No matter how complicated the challenge an organization or a community is facing I believe we can always find solutions by listening to the stories of those most impacted by systemic inequity. I’m a storyteller because I believe that stories are adaptive. They shape our behaviors, beliefs, and what we think is possible for ourselves and our communities. Understanding the stories that we tell and how they shape our realities is essential to shifting culture and transforming systems. I support communities to shape those collective stories that orient us in the direction of building thriving communities supported by equitable institutions. I’m the founder and CEO of Create Forward, a creative consultancy whose mission is to harness the power of storytelling and community design to deliver experiences that advance equity and justice. We support institutions across a range of sectors including philanthropy, climate communications, higher education, healthcare, public humanities, and arts & culture. Here are a few highlights from our work over the last nine years:Weill Cornell Department of Medicine: we convened and facilitated a racial equity taskforce to define a plan for addressing inequity in patient care, and faculty of color hiring, and develop a racial justice curriculum for medical students. ThriveOn Collaboration: We continue to serve as the lead community engagement consultant for ThriveOn King a 400,000 sq development where the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Medical College of Wisconsin will co-locate. Over the last five years, we’ve ensured that residents in three intersecting communities informed the design of the structure and informed the strategy for investing in local communities through grants, services, and investments in local infrastructure and social systems. To date, over $100 million has been pledged to invest in the surrounding communities. Rikers Public Memory Project: We are a founder and backbone partner of this initiative which documents the history of Rikers Island and uses public memory to advocate for the closure of the last U.S. penal colony. It holds the largest archive of narratives about the legacy of Rikers and a multimedia exhibit that will serve as a public education and advocacy strategy. Redlich Horwitz Foundation: partnered with this foundation that aims to narrow the front door to the child welfare system. Over the last year, we’ve facilitated a series of story lab events in communities across New York State using storytelling to talk about the impact of surveillance by the child welfare system.