Impact Curator

The best insights, opportunities, resources & events I come across every day.

Straight to your inbox twice a month!

Grab your starter kit!

Being new to ecosystem building is a little confusing, isn't it? I get it. It feels like learning a new language, in a foreign country to which you have no map.

That's why I created a starter kit to help you find your way around! Once you've aligned your compass, you'll receive the latest insights about ecosystem building for social change once a month, along with early access to new content & expert interviews, first dibs on upcoming programs and services, and a healthy reminder that your work matters!

2022

Social Capital: Building trust and managing conflict in entrepreneurial ecosystems

Burn both ends: The mental, physical & emotional toll of ecosystem building

EFC Season 3 Promo (Facebook Ad) (LinkedIn Banner)

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Do you have any questions specific to Impact Curator? Do you have a resource that you think should be featured here? Get in touch!

December 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

"Building and nurturing ecosystems for social change requires a certain mindset and skills and a robust mental and emotional foundation. I have interviewed more than a hundred ecosystem builders for social change (meet them here and here). What I took away from these conversations is that effective ecosystem builder are:

  • Champions, cheerleaders and resource connectors, who identify
  • Systemic gaps, solutions and stakeholders
  • Serving their local community selflessly with the goal of creating
  • Long-term and systemic change."

In my latest Insights piece Unlocking Ecosystem Building, I discuss the personal resilience, mental and emotional foundation of effective ecosystem builders.

To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Incubating Incubators COHORT 2.3 | Villgro

    Incubating Incubators is a three-month program during which incubators will receive one-on-one mentoring, access to Villgro's technology platform VITALS, Incubation Playbook, and the opportunity to pitch to donors, investors at the concluding event - the Grand Demo Day. Are you an Incubator looking for mentoring support, expert insight and access to donors and investors? Apply now to Incubating Incubators (Deadline: 31 December 2021)

  • Global Scale Up X | MIT D-lab

    Global Scale Up X is a new global community for female entrepreneurs. It features weekly fundraising opportunities and actionable tips from female founders who have successfully raised VC money for their businesses. Join today!

resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

November 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • "It's so damn personal. I can say with a hand on my heart and the most sincere look into your eyes: The best, most effective ecosystem builders share a way of thinking that goes beyond what you can teach or train someone to do."

In my latest Insights piece Unlocking Ecosystem Building, I discuss the personal resilience, mental and emotional foundation of effective ecosystem builders.

To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Echoing Green is accepting applications for their next cohort of social entrepreneurs. Applications are due Tuesday, November 2.
  • How to raise alternative funding launches on November 8. If you're a purpose-driven entrepreneur who wants to fundraise on your own terms, this course is for you! Use the discount code Social Venturers to get 10% off!
  • Become  Neighborhood Champion (US only) this holiday season by promoting small businesses in your community and encouraging your folks to shop small this Christmas! Apply by November 9 to join the American Express Neighborhood Champion.
  • Acumen and the Rockefeller Foundation are bringing together systems leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset from across the world, who understand that it will take all of us to tackle the greatest food systems challenges of our time. Apply for their Food Systems Fellowship by December 1.

resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

South America

  • Yunus Social Business is looking for a leader with an amazing track record and who knows the Brazilian social-business ecosystem. Based in São Paulo, the new Managing Director Investments will be responsible for scaling the portfolio of Yunus Social Business Brazil to new heights.

October 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • "If local entrepreneurs start and sustain healthy businesses, they
    • create jobs in the community,
    • pay taxes locally increasing revenue for public spending, and
    • build the entrepreneurial fabric of their community (knowingly or not)."

In my latest Insights piece Unlocking Entrepreneurship, I investigate and explain what makes entrepreneurship such a powerful vehicle to drive social change in our communities.

To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Are you a social enterprise that is intentional about supporting women's economic empowerment by working with women as leaders, employees, value chain contributors and/or customers? The Miller Center is launching a Women’s Economic Empowerment Accelerator in January 2022, but applications are due October 22, 2021. For details on minimum eligibility requirements and to apply for the program, click here.

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

South America

  • Yunus Social Business is looking for a leader with an amazing track record and who knows the Brazilian social-business ecosystem. Based in São Paulo, the new Managing Director Investments will be responsible for scaling the portfolio of Yunus Social Business Brazil to new heights.

