Earlier this year, I made a deliberately planned stop in Oxford on my way to the Paris Marathon to spend a few days on the sidelines of the Skoll World Forum. I was curious to see how leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers are thinking about systems change today.
My doctoral work, and much of what I do now through Empowering Sustainable Change and Champs for Change, centres on enabling inclusive economic growth through entrepreneurship, education, leadership and, by extension, social innovation. Among my beliefs is that systems change accelerates when we collaborate, share knowledge, and build trust.
Skoll’s side events (Marmalade Festival, Sidebar, and Bloom) were a great place to test these assumptions. I was able to do that... and a bit more. My key takeaways from being in the atmosphere, attending sessions and engaging with participants included:
The importance of trust, peer learning, and close partnerships
The role of shared leadership models in social movements and sustainability
How technology and practitioner-led evidence can accelerate accountability and scale
Strategies for scaling impact in education and communities
And these were just the formal lessons I gleaned.
This trip was also my first visit to historic, picturesque Oxford and the renowned Saïd Business School. There, I carried my new copy of Fundable & Findable all week, and Kevin L. Brown graciously signed it with an affirming note: “Memuna – You are the prize.” I reconnected with former colleagues, participated in dynamic sessions hosted by African Leadership Academy and Teach for All, and met new peers doing inspired work in leadership, education, and youth development across diverse contexts.
While I look forward to experiencing the main stage at Skoll in the future, this first visit demonstrated the value of strengthening relationships, learning in community, and receiving an unanticipated shot of inspiration from a kind stranger.
The lessons I sought—and the reminders I didn’t expect but welcomed—will continue to inform my commitment to supporting system builders and changemakers, as part of my work with SMEs, educators, and young leaders.
Dr. Memuna Williams has a BA and MA in Translation, an MBA, and DBA. Her doctoral thesis illuminates how SMEs develop social responsibility programs across four phases and 13 categories. Dr. Williams and her husband Victor have three sons. Connect with her at: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-memuna-williams-dba-8193b01
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