450. Innovation Panel: How to Harness Innovation and Embrace Risk - Alison Moore, Iara Peng and Sarah Lee

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Overview

Responsive nonprofits know changing the world starts by changing ourselves—our organizations—our processes—and our approach. We’re exploring how to accelerate innovation through partnerships, by striving for a culture of innovation and embracing risk-taking in the nonprofit sector. Plus, you’ll hear how small wins can shift the culture and create momentum and provide a long runway for experimentation. Join this panel of modern impact thinkers as we explore innovation and the opportunity that exists for you and your mission today.

Today’s Guests

Alison Moore, CEO, Comic Relief US
Iara Peng, Founder + CEO, JustFund
Sarah Lee, Chief Operating Officer, New Story

“We need to create more spaciousness and more of an appetite and more of a warm environment for failure because that’s how we’re going to get to winning solutions.”

— Iara Peng, Founder + CEO, JustFund

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Barriers to innovation in the nonprofit sector (3:35)
Creating an environment where it’s safe to fail (6:35)
Building a culture of innovation (9:55)
How to operationalize innovation (15:00)
The value of experimentation. (18:05)
Challenges in implementing innovation(25:00)
Innovating through partnerships. (27:05)
One Good Thing (35:40)

Allison: Human capitol
Sarah: Simplicity
Iara: Trust yourself

Powerful quotes

"Innovation, we really believe starts from within each of us." -Jon

"Nonprofits are innovative. We're experimental, we're thinking about trying to have impactful solutions to some of the world's most stressing problems." -Allison

"More trust and more investment will drive more innovation." -Alison

"If you don't have focus, organizationally, you cannot innovate because you will constantly be spread and trying to try new things everywhere, which likely nothing will work." -Sarah

"Every time you're failing, you're learning.” -Iara

"Trust yourself to experiment and innovate and try to solve problems. The answers aren’t always out there. They're inside of you and so if we can just unlock that inside of us, we're going to really be able to change the world.” -Iara

"For us to be able to innovate and take risks, we have to be ready to lean all the way into failure." -Iara

"It's just not that complicated. Let's find people closest to the issues because they are closest to the solutions." -Iara

"We need to create more spaciousness and more of an appetite and more of a warm environment for failure because that's how we're going to get to winning solutions." -Iara

"You have to create an environment and a culture where it's okay to fail. That's how you can actually innovate in your work." -Sarah

"There is a point that it's irresponsible not to try new things when the world's biggest problems are getting bigger." -Sarah

"I'm a big fan of quick wins. You can experiment with small, bite-sized quick wins and show people that change isn't so scary." -Iara
"Often innovation, our work and lives are made better if we can go back to simplicity, and how are we doing less to ultimately make it more." - Sarah