September 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • “We can redesign the system in more nuanced ways into a system that works for all of us and in which value is complex and holistic instead of this one-dimensional, capitalist goal that is ruining our systems for the majority of people” I have been thinking a lot about how we might better understand, demonstrate and communicate the value we create as entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. In my new Insights piece Value:Redefined, I dive deeper into the value conversation with six other Social Venturers.
  • To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • The Cox Social Impact Accelerator is looking for innovative startups to drive community impact.
  • Applications are open for the second cohort of Resource, a program to help support BIPOC-led incubators and accelerators
  • Main Street America launched Backto.Biz, a free online learning program created to help small businesses develop knowledge and skills to accelerate their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The Value Web is hosting their first Systems Leaders Academy in September: an intensive virtual, cohort-based training for leaders, changemakers and innovators who work on vexing systemic problems that can only be addressed using a collaborative approach

resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

  • Ashoka Germany are looking for a trainee to join their social entrepreneurship team!

July 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • “You don’t solve a complex system. It never finishes. It is permanently unfolding, the work is never complete, and there is no objective definition of success.” This quote from The Startup Community Way really got my wheels turning.  Thinking in complex adaptive systems makes us better entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. Find out how in my latest Insights piece Complexity as a Mindset.
  • To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

Resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

  • AnswersNow, a tech-enabled social enterprise supporting families and caregivers of children with autism are looking for a head of growth.*
  • The Skoll Foundation is looking for a Digital Platform Manager in Palo Alto, California
  • Encircled, a sustainable fashion brand based in Toronto is looking to fill several roles.*
  • My friends at The Resolution Project are hiring a full time program manager in New York City.*

*If you're applying, let them know that Anika sent you 😉

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

June 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • "How much you work is not a yardstick for how valuable you are as a human, impact maker, or ecosystem builder." In my new Insights post Martyr in Recovery, I share why we tend to overwork ourselves in the name of social change and how I changed course to avoid burnout.
  • To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • The Global Good Fund is accepting applications for their 10th cohort of Fellows.
  • The Rural Innovation Initiative is accepting scholarships applications for their technical assistance program: Up to 4 scholarships will be granted to rural communities of color and those communities committed to ensuring their digital economic development efforts are equitable, and serve their local BIPOC populations.
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration just launched a new Growth Accelerator and SBIR Catalyst competition with $5MM+ in prizes for incubators, accelerators & other support organizations with impactful & inclusive approaches for supporting STEM/R&D entrepreneurs (closes July 2).
  • Uncharted is reimagining the food system to be sustainable, equitable, and efficient together with Chipotle. If you're a (social) entrepreneur who works in this area, or your know one, check out the Chipotle Aluminaries Project!

Resources

Events

*In the first masterclass (June 2), we’ll hone in on your purpose before designing a values-aligned lifestyle in session 2 (June 23). Make the most of this experience and save $100 by grabbing the Impact Double!

Jobs

U.S.+-based

*If you're applying, let them know that Anika sent you 😉

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

May 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • "I tried to fit a day at the spa, a family day, a meditation retreat and productive work day all into ONE SINGLE DAY." Read my very personal piece about the relationship between our ego and our purpose: The Purpose Gap
  • To see what is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Accelerate2030 is a multi-stakeholder program co-initiated by Impact Hub Geneva and the UNDP, identifying entrepreneurs with innovative solutions contributing to the #SDGs and providing them with tailored scaling program at both the national and global level, and thus driving the shift towards a more sustainable economy. (Thank you Nathalie Roy)
  • Atlas Corps seeks emerging leaders 23-35 years old to apply for a paid Fellowship beginning in late 2021 or early 2022 in the United States! Atlas Corps engages professionals from around the world committed to #socialchange in 12-18 month fellowships with organizations to learn best practices, build organizational capacity, and return home to create a network of global leaders. Apply by May 16.
  • The next cohort of Danielle Anderson’s 10-week business accelerator Simplicity – for business owners who want to grow their revenue and impact – starts in August. Get on the waitlist and let her know I sent you!
  • Uncharted is reimagining the food system to be sustainable, equitable, and efficient together with Chipotle. If you're a (social) entrepreneur who works in this area, or your know one, check out the Chipotle Aluminaries Project!
  • The Roddenberry Foundation is calling all organizers, community leaders, and change makers to apply for the 2022 Roddenberry Fellowship that offers participants
    • $50k in funding
    • One-on-one coaching and development opportunities
    • Ongoing support
    • A community of peers who share resources and expertise

Resources

Events

*In the first masterclass (June 2), we’ll hone in on your purpose before designing a values-aligned lifestyle in session 2 (June 23). Make the most of this experience and save $100 by grabbing the Impact Double!

