The Human Element: Navigating Professional Spaces in Times of Collective Uncertainty.

Black Fox Global COO Lisa Heinert recently hosted a conversation with Naghma Mulla (EdelGive Foundation), Lena Zamchiya (Friendship Bench) and Michael Kass (Story & Spirit) about how we bring the human element to key sector convenings. The following is a summary of the conversation; you can view the full recording here. 

Beneath the carefully crafted agendas and strategic meetings of next week’s Skoll World Forum lies a deeper truth we rarely acknowledge: each of us arrives not just as organizational representatives, but as whole humans carrying personal and collective weight through an increasingly uncertain landscape.

The social impact sector is navigating some of the most challenging conditions we’ve seen in years. From US executive orders and major USAID cuts to attacks on DEI and shifts in European funding, our field faces unprecedented disruption. For many organizations, this year’s convenings aren’t just important—they feel essential to survival.

At the same time, each of us comes to the convening as a human and we’re showing up in Oxford next week carrying not only our organizational goals, but also a lot of personal and collective weight, experiencing grief, anxiety, uncertainty.

To discuss the complexities inherent in coming together at this time, we invited a group from across the impact sector to have a conversation about balancing humanity, impact, and heart-centered connection at Skoll and other upcoming convenings. Here are some of the highlights:

Arriving with Purpose Amid Uncertainty

“For this year I think we’re arriving with purpose,” reflects Lena Zamchiya, Interim CEO of Friendship Bench Zimbabwe. “However, recognizing that there’s a lot of uncertainty in the global marketplace in relation to the funding landscape, not knowing what the future holds.”

This tension between purposeful action and contextual uncertainty defines our current moment. While the ground shifts beneath us, we still need to advance our missions with clarity and determination. As Lena notes, this paradox requires internal reflection and strategic pivoting:

“Internally, as an organization, we’ve also had conversations around what does this mean? And so, being deliberate about the need to pivot, the need to be able to step up, the need to also identify systems and processes that can enable us to really continue being sustainable.”

The consolation in this challenging moment, Lena reminds us, is that “this is not an independent or isolated way of thinking, and the consolation is that others are also experiencing it. I think that provides strength in community.”

The Disorientation We Share

“The word disoriented keeps coming up,” reflects Michael Kass, Founder of Story and Spirit. “A lot of the folks I’m speaking with, they aren’t necessarily consciously experiencing grief or anxiety. It’s mostly disorientation, which makes sense because so much has shifted in the international impact sector so quickly and in a way that is chaotic and confusing.”

This collective disorientation cuts across roles and organizations. Funders aren’t immune—they too navigate shifting priorities, uncertain metrics, and challenging decisions about resource allocation. Even as we seek answers and clarity, perhaps what we need most is acknowledgment that none of us has figured it all out.

As Lena observes, “With all the chaos and disorientation that people are feeling… everybody’s out of step, recognizing that this was not planned for. And so it brings an uncertainty around what the future holds.”

The Comfort of Our Echo Chambers

In times of uncertainty, we naturally seek the familiar—gathering with like-minded colleagues who share our perspectives and validate our experiences. Yet this comfort can become a trap.

“The trap that we tend to fall in is we’re talking so much,” cautions Naghma Mulla, CEO of EdelGive Foundation. “There’s almost this collective sense of camaraderie and connection that it also gets a little comfortable after a while to be with friends who co-feel… it’s actually the enemy of action.”

How often have we left convenings energized by stimulating conversations, only to realize weeks later that the energy never translated into meaningful change? The paradox of professional gatherings is that connection without action may reinforce our sense of powerlessness.

Finding Balance Through Intentional Presence

The pressure to maximize every minute at these gatherings can lead to burnout and diminished effectiveness. Lena offers this practical wisdom: “Don’t feel pressured to connect with everybody. Also step out and take time for yourself. So if you feel that you’ve just had enough for that day, find a coffee shop and go and sit in a coffee shop and have a coffee and disconnect for 30 minutes or an hour.”

