Social impact organizations must influence target audiences to spark action. But sometimes we get so caught up in working to specifically drive donations that we overly control the story in an attempt to present the “perfect” organization.

What if we rethought what influence means and how to achieve it through storytelling? And if we did, how do we take advantage of storytelling “change spaces” like virtual reality, citizen storyteller programs, and disruptive characters to do just that? And most importantly, how do we make these strategies sustainable across all organizational functions, departments, and individual personalities?

Building upon the research findings presented in the keynote presentation, join John Trybus from Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communications for a conversation with a panel of social impact storytellers who are working in the trenches to decide how to address those very questions within their own organizations.

John D. Trybus is a social strategist on a mission to help impact organizations embrace the blur-between sectors, functions, departments, and human strengths-for good.

He leads and manages Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communications, a research and action center working to ignite the power of responsible marketers, communicators, fundraisers, and journalists to combine their strengths within an organization in order to drive societal change.

A purposeful integrator himself, John’s career journey has spanned sectors in pursuit of making impact.

A life-changing encounter with world-famous chimpanzee expert Dr. Jane Goodall led him to become her personal advisor. He traveled nonstop with the environmental rockstar on her perpetual 300-day-per-year advocacy tour that took them around the globe inspiring people to help animals, people and the world we share. Whiskey (with a spot of water from the tap) was the fuel that kept the lecture tour going city-after-cityJohn has also served at the British Embassy and within Waggener Edstrom Worldwide’s social innovation practice, advising clients like Tiffany & Co., L’Oreal Paris, Coca-Cola and Women for Women International.

An adjunct professor of social impact and nonprofit management, John is a highly sought after speaker and trainer who proudly pontificates with a Chicago accent.