For various reasons, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of legacy. As each year winds down, we often have an urge to reflect, which is followed quickly by a push to plan. We assess what we accomplished and then turn our attention to what’s next. Goals, strategies, priorities. These are all important.[…]
Elle DiLorenzo
Attention is a Leadership Move
Meaningful progress doesn’t have to come from major strategies or breakthroughs. Sometimes, a leap begins with the simple act of noticing. Noticing is a skill that can help leaders identify emerging patterns, see shifts in context early, catch what’s missing, and unearth surprising opportunities. It also allows teams to thoughtfully adapt based on new information.[…]
Iteration as a Practice: In the Classroom and Beyond
In global impact circles, we often talk about iteration and the value of testing, learning, and adjusting as we go. These same principles power social innovation and entrepreneurship. But this mindset is just as effective in the classroom. This semester, I’ve been teaching a capstone-style university course at Mercy University on global challenges. Instead of[…]
2,500 Laps: Lessons Beyond the Pool
On Memorial Day 2025, I set myself a clear, measurable goal: swim 2,500 laps. On Labor Day, I reached that milestone. For context, that’s nearly 39 miles (62 kilometers) or about 12 times the length of Manhattan and almost the length of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. But what I’ll remember most isn’t the distance. It’s the[…]
What It Takes to Spark Real Collaboration: Lessons from Practice and Recent Conversations
Collaboration is often championed as key to solving complex challenges. But what does it actually take to work effectively across sectors such as business, government, philanthropy, and civil society? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been exploring how we move beyond surface-level coordination toward genuine co-creation, especially in times of uncertainty. The Business Fights Poverty[…]
The Missing Middle in Collaboration
Collaboration has become a buzzword that’s often suggested in meetings, proposals, and strategies, especially in times of crisis or constraint. It’s an answer we reach for when challenges multiply or resources tighten. But for all the talk of partnership, something essential is missing in many systems: the space between silos where collaboration truly happens. It’s[…]
USAID Is Gone. And It Hurts.
June 27, 2025 Today, I’m thinking of the people. The colleagues. The partners. The mentors, grantees, collaborators, and quiet backstops who made the work possible—often against the odds. For many, this isn’t just the end of an agency. It’s the loss of livelihoods, continuity, identity. It’s a gut-punch to those who built careers around service,[…]
After the Unraveling: What’s Next for Global Impact?
Since January 2025, the ground beneath global development and the broader social impact space has shifted—loudly in some cases, as funding vanished and programs dissolved. But not all impacts have been immediate or visible. Some are unfolding quietly, delayed, dispersed, or even denied. Filling the Gaps: Who’s Stepping In? The dismantling of USAID’s architecture didn’t[…]
To the Ones Still Holding the Work Together
A quiet appreciation for the leaders still showing up—even when no one’s watching. → The program managers making transitions less painful than they have to be → The local partners staying steady despite shrinking resources → The ones asking, “What now?”—not just for themselves, but for their communities This kind of leadership doesn’t always get[…]
Who’s Missing from Your Strategy Table? Why Frontline Voices are Key to Lasting Impact
Some problems are too complex, too systemic, or too urgent to solve with top-down strategies or siloed solutions. And yet, far too often, that’s exactly how we still try to tackle them—by gathering decision-makers in a room, setting priorities, and launching initiatives without fully engaging the people who live the reality every day. This isn’t[…]
