Amel Murphy

Embodied Beings

Wokingham, Berkshire,
United Kingdom.

Amel is a trauma-informed Wellbeing & leadership facilitator and coach with over 20 years of experience in accompanying groups and individuals on the journey to belonging and wellbeing. Amel believe that to restore wellbeing and reclaim our voices and sense of belonging to ourselves and the world, we need to reconnect to our Seselelame: “Feel Feel At Flesh Inside”. We live in a world that values the mind’s intelligence over other intelligence; therefore, Amel’s work is about reconnecting to our felt sense to metabolise our experiences and release stuck energies and patterns to invite a new way of beings and showing up in the world. Amel delights in working with groups as she believes in the healing power of being witnessed by others as we navigate and touch the dis-ease of the inner experience. The community helps us remember we aren’t alone, allowing us to drop in even more and touch what needs to heal. Amel’s works are informed by different modalities, including; movement therapy, art, systemic constellation, energy work, storytelling, and mindfulness. In addition, Amel loves to work with body intelligence in service of renewal. Amel believes The Wellbeing Project work is fundamental to shifting the narrative around self-care/ inner wellbeing within the sector and globally. Offering safe, structured containers for participants to slow down, explore, release, reframe and renew their life force and work purpose. Amel lives in South England with her husband, John and their cat Taz. Amel loves traveling and exploring new cultures and food traditions. She has worked and lived in 17 countries.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing is that sense of ease and flow I experience as I move through the day, experiencing different aspects of life. It’s this capacity to rest in not knowing, rest in doubt, rest in imperfection, rest in love and pain. It this experience of this also shall pass. It’s the moments of awe for life and being moved in the presence of someone.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

In Flow.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

One of my favourite wellbeing practice is dance, moving to my body’s rhythm while listening to music, allowing myself to be moved. Also, journaling allows me to check in with myself in the morning and direct my energy as I tend to what is in the way and what has life.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

To thrive, to reconnect to our hearts, to stop the continues act of violence toward ourselves (self-hatered), towards the planet and everyone around. To experience belonging, to communion with others, and to dare to thrive.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Radical wholeness, rooted, the untethered soul, the myth of normal, Us.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Podcast: Brene Brown, Dare to Lead. Book: Wisdom of the Enneagram. Meditations: Tara Brach

Connect with Amel Murphy on social media :

Personal website
CoCo Labs's website

Adam Molyneux-Berry

CoCo Labs

Washington, DC,
United States.

My work has always been to create safe spaces to shift consciousness, activating people as changemakers, contributing to planetary wellbeing. In my coaching practice, using a multi-disciplinary approach, I work with leaders to support them in showing up as the best versions of themselves – accompanying them in their self-discovery of what moves them to be forces for positive change in the world. In my systems-level work, I work with changemakers across entire ecosystems, using Collaborative Innovation, Human Centred Design, Social Innovation and Social Impact methodologies to solve shared challenges and scale impact collectively. The combination of deep interpersonal work with leaders, and broad systemic impact across ecosystems is part of my theory of change: By working on our inner worlds and collaborating radically in our outer worlds, collective wellbeing is not only possible, it is inevitable. In my own journey, I have launched 10+ organisations – including SMEs, nonprofits and social businesses – 3 of which were launched during the Arab Spring. Having experienced the full-spectrum of leadership challenges, from personal and team burnout to systems-level collaborations during extreme uncertainty and volatility, I learned first-hand just what it takes to thrive individually and collectively, in the midst of complexity. Working across languages, cultures and generations in complex socio-political contexts has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. In 2014 I was awarded an Ashoka Fellowship for work I did during the Arab Spring – leveraging the Green Economy in the MENA region as a safe space for youth, government, private sector, civil society and academia to work together in rebuilding the region. My current focus the systems-change initiative, CoCo Labs, tasked with advancing equitable wellbeing for collective thriving.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing for me is a combination of many things coming together. It includes integrating our mental, emotional, somatic, relational, and spiritual aspects. It also includes an ability to be present, self-aware and to meet our experience with gentle and kind awareness.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Harmony.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Meditation/sitting, qigong, inner relationship focusing, exercise, ritual, music, dance, poetry, connection, and community.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

To activate the most beneficial potential in our emerging future.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Connect with Adam Molyneux-Berry on social media :

