What sets a true changemaker apart?

Action. 

The trailblazers who create real cultural change don't wait to be asked for their opinions. Instead, they take decisive action based on their convictions.

But becoming a changemaker—what we call a Cultivator—isn't always easy. Roadblocks ranging from a lack of confidence to corporate bureaucracy often suffocate ideas before they've had a chance to breathe. That's why we launched Changeathon.

Changeathon helps Cultivators bring transformative ideas to life.

Our inaugural Changeathon, held over a week in November, challenged Cultivators to pitch an idea for a specific change within their organization. We chose three contributors to share their plans and get real-time feedback from the Cultivate Community. With this actionable advice, the contributors took the first steps toward implementing their ideas. A week later, the three contributors reported progress and made plans to keep building momentum.

Meet The Contributors

We selected our first three contributors for their willingness to challenge the status quo. 

Ajeeta Dash, Director of Translational Sciences, Takeda

Career growth isn't always linear, yet people are often reluctant to explore lateral growth or alternate career paths. Ajeeta set out to identify the perceived barriers to career changes within her organization and to create opportunities for increased individual growth and flexibility.

Savannah Staley, AP English Teacher and Content Lead, LEAD Public Schools

High school students are grappling with the same global challenges we're all facing, but many don't yet have the tools for productive conversations about topics like race and social justice. Savannah decided to create a Courageous Conversations club to provide a space for open and vulnerable discussions between students.

Emma Leary, Employee Experience Manager, Local Logic

Sometimes, scaling a startup can be easier than scaling its culture. Several years after Local Logic's launch, Emma is working on a values refresh project. She sought insight into how to update those values to reflect where the company is now and take a hard look at how they can be actively integrated into the company's day-to-day work. 

Meet The Community

But who was on the other side of the screen? Members of our Cultivators Community, a collective of changemakers from around the globe. This diverse group of professionals gathers to swap ideas, share advice, and hang out at the virtual water cooler. When members are stuck on how to handle a thorny interaction or want another set of eyes on a proposal, the Cultivate Community serves as a brain trust of like-minded professionals. And since members range from teachers to pharmaceutical executives, it's a place to gain perspectives outside an industry bubble. 

Cultivator Commentary

Ideas can't blossom in a vacuum, and sometimes we need one other point of view to make things click into place. For our contributors, conversations with fellow Cultivators provided that change in perspective, as well as a collaborative framework for ideation. 

Ajeeta's pitch opened up a candid discussion about internalized fears of the stigma associated with lateral career moves and alternative paths. Understanding that anxiety gave Ajeeta an empathy framework and inspiration to explore how her company can create low-risk career exploration opportunities.

Discussion around Savannah's plan for a high school conversation club quickly centered on meeting students where they are. Cultivators brainstormed approaches to engagement ranging from making a podcast to holding conversations via Fortnite and helping Savannah work through balance structure and student-led spontaneity. 

Cultivators quickly identified the central challenge to Emma's work on re-engagement with company values—ensuring that employees feel heard and that their voices are reflected in the company's vision and actions. While personas and climate surveys are a strong starting place, they agreed, employee buy-in will require extensive open dialogue. 

Actions Taken

Of course, all the talk in the world is useless if it doesn't lead to action. That's why we gave our contributors seven days to go back to their organizations, reflect on what they'd learned, and start implementing their plan. The motivator? A follow-up presentation to the Cultivate Community.

Armed with a new understanding of employee perceptions about career moves and process issues, Ajeeta mapped those concerns onto the specifics of Takeda's culture. "The participants helped ideate for potential resources that could help employees who might be interested in exploring such a change but don't know how," she says. "These resources could be deployed within the company to support employee development goals."

Savannah held her school's first Courageous Conversations meeting with several enthusiastic students. Like the Cultivators suggested, Savannah worked with them to identify what platforms would create the best engagement. "Now, the students leading the charge are working on creating an Instagram account for Courageous Conversations content & expanding our reach," she explains. 

Reporting back from Local Logic, Emma reported that "Since the Changeathon, we've outlined the values refresh project and aligned on key outcomes, namely: we want our values to be actionable in a way that influences behavior throughout the company." Input from her fellow Cultivators reinforced the importance of involving voices from across the organization in the process.

Putting It All Together

At Cultivate, we live and breathe for the kind of energy the Changeathon built. Magic happens when we share our ideas boldly and listen to others with care. The courage to be vulnerable, understand new perspectives, and take a risk or two is central to enacting internal and external change—and the Cultivate Community helps each and every member get there. 

Being a changemaker doesn't have to be lonely. If you're looking for thoughtful discussions, actionable feedback, and a painfully cute #pets Slack channel, you've found your people. Join us. 

Share your ideas. Solve problems. Make a difference.

We’re building a community where your voice is heard, solutions are shared, and changemakers around the world can mobilize for change. If you are passionate about change, culture, and innovation, this is the place for you.