As we celebrate 35 years of Echoing Green, we are asking our community to imagine the next 35 years with us.

Over the past thirty-five years, our Fellows have helped create a fairer, more just, and healthier world. We could never have imagined the progress we have made together—and yet there is still urgent progress to be made. As we start the charge toward the end of 2022, we’re taking stock of where we are—and where we want to head.

While the world looks different than when Echoing Green was first founded, what remains true is that our work requires hope that we can leave the world better for future generations by making bold decisions today. Simply put, to create a better world, we have to imagine that a different world is possible first. That’s how you pull white supremacy out by its roots, that’s how you disrupt to heal, that’s how you dismantle to reconstruct.

We’re excited to have an opportunity to reflect on this idea – that our collective actions today can define who we are as ancestors to future generations to come — at our Big Bold Benefit this month. At its core, it is a celebration of our global community of social innovators, but it’s also a chance for us to honor the foundations laid by leaders who’ve been with Echoing Green since our beginnings.

Leaders like Dave Hodgson, founding board member of Echoing Green, who has chaired the board, interviewed and supported countless Fellows, and held steadfast to his commitment to seeding change in the world. And lifelong innovators like Maya Ajmera, chair emerita and 1993 Echoing Green Fellow, who has championed young people worldwide, served as a mentor to hundreds of Fellows, and has played an integral role as a steward of Echoing Green.

The early and sustained commitment of Dave Hodgson and Maya Ajmera is critical for where Echoing Green is today: investing in visionary leaders working at the intersection of racial justice and social innovation to ensure all communities have every opportunity to thrive. Their leadership poses a profound reminder about the world: the actions we take today will indeed create waves of impact long into the future.