Impact Stories

Web of Change launched the 2009 season with Designing for Democracy — a multimedia presentation by social entrepreneur, technologist and artist Favianna Rodriguez at Vancouver’s stunning 319 Theatre. In our follow up interview, we asked the Oakland native about her business model for change, and how she has grown her social mission through a unique relationship between her web agency, TUMIS, and the Eastside Arts Alliance, the community non-profit she cofounded in 1999.

Innovation is the most challenging type of work to be involved in. By nature, it pushes you out of you comfort zones and into an exploration of the unknown. There's great risk, but also great reward.

Web of Change deserves a lot of credit for pushing both myself and my organization to be far more innovative, creative and bold in our online advocacy. Thanks to this community, Rainforest Action Network has launched some of the most effective campaigns in our history.

Of course, social change and social media is not 'all about the numbers'. One of the defining qualities of the web2.0 world is its power to break free from the dehumanizing numbers game of one-way communications and embrace a genuine dialogue between you and your audience.

That aside, anyone who has fought the hard battle of culture change that's often necessary with open communications knows that the process can be much easier when you can show that the numbers work in your favour.