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For more U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

April 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • Part 7 of my 7-part series Ecosystem Building 101 is live! In #7 Start. Be patient. we talk about how to stay motivated when change feels incremental and what to focus on instead, I’ll be sharing highlights from my findings throughout the month of March over Social Venturers’ Instagram!
  • To see what else is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!
  • In our second session for Impact Solopreneurs, we talked about how to gain more clarity and focus when working in the social impact space. Read all about it in my recent blogpost!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Fired Up and Focused. This 10-day challenge hosted by Racheal Cook is a tried and tested opportunity to improve your focus and become more productive in your day-to-day. Highly recommend! Register by April 14!
  • Want even more focus? Servane Mouazan is offering her 3-month signature program Embrace your Focus starting in May! Register by April 30!
  • If you are, or know, a social entrepreneur in IndiaBrazil or Colombia, Yunus Social Business wants to hear how the pandemic impacted your business! They’re researching the needs of social-businesses entrepreneurs in these geographies in collaboration with the IKEA Foundation, and carrying out a survey to better understand your needs as a social business. Survey participants are also in with a chance to win exclusive, in-depth mentorship and advisory calls with their local investment teams.
  • Challenge 2021 helps German social entrepreneurs re-envision their venture for a post-pandemic world.
  • The next cohort of Danielle Anderson’s 10-week business accelerator Simplicity – for business owners who want to grow their revenue and impact – opens in May. Get on the waitlist!
  • Echoing Green are opening up their fellowship applications for emerging social entrepreneurs on April 6!

Kudos!

Resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

For U.S.-based jobs, sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

March 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Update Deutschland: I HAVE to give a shout-out to my home country for putting changemakers on the map! Following the to-date world’s largest hackathon to counteract the crisis caused by the pandemic in March 2020 (you may have read about #WirVsVirusHackthon), Germany is launching another hackathon to help address Germany’s greatest social issues: Update Deutschland.
  • The Refinery is a Queensland-based incubator for early-stage impact-driven businesses. Applications are now open.
  • Start 2 Imagine is an event series for Germany-based emerging social innovators and entrepreneurs.
  • Are you a social INTRApreneur, or do you know one? Then don’t miss this opportunity to participate – or nominate a social intrapreneur – in Yunus Social Business’ current study on social intrapreneurship. Spread the word!

Resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

Sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

Africa-based

February 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • Part 5 of our 7-part series Ecosystem Building 101 is live! #5 Connect People sheds more light on how we might better connect players in our entrepreneurial ecosystems bottom-up, top-down, inside-out, etc. I’ll be sharing highlights from my findings throughout the month of February over Social Venturers’ Instagram!
  • Based on my conversations over the last few months, I gained some new insights into how we define value in our work at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and ecosystem building: I’m excited to share them with you in my new post Value: Redefined and can’t wait to hear what you think!
  • To see what else is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Self-employed and impact-driven? This is your last chance to join our global alliance of freelance impact makersImpact Solopreneurs. Registration closes Friday, February 5th!
  • SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, and other sponsors to provide several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs. Learn more about their startup grant.
  • ClimateTech Innovators is accepting applications for any climatetech ventures looking for support!
  • 1863‘s 3R’s Grant Program helps for-profit businesses navigate the short term uncertainty driven by COVID-19 in order to overcome the persistent structural barriers faced due to race and/or gender. Joining this online program you’ll reevaluate your business models, pivot where necessary, set a targeted growth strategy, and execute with a clear roadmap.
  • The American Chamber of Commerce in Germany is seeking nominations for female founders in Germany for their Female Founders Award. Know an outstanding female German entrepreneur? Nominate her!
  • DFS Labs is hosting a COVID-19 Innovation Sprint that aims to unearth, develop, and refine FinTech solutions that directly address the pandemic in Egypt.
  • B Academics just opened their doors to their membership for educators, researchers and academics with an interested in the B Corp movement.
  • Bridges for Enterprise is a global community of students and professors at the University of Cambridge providing pro-bono advice to social entrepreneurs seeking to grow their ventures, creating a more inclusive and sustainable future. Social entrepreneurs can now apply to their free incubation program.

Resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

Sign up for A Force For Good to get curated social impact jobs straight to your inbox!

Europe-based

January 2021 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • Part 4 of our 7-part series Ecosystem Building 101 is live! #4 Live the Values discusses how ecosystem builders around the world uncover the values in their communities, lead through them, and what happens when those values are misaligned.
  • To see what else is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • Self-employed and impact-driven? Join a global alliance of freelance impact makers to support your business growth and personal development in 2021: Impact Solopreneurs.
  • Our friends at tbd* are recruiting participants for their next cohort of the Purpose Fellowship.
  • Bethnal Green Ventures (UK) are accepting applications for their next cohort of tech for good startups. £30k of investment plus programming and a community of founders and investors. Applications close soon!
  • Pharrell Williams (yes THE Pharrell Williams) just announced the launch of a prize in support of New Majority entrepreneurs.
  • Social Starter (Germany) is accepting applications for their upcoming 6-month support program for fledgling social entrepreneurs.
  • Microsoft is supporting social entrepreneurs through funding, technology support and a network of supporters. check out Microsoft Global Social Entrepreneurship.
  • Every two weeks, Ashoka USA is hosting a series of Zoom conversations – Welcome Change – with social entrepreneurs from around the world to hear what’s working and what they’re seeing in the space.

Resources

  • Learn about social intrapreneurship with Yunus Social Business at their free webinar on January 21, 2021.
  • Calling all funders, philanthropists, impact investors, and visionaries in the public sector! If you are a champion of systems change, The School for Systems Change has a three-module program for you: Investors in Change.
  • I recently came across Breaking Down Barriers: A podcast for entrepreneurship community practitioners and I can’t recommend it enough. Hear from experts like Victor Hwang, Dell Gines and other what they’re seeing at the front line of entrepreneurial ecosystem building!

Events

  • Social Venturer Christina Marie Noel is hosting a free webinar on January 6, 2021, at 12.30 p.m. EST to help you build and grow your business in 2021.
  • Calling all solopreneurs in the social impact space! We are hosting a FREE global meetup for anyone who is self-employed and working to make a difference in the world! Join us January 26th, 11 a.m. EST / 4 p.m. GMT / 5 p.m. CET!

Jobs

U.S.+-based

  • The Full Frame Initiative is looking for a Director of the Wellbeing Blueprint in Massachusetts, remote possible.
  • Movement Law Lab is hiring a Managing Director in New York, remote possible.
  • The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is growing quickly and filling a number of roles for their HQ in Hartland, Vermont, remote possible.
  • Start Small Think Big is a non-profit on a mission to empower and catalyze under-resourced entrepreneurs. They are hiring a new Director of Research, Strategy and Impact for their New York location.
  • The Climate Justice Alliance is looking for three Co-Executive Directors in California, remote possible.
  • The Skoll Foundation is hiring a talent and engagement manager for their Palo Alto HQ, California.
  • Imaginable Futures is seeking a principal to join the US investment team in D.C. (remote possible), primarily focused on investments, research, and movement building, including advocacy and strategic communications.
  • Commonwealth Fusion Systems is hiring a Head of Movement Building in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Europe-based

  • The Progressives Zentrum in Berlin is looking to fill four different roles [GERMANY]
  • IMPACT partners are recruiting a DACH Investment Manager for their offices in Paris and Frankfurt/Main. Experienced in private equity, German as mother tongue, English fluent, French knowledge. [FRANCE/GERMANY]

