A Tale of Three Cities: Voices, Experiences, and Lessons Learned from Bridge Building in Chicago, Dallas, and Pittsburgh

A diverse group of 40 changemakers from Chicago, Dallas, and Pittsburgh came together through Independent Sector’s Bridging Fellows program, supported by IS member Walmart, to strengthen and advance their collective leadership capacities, deepen and expand their relationships and networks, and amplify and embody bridge building as understood, experienced, and practiced in the real world. Fellows engaged in virtual convenings for in-depth learning and engagement on key bridging components and conditions, best practices, and to connect with each other across sectors, institutions, and geographical boundaries. They also participated in three in-person learning exchanges in the three cities for on-site learning, to apply bridging concepts, and to continue strengthening their relationships.

What does bridge building really mean, what does it look like, and how many people actually practice and put it into action? During this 60-minute session, fellows will share their personal bridging experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. They’ll discuss how they bridged in and across their respective cities, including process differences and similarities, what informed these bridges and connections, how they maintain them, and how bridging impacted their professional work.

You’ll leave the program with a deeper understanding of the fellows’ two-year bridging process, and creative inspiration and tools to help you practice bridging in your work, networks, and communities.