CoCo Labs's website

Christina Purrer

Hil-Foundation

Vienna,
Austria

As a project manager at Hil-Foundation, Christina supports the cooperation partners and transfers know-how between the projects and into the local ecosystem. Having founded a social initiative herself in 2016, Christina is aware of the various challenges associated with social entrepreneurship, considering wellbeing as one of the biggest and most central. She is delighted to share her experiences and professional know-how with social entrepreneurs in Austria as a workshop facilitator and coach. Christina holds a B.A. in social and cultural anthropology and a double M.A. in Intercultural Management. She has lived and studied in Austria, Germany, France, Turkey and Tunisia.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Feeling balanced, whole, healthy and connected. Feeling great trust into the course of events and the direction of my personal development path.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Wholeness

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Movement to wake up in the morning, yoga & breathing exercises, guided meditation, journaling, walks in nature.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

I am convinced that we will not make a change in this world if we don’t start by changing our personal harmful patterns of thought, emotions and behaviors.

Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote, or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

“Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl

Connect with Christina Purrer on social media :

Bilal Ghalib

Bloom.pm

Beirut, Lille, Detroit –
Lebanon, France, Michigan/USA

Bilal Ghalib is the co-founder and Head of Research at Bloom. He has 18 years of experience working with social enterprises and organizations in the USA and MENA. He helped found Bloom in 2016 with the vision of creating positive change by facilitating personal and professional development for social entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa. Bilal holds a Master’s degree from the Universite de Paris in Interdisciplinary Approaches to Research and Education. He applies his expertise at Bloom by conducting research and development on applied positive psychological frameworks for creating a community-oriented, online learning environment for startups. Furthermore, he manages team development, builds organizational partnerships, and co-facilitates online accelerator programs.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Inner wellbeing is a state of equanimity that arises from patience and acceptance of what is. It means to have the knowledge and skills to be able to take care of the challenges and stressors that life brings.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Balance.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Alongside meditation and journaling, I find that building rich and vulnerable friendships support my wellbeing.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

The ripple-down effects impact every level of society. Firstly healthy minds and hearts are their own reward. Secondly, there are many impacts from the reduction of stress leading to less costs of healthcare, to a person’s okness changing(reducing) their consumption patterns, to more effective teams, to confidence in choosing vocations which support a healthy person and a healthy planet. It seems wellbeing, where ever it manifests, is both the reward and the way to a more positive future.

Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote, or educate on wellbeing and related themes? 

I loved the onbeing podcast. Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, the Quran. A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown. An Everyone Culture by Robert Kegan and many others

Connect with Bilal Ghalib on social media :

Personal website
Bloom's website

Luís Manuel Pinto

Learning for Well-being Foundation

Lisbon,
Portugal

I apply a holistic approach to creating and managing programs focusing on the intersection between well-being and participation. I am particularly interested in how identity and inner diversity impact relationships —in particular, between children and adults— and how these become pathways for personal and social development.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

It’s a moment-by-moment process of making and re-making meaning from our experiences.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Well-being. It’s in the word.

Connect with Luís Manuel Pinto on social media :

Learning For Wellbeing's Website

Gaby Arenas de Meneses

TAAP Foundation

Bogota,
Colombia

Gaby is a refugee from Venezuela; she has lived in Colombia for eight years. She is passionate about promoting peaceful coexistence, well-being, and social entrepreneurship through the visual arts and innovation in education. Most of her works focus on the support of the integration of refugees around the world.

Gaby is a Social Communicator who graduated from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello with a specialization in Journalism and a Master’s degree in Communication for Development, specializing in violence analysis, peacebuilding, and Human Rights in Latin America. Rotary Peace Fellow, with a degree in Peace Studies at Chulalongkorn University.

She leads the Art Team at RoundGlass, developing art programs for holistic well-being.

She is the Founder of the TAAP Foundation, an organization created to promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable development in communities that have impacted more than 4.5 million people in 14 countries.

She was the developer and first executive director of Aid Live Foundation, an organization created to support Venezuelan refugees in Colombia.

Gaby is a Rotary Peace Fellow, Opportunity Collaboration Fellow, CAFAM Atlántico Woman, Ashoka Fellow, Perennial Fellow, winner of the Ideas Contest in the Social Entrepreneurship category, and finalist in the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Schwab Foundation and Venezuela Sin Limites Foundation. In addition, the She Is Foundation recognizes her as Social Woman of the Year 2022.

