Tag: Strategy

  • The Future of Online Communities – Insights from the Online Community Unconference 2025

    The Future of Online Communities – Insights from the Online Community Unconference 2025

    The Online Community Unconference 2025 made one thing clear: the need for meaningful connection has never been greater, but the challenges of fostering it have never been more complex. This post explores the key insights from the event—where community leadership is evolving, where it’s stuck, and what we must do next.

  • Preparing for the Online Community Unconference 2025

    See you January 8th! In just a few days, the much-anticipated Online Community Unconference 2025 will bring together passionate community and community-skilled leaders for a day of connection, ideation, and learning. To help you make the most of this unique experience, we’ve prepared a detailed guide to set you up for success. Don’t have a…

  • Unlocking Community Intelligence in Events: Embracing Participant-Driven Methodologies

    Unlocking Community Intelligence in Events: Embracing Participant-Driven Methodologies

    As we transition from virtual to in-person meetings, conferences, and workshops, there is a noticeable hunger for novel and engaging experiences beyond the typical “expert in front of the room” sessions. What if every event participant had the chance to be the smartest person in the room? Rethinking Event Models Imagine events, meetings, and working…

  • Reasons to be Optimistic About the Future of Community Practice

    Reasons to be Optimistic About the Future of Community Practice

    The community “industry” is a mess. Good thing we are pretty good at community.

  • Community Strategy Design

    Community Strategy Design

    I was first introduced to the concept of a design process in my sophomore year of college. I was taking a sculpture class and we were preparing to start on our self-portrait busts. Our professor had us read “The Universal Traveler” by Koberg & Bagnell, follow the process they describe in the book, and keep…

  • Metaverse: Season 3 of the Cohere Podcast

    Metaverse: Season 3 of the Cohere Podcast

    During Season 2 of the Cohere podcast, Dr. Lauren Vargas and I examined the role networks play in our lives – from the obvious to the subtle. In Season 3, Lauren and I are exploring the topic dominating the discussion of our collective digital future: the Metaverse. Our intention is to have a discussion will…

  • Developing Community Strategy, Goals & Measurements (Community Value Part 3)

    Note: this is the third in a series of posts about community value. If you missed “A Perspective on Community Value“ or “Understanding the Community Opportunity“, I’d recommend starting there. Co-Author: Brian Pagels This post (part 3 of a 4 part series) builds on the concepts outlined in “A Perspective on Community Value“ and “Understanding the…

  • Understanding the Community Opportunity (Community Value Part 2)

    Note: this is the second in a series of posts about community value. If you missed “A Perspective on Community Value”, I’d recommend starting there. In the last decade, many companies have come to understand how valuable (and critical) their direct relationships with customers are. The most strategic organizations understand that these relationships are part…

  • A Perspective on Community Value (Part 1 of a Series)

    This is the first of a four-part series on the topic of community value. The series is based in large part, on the output of a series of small-group working sessions and primary research that began in 2018, as well as learnings and observations from my career. A Personal Perspective I’ve worked with some form…

  • The Cohere Podcast – Season 2 Update

    The Cohere podcast is in its second season. In season 1 covered a range of important topics related to communities and networks, including creating connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the next 3 billion people coming online and how to create a collaborative online future with AI. We’re well underway with Season 2,…