This intentional disconnection creates space for processing and integration. As Lena explains, “That may then also help you just in terms of the whole aspect around mindfulness, so that when you’re ready to go back, you’re in a preparatory mode to then engage with others and connect with others.”

In a landscape where there are always more connections to make and conversations to have, choosing moments of solitude becomes not self-indulgence but strategic renewal.

The Power Dynamics We Navigate

These spaces also illuminate the hierarchies that shape our sector—hierarchies we may intellectually reject but emotionally feel.

“These convenings or occasions… also become a point where we are most conscious of the power hierarchies that come with who we are, how large, how small, how much in need, which part of the world,” Naghma reflects. “It’s also the sharpest—our differences and our relative sizes to each other, relative strengths to each other also prominently come back.”

For those seeking funding or partnerships, the pressure can be overwhelming. You see others in constant meetings while your calendar has gaps. Social media amplifies this sense of inadequacy as peers post photos with influential figures. “There’s a lot of pressure,” Naghma acknowledges. “You’re in a dining room, and every table seems to be meeting except for me.”

Harnessing Collective Wisdom

Lena reminds us that the true value of these gatherings lies in mutual learning and shared problem-solving. She describes going to Skoll “with purpose, looking to see how we can connect with other social entrepreneurs as well as funders, just in terms of harnessing collective wisdom, to be able to create solutions that are both meaningful and sustainable.”

Rather than focusing solely on what we can gain, this perspective invites us to consider what wisdom we can exchange: “Asking the right questions around, how have they been able to navigate the challenges that they’ve been presented in these precarious moments? What are the lessons, and then understanding their experiences. And then also providing an opportunity for us to also share our own experiences. I believe it’s a give and take.”

Authenticity Without Full Disclosure

So how do we navigate these complex spaces with both professional purpose and human vulnerability? Michael Kass offers a key distinction:

“Authenticity is not the same as full disclosure. A lot of times people think, ‘Oh, to be authentic, I have to tear my heart open and talk about all of the painful things with someone.’ You can also talk about pigeons and be 100% authentic.”

This framing liberates us from the false binary of either maintaining an impenetrable professional facade or sharing our deepest struggles. Authentic connection happens when we bring our real selves to conversations-attentive, curious, and honest about where we are without needing to share everything.

Beyond Strategy: Trusting the Unseen

For all our careful planning and strategic preparation, sometimes the most powerful moments arise when we trust something beyond our control.

“The idea of consciousness or spirit as a guide—that it’s not all on us,” Michael suggests. “Whenever we talk to another person, and we’re in deep connection, there is a consciousness that emerges in the space between us… Skoll as a forum has a consciousness that we can connect with for guidance, inspiration, and help.”

While this may seem esoteric in a sector driven by metrics and evidence, many leaders recognize the intuitive dimension of their work—those moments when the right connection happened not through strategy but through some inexplicable alignment of need and opportunity.

Lena captures this in her simple yet profound observation: “Each person’s reality is unique. And to embrace that.” This acknowledgment invites us to approach each interaction with openness rather than preconception, allowing space for the unexpected insight or connection.

The Grace to Be Imperfect

Finally, as we prepare for these high-stakes gatherings, we must extend compassion to ourselves and others. “It’s okay to have flawed experiences,” Naghma reminds us, “to come back thinking we should have done something else, to just be comfortable with that.”

Like building muscle, navigating these complex professional-personal spaces takes practice. We learn through trial and error, through conversations that didn’t go as planned and opportunities we missed. Each experience builds our capacity to show up more fully the next time.

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As we converge in Oxford next week—or at any gathering where important work happens—let’s remember that behind every title and organizational affiliation stands a person navigating uncertainty just as we are. Let’s create space for both strategic action and human connection, recognizing that the most powerful partnerships emerge when we bring our whole selves to the table—prepared but not rigid, professional but not detached, strategic but not calculating.

In times of collective disorientation, perhaps our greatest contribution is simply showing up as we are—present, honest, and open to what emerges between us.