Social entrepreneur, researcher, and professor of communication. She has been part of diverse projects and has been a coordinator and speaker in forums and meetings worldwide on refugee integration, peacebuilding, and social and educational innovation issues.

Since 2008, she has conducted research in communities linked with the analysis of violence, peacebuilding, and the use of communication and art for social development.
Co-founder of the Weaving Lab, Catalyst 2030, and Colombia Cuida Colombia.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

For me, inner well-being is living in peace, recognizing our lights and shadows but being able to heal and improve every day.
It is living positively, connecting with those around you and the environment.
It is living creatively, smiling, and working for yourself and others.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

For me, it is the same as personal well-being but for everyone. I do not believe the world’s well-being is possible if people suffer or feel harm. If we cultivate the emotional, cognitive, social, and planetary dimensions of well-being, we can be more aware and have a world of well-being.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

I meditate, practice yoga, dance, and hug my family everyday.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

All of them.

Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote, or educate on wellbeing and related themes? 

I have many resources including:

Connect with Gaby Arenas de Meneses on social media :

TAAP Fundation's website

Kyla Carlsen

Co.act Detroit

Detroit,
Michigan

In her role as the Senior Director of Program Strategy & Innovation, Kyla oversees the co-creation of capacity building programs and community-centered grant-making for social change organizations with an emphasis on equity and access, network building and cross-sector collaboration.

Kyla is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified and has experience leading and managing teams, facilitating design thinking sessions to develop innovative approaches to solve problems, program strategy and implementation, project management, fund development and collaborating with stakeholders to scale impact. She previously served as Senior Operations and Financial Manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, overseeing small business programs with a combined annual budget of $8mm and supporting commercial corridor development, increasing resident access to goods and services, and economic mobility.

Kyla has a background in finance, facilitating access to capital, capital readiness, and closing the racial funding gap for entrepreneurs and social impact organizations. She is passionate about innovating alternative social and economic investment strategies to achieve more equitable outcomes.

Kyla is an alumnus of the Detroit Global Shapers hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum that connects a network of young leaders driving dialogue, action and change in their communities. She enjoys traveling, supporting small businesses, spending time with her ten year old pitbull, wine and cooking.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Feeling whole inside and out (mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually), pouring from a full cup, listening to and prioritizing what my mind body and spirit need.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Care.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Meditation, journaling, gratitude, exercise, walking, laughing, spending time with people I love and my dog, enjoying sunshine or nature, writing, doing things that bring me joy, laughter and make me smile.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

We can’t heal our communities until we heal ourselves. Many of the social issues our organizations work to address – poverty, hunger, racial and social inequity, education and youth development – are rooted in system issues that require the collective healing of ourselves and our communities. Until this healing process happens at scale, we will continue to address these societal challenges reactively instead of actually eradicating them, and burning ourselves out while doing so.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Coact has a wealth of wellbeing resources and webinars in our resource library, we are also launching a Wellbeing Toolkit. Personally I’ve used Beth Kanter’s resources, and Rachel Hollis’s podcast and practices to create my own wellbeing rituals.

Connect with Kyla Carlsen on social media :

Co.act Detroit

Martin Kirchner

Pioneers of Change (Austria)

Cohousing Pomali,
Lower Austria

Designing and leading educational programs for Changemakers since 2010, producing the yearly Pioneers of Change Online Summit with > 100.000 participants since 2017, director of the NGO “Pioneers of Change” which integrates inner work and outer action, founder of Cohousing-Community “Pomali” where he lives happily with 30 other families with his wife and 3 wonderful kids, originally a software engineer and climate activist

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

The foundation for contributing to “the more beautiful world” in the outside.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Interbeing

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Yes, long nature walks, meditation and yoga with breathing exercise, eating well, cultivating friendships.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

To not repeat old patterns.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

The book “The Choice” from Dr. Edit Eva Eger (Auschwitz survivor)

Connect with Martin Kirchner on social media :

Pioneers of Change

Charnae Sanders

Co.act Detroit

Detroit, Michigan,
United States of America

With a passion for community and a heart for service, Charnae Sanders experiences great joy in finding meaningful ways to connect with others. As Program Manager at Co.act Detroit, Charnae plays a vital role in shaping Co.act’s programming, including the Nonprofit Wellbeing Series, special events, workshops, and more. She is also the talented and thoughtful host of Co.act Detroit’s Natural Collisions podcast.

