Community Conversations: Collaboration

In a competitive world, the concept of collaboration can seem a risky proposition. Even between people with common interests, collaboration can be frustrating and challenging. In this conversation we look at for different perspectives, including non-profit and business organizations, and also some examples of those two sectors working together.

Presenters

Nancy O’Brien is the Coordinator of The People’s Service Exchange, a time banking project of The Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center in Antrim, NH. She has been on staff at The Grapevine since 2011. In that time, Nancy has worked to give the PSE a web presence, expanded membership and networked with other time banks. Nancy also provides information and referral at The Grapevine, maintains the websites & statistics databases and provides administrative support.

Jason Garland is a young entrepreneur from Peterborough, Conval Graduate, and a recent Phi Beta Kappa Honors graduate from the University of Vermont, holding degrees in Chinese and Asian Studies, with minors in Spanish and Mathematics. Jason has been working with PeoplesVC since its inception, and is founder and CEO qaZING, a Peterborough-based On-Demand Economy start-up. At qaZING, Jason relies on technology to collaborate with team members and firms all over the globe.

Steve Walker is an entrepreneur who has spent most of his career building renewable energy companies and serving on numerous nonprofit boards. He has been appointee to numerous town and state positions, and has been active in helping to change state and federal laws to benefit sensible renewable energy policy.

Gordon Peery is president of the board of directors of the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, where he has lead an institutional transformation resulting in an extensive increase in the quantity and breadth of programming, as well as a name change and major re-branding effort. In this course of this activity there have been many opportunities for collaboration with other non-profits, and the business community.

Community Conversations is a series that explores many of the issues impacting our communities. A partnership between the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, each Conversation will feature local experts talking about challenges faced by our communities. Some issues will be global in nature, but each conversation is designed to examine the topic from a local perspective. The program will provide residents with the opportunity to learn more about key issues impacting their communities, to engage in a civil dialog with speakers and with each other, and to come away with a sense that there are things that individuals and communities can do to foster change and improvement.

Community Conversations are held in Bass Hall at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, 19 Grove St, in Peterborough. Target dates are the second Tuesday of every month, excepting July and August. The program format will vary according to topics, and may involve individual speakers, panels, or presentations, followed by moderated discussion.

Community Conversations are free and open to all.