“We couldn’t do it without you!” “Without strong partners, this couldn’t be done.” We use these phrases because they are at the heart of how we work for social change. Social change does not happen in a vacuum.

In this session, recorded live on February 23, Agapi Gessesse, Executive Director, CEE Centre for Black Young Professionals, shared her five good ideas on how community organizations, governments, and corporations can create ecosystems where everyone benefits from each other’s work, and advances the social change that we all want to see.

[3:58] 1. Build relationships (strategically)
[10:39] 2. Make sure everyone is benefitting mutually through the relationships
[15:01] 3. Directions must have an ESG plan (ESG stands for “environmental, social, and (corporate) governance”)
[20:05] 4. Non-profit organizations should have a government relations plan
[31:35] 5. Determine from the onset what success could look like and how long it will take
[36:07 ] Q & A

Download the session handout. Follow along with the transcript.

Presenter bio: Agapi is Executive Director of CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, an organization dedicated to addressing economic issues affecting Black youth. She is passionate about CEE’s mission-driven and evidence-based work.

Agapi also served as Executive Director of POV 3rd Street, an organization that helps marginalized youth break into the media industry through training, mentorship, job placement, and professional development opportunities. Through prior work as a fundraising professional, social enterprise manager, and coordinator of youth leadership programs, Agapi has established a record of accomplishment in operations management, program implementation and evaluation, financial stewardship, partner development, and community engagement. Her experience includes positions with United Way of Greater Toronto and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.