A native Detroiter, Charnae’s desire for building up her community and bringing diverse and underrepresented voices and thoughts to the table motivates her daily. She loves to curate unique and unforgettable experiences through programs that equip and empower others with knowledge and resources.

With a deep love and interest for self and community care, she strives to find a diversity of ways changemakers can tend to their wellbeing holistically. Through the Nonprofit Wellbeing Series, she also explores how nonprofit leaders can activate a culture of wellbeing within their organizations. She is a contributor to the Rest and Liberation Initiative, created in partnership with Co.act and other intermediary partners in Southeast Michigan to support cultures of rest and liberation of BIPOC professionals in our sector.

Charnae serves on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Detroit, a local chapter that promotes the growth, learning, and development of young nonprofit professionals. She is a current member of The Social Innovation Forum’s Community Organizations Reimagining Ecosystem (CORE) cohort, a new leadership initiative focused on place-based work and social change.

She is also a former alum of the prestigious, Challenge Detroit fellowship program where she worked among small teams to bring social impact projects to life in collaboration with local nonprofit partners. In the past, she participated as a cohort member of The Black Healing Justice Project, created in partnership with Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) and The Kresge Foundation.

Prior to coming to Co.act Detroit, she served as the Public Programs Coordinator at the Detroit Historical Society. She is a proud alum of Central Michigan University with a background in journalism. Charnae is a published writer and poet with work that has been published in the Wall Street Journal and Detroit Free Press among others. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, traveling, dancing the night away at concerts and exploring the city she calls home.

– What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

To me, inner wellbeing means tending to our many layers—physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, and so on—in a way that honors our humanity and capacity.

– How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Birthright
– Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

My go-to practices include prayer, breathwork, and going on walks. My morning routine usually consists of stretching and participating in a guided meditation followed by setting my intentions for the day and affirming myself of my value. Throughout the day, I think it’s important to take a pause to check-in with yourself. So, I’ll occasionally step away from my desk and take a sacred pause to do a body scan meditation and acknowledge how I’m feeling. I also love to create a cozy environment in the evening where I burn candles while reading or listening to music and journaling.

– Why is it important that we prioritise individual and collective wellbeing?

We must prioritize our individual, organizational, and societal wellbeing to fully thrive and experience the fullness of life. When we recognize how interrelated each of these various levels are and collectively prioritize them, we can clear a more luminous path for future generations on what it means to truly love and care for one another.

– Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote, or educate on wellbeing and related themes? 

I am a big fan of “The Daily Shine,” “GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp,” “This Morning Walk” and “The Hey Girl” podcasts. I love the books: “After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self-Love” by Alex Elle, “Vibrate Higher Daily: Live Your Power” by Lalah Delia, and “The Self-Care Year: Reflect and Seasonal Rituals” by Alison Davies. I am currently reading, “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” by Tricia Hersey, which is great!

Connect with Charnae Sanders on social media :

Personal Website
Co.act Detroit

Ana Janošev

Social Impact Award

Berlin,
Germany

Ana Janosev, in her role as the Managing Director, is leading Social Impact Award, one of the world’s largest communities of early-stage social entrepreneurs under 30, active in Europe, Africa and Asia. Ana is committed to build capacity among early-stage entrepreneurs and foster cross-sector dialogues on the topic of social entrepreneurship. Based in Vienna, Austria, she is leading a diverse team of 100+ SIA team members and is overseeing the community growth and strategic development. Moreover, Ana is an experienced workshop and event facilitator, trained in design thinking and organizational development. She enjoys designing events which bring people together and is curious about how people connect in different settings. Ana is a frequent speaker and moderator at events and conferences with a focus on social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and youth advocacy. Before she joined Social Impact Award in 2018, Ana was a Program and Partnerships Manager at Razlivalište (Serbia), coordinating Social Impact Award Serbia and other youth programs, with a strong focus on fundraising. Ana holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs. She received two scholarships from the U.S. Department of State for education in the U.S. In 2022, Ana was received a recognition as Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise by Euclid Network.

– What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Being content from within with the life you have, finding spaces to engage and re-connect with yourself and your purpose.

– Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Exercise, long walks, reading

Connect with Ana Janošev on social media :

Social Impact Award