Conference Trotting

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2009-10-15 11:33:00 UTC
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For the next couple weeks, you'll see a large number of posts from two very exciting events.

I'm off today to the first ever Opportunity Collaboration. Being held in Mexico, the event will bring together about 300 high level nonprofit leaders (and me, somehow) focused on ending poverty. Rather than plenary sessions, keynotes, and the normal conference workup, it's all about getting the delegates to interact with one another. Anyone coming can run a session, and the topics are therefore incredibly diverse. While the organizers, who include MicroCredit Enteprises CEO Jonathan Lewis, won't say it like this, it's really summer camp for adults.

The power there - at least I hope - is that the sort of immersive environment that this promises to be has such a dramatically different power to catalyze relationshps than most settings we find ourselves in. Everyone who is attending has committed to be there the entire five days of the event.

From Mexico, I fly directly (well, via four stops) to my home state of Maine, where I'll be participating in my first ever Pop!Tech. For those who haven't come across it yet, Pop!Tech is a conference that really ends up being more of an action network. It's characterized by some of the most brilliant and creative minds out there, and their Social Impact Fellowship gives incredibly organizations like Ushahidi the chance to learn from some of the most talents business, technology, and nonprofit leaders in the world.

Of course, I'll be blogging up a storm from both locations. I'll likely even have a guest post or two. Stay tuned.

(Photo: Imogen Heap at last year's Pop!Tech)

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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