December 2020 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • This week, I am hosting the last Fireside Chat in the 2020 season discussing ecosystem building principle #7 Start. Be patient.
  • Masterclasses will return in 2021! Get on the waitlist!
  • To see what else is happening at Social Venturers, read my latest logbook!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • The Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University is recruiting for its next online accelerator focused on social enterprises that support women’s #economicempowerment.
  • Stanford Social Innovation Review is looking for experts in the field of data on purpose for their upcoming Data on Purpose conference, “Democracy, Civil Society, and Digital Technology.”
  • The John Hopkins University’s Turner MIINT team is currently sourcing mission-driven businesses for a potential $50K investment. The business must already have a lead investor identified and be raising a maximum of $1.5m with a round open in April 2021. Deadline 10 December 2020.*
  • The British Council is inviting applications for creative commissions which bring together art, science, and digital technology and offer innovative responses to climate change. The commissions will be part of the cultural program in the build up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November 2021. Deadline December 13, 2020.*
  • VV GROW is a global business accelerator and leadership development program for women owners of small- and medium-sized businesses. It offers customized business skills training, leadership development, technical assistance, and access to networks. Applications are considered on a rolling basis until December 15 or until all participants are selected.*
  • Innovations in Healthcare is now accepting referrals and nominations from digital and mental health with innovative models ready to scale their impact in global health. Deadline December 31, 2020.*
  • The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship is searching for its next cohort of Skoll Scholars to study through the Oxford MBA in 2021-22. Deadline January 8, 2021.*
  • Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya and other allies created Ensamble Artesano with the aim of promoting the productive activity of artisans in Mexico who have been affected by the uncertainty caused by social distancing measures due to the pandemic through formal value chains. Ensamble Artesano guarantees fair income to families and communities that preserve the heritage and cultural identity of the country.*

*Thank you ANDE for gathering and sharing these opportunities!

Resources

Events

  • December 2, 2020: Race to Recovery, a dynamic interactive event convening diverse leaders from across the nation to articulate, discuss and emerge potential solutions to address systemic racism and inequities in the sectors of entrepreneurship and economic development – particularly as they have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • December 10, 2020: 1863 X AARP Innovation Labs Town Hall to learn how you can support black entrepreneurs

Jobs

U.S.+-based

Europe-based

Asia & Africa-based

November 2020 edition

Social Venturers Insights

In-house insights from my research in the field

  • Join us every second Thursday of the month (until December 3rd, 2020) at one of our Fireside Chatspeer-to-peer learning sessions for experienced ecosystem builders for social change! Upcoming dates & topics:
    • November 5: Connect people bottom-up, top-down, outside-in etc.
    • November 19: Tell authentic stories.
    • December 3: Start. Be Patient.
  • Foster Inclusive Conversations: part 2 of our 7-part series Ecosystem Building 101 is now live. Ecosystem builders for social change from Arkansas, Virginia, New Mexico, Arizona, Puerto Rico and Albania share how they foster inclusive conversations in their entrepreneurial communities:
    1. Create serendipity
    2. Inclusion & Hope
    3. Turning words into action
  • Want to see what else is cooking at Social Venturers? Head over to my monthly journal!

Opportunities for you and social entrepreneurs you know

  • The CO.STARTERS Gift Guide is still accepting small businesses to be featured for the holiday season! Where are YOU buying your gifts this year? #supportsmallbusiness
  • Trying to figure out how to combine social good and a viable business? Check out Stanford University‘s Impact Business Model Canvas!
  • Feeling stuck as an entrepreneur? Find a new way forward for your small business in a two-hour interactive workshop by our friends at CO.STARTERS! Refocus, November 19, 2020.

Resources

Events

Jobs

U.S.+-based

  • Our friends at Forward Cities in Durham, N.C., are looking for a full-time research assistant with a strong understanding of systemic racism and inequities in the U.S.
  • CO.STARTERS are looking for their next community manager. Location-flexible, great team and an exciting opportunity for anyone passionate about helping entrepreneurs and their communities thrive!
  • The Center on Rural Innovation in the U.S. is looking to fill a number of exciting roles!
  • The Skoll Foundation is looking for a Network Manager to join their team in Palo Alto, California!
  • Arabella Advisors are seeking a Managing Director for the U.S. Midwest.
  • The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment seeks a Director of Research and Education who has significant experience in the field of sustainable and impact investing (Washington, D.C.).
  • BlackRock is looking for their next VP Corporate Sustainability in New York City.
  • Peloton is looking for support in their social impact department!
  • Mastercard Foundation is seeking their next Director for their Center for Inclusive Growth!
  • IDEO U is looking for part-time Teaching Assistants to join their team.
  • The African Visionary Fund is seeking a Co-Leader to work in partnership with its Executive Director, Katie Bunten-Wamaru, to deliver on the Fund’s vision of African changemakers having access to the resources they need to accelerate their impact and being recognized by funders as critical drivers of #systemschange on the continent.

Europe-based

Global

    • Are you excited about the investment opportunities hidden in emerging markets and want to work in an impact driven organization? Seedstars is looking to full a number of exciting positions around the world!

    A special thank you to Rehana Nathoo and Cari Keller who share a lot of these opportunities through their channels!

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Thanks for all that you do!