomy. Leaders must provide clarity and guidance while allowing members to shape the community. Recognizing contributions, handling conflicts transparently, and upholding a shared vision help sustain a thriving environment. Ultimately, a strong culture of trust ensures resilience, enabling a community to grow and evolve sustainably.
The How
How do you balance the needs and interests of the community with the business goals of your organization? What strategies do you use to align these objectives?
A successful community aligns both its members’ needs and the organization's goals. The key is ensuring that engagement is mutually beneficial—prioritizing people first while strategically supporting the business.
Co-creation is a powerful strategy. Inviting members to contribute ideas, content, or initiatives enhances their sense of ownership while ensuring alignment with the organization's goals.
Incentive structures help drive engagement. Recognizing contributions—whether through rewards, acknowledgment, or shared ownership—encourages members to invest in the community's success.
Cooperative models and self-managed structures offer inspiration for balancing autonomy and alignment. Moose Heads on the Table by Karin Tenelius and Lisa Gill provides valuable insights on self-managed organizations.
By prioritizing trust, belonging, and engagement, the brand benefits organically—achieving long-term business success while fostering a thriving, purpose-driven community.
The Next
What role do you see technology playing in the future of community cultivation? Are there any emerging tools or platforms you are particularly excited about?
I’m particularly curious about how Web3 and blockchain can deepen community co-creation and co-ownership. These decentralized systems remove traditional gatekeepers, redistributing trust and enabling members to participate more equitably. Emerging tools such as Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and token-based incentive systems facilitate shared decision-making and ownership, fostering collaboration at unprecedented scales. DAOs, for example, enable communities to self-manage transparently, with smart contracts enforcing fair and democratic governance structures. That said, technology should complement—not replace—human connection. The most successful communities leverage tech to enhance interpersonal relationships rather than substitute them.
What advice would you give to other leaders looking to adopt a community-powered lens in their organizations? What common pitfalls should they avoid?
To build a community-powered organization, leaders should focus on three pillars: belonging, trust, and resilience.
Belonging starts with a clear shared purpose—members should know why they are there and how they can contribute.
Trust grows over time through shared experiences and transparent decision-making processes.
Resilience comes from well-structured processes that enable co-creation and shared ownership while maintaining stability.
One major pitfall is underestimating the effort required for meaningful co-creation. It’s a slow, intentional process that requires preparation and patience. Having strong resilience structures in place ensures a balance between stability and autonomy.
Though challenging, when done well, a community-powered approach creates an ecosystem that is both impactful and sustainable. The result? A vibrant, resilient community that not only aligns with organizational goals but amplifies them through collective energy and purpose.