I2I's Heart-2-Heart on Eval23 in Indy, un-conferencing in the DR, and A New Project Kick-off!

Hey there,

Welcome to Intention 2 Impact (I2I’s) Heart 2 Heart (H2H) newsletter - where we share what’s on our minds, in our hearts, and up-our-sleeves. This is an archived newsletter from September 2023. Want to read the newsletter in real time? Click here to subscribe!

HelloOo there! 👻

Get your pillowcase ready because we are here with some treats! Welcome to Intention 2 Impact’s Heart-2-Heart — our monthly newsletter where we share what’s on our mind, in our hearts, and up our sleeves.

In this edition, we unpack (literally and figuratively) from October’s conferences, celebrate birthdays, and announce the launch of a new partnership with the Colorado Health Foundation.

On Our Minds

Double Header Conference Season

This month the I2I team was back-to-back at conferences. We started at the American Evaluation Association annual conference in Indianapolis, and ended at the Opportunity Collaboration in the Dominican Republic.

Different vibes, equally valuable.

Here are three highlights from each:

EVAL ‘23 in Indianapolis, IN 📍

The shortest distance between two people is a story. The theme of this year’s AEA Conference was the Power of Story. Stories have the power to build bridges, bend time, mend hearts, change perspectives, and amplify impact. From presentations, to hallway chats, and evening gatherings, the stories exchanged at the conference have stuck with us.
Paying Her Forward — one city at a time. I2I held our 3rd annual Pay Her Forward fundraiser, Happy Hour & Headshots, to raise money for a local organization serving women and girls. This year, we raised $1,757 for the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. Thank you to all who came out!
AI is here. Own it or be owned by it. I2I team members, Nina & Sahiti, were on a panel on the topic of Emerging AI in Evaluation. While other panelists (rightfully) warned of ethical concerns and unintended consequences of AI, I2I made a case for why it is worth jumping in (with criteria and caution). Stay tuned for our upcoming NDE publication that dives deep on the topic.

OC ‘23 in Miches, Dominican Republic 📍

Navigating paradox. The contradiction was not lost on us: we were discussing global inequities while gathered at an all-inclusive resort. Not to mention, the devastation of the violence in Israel and Gaza weighed heavily on our minds and hearts; as we also embraced the joy of gathering with new and old friends. Through it all, we felt called to stretch ourselves to make space to hold these tensions, without seeking convenient resolutions.
Human being > human doing. Although work brought us to OC, the change of scenery and spaciousness in the programming allowed us to “be” more than “do.” Somehow the simplest task (just being human) can be the hardest to prioritize.
Community as a portal. Simply stated, it felt nourishing to be in community with such an array of folks committed to addressing poverty and injustices. This Alice Waters quote shared in the leadership circles says it best: “This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”