Program Management Projects
Designing A to Z experiential learning programs based on a tailor-made needs analysis.
Geotech Center Fellowship Refresh
During my tenure, the Fellowship doubled in size and produced an engaged cohort of strategic experts to contributemto the Center’s core focus areas, increasing impact, and
amplifying new voices in emerging tech.
The Atlantic Council is one of the top 25 global, policy-based think tanks in the US, engaging and convening influential thought leaders across government, academia, corporate and nonprofit sectors. The GeoTech Center (GTC) is one of sixteen global centers under the Atlantic Council umbrella, working to identify and communicate what is required so that emerging technologies can enter use widely across the globe for public benefit, while identifying and mitigating potential societal and geopolitical risks.
My role was to manage and grow the highly selective GeoTech Center Fellows Program for emerging tech policy. This was particularly timely as AI is rapidly changing and becoming increasingly part of our everyday lives. My personal goal was to design a unique learning experience for fellows, increasing engagement by identifying the right fellows for the right projects and creating opportunities for fellows to connect with other experts in their field and share their perspectives on emerging tech. I’m proud to say that I was an integral part of creating strategic pathways for diverse voices to contribute to responsible AI regulation.
The Opportunity
At the beginning of my contract, the majority of the current fellows were inactive and disengaged. They weren't publishing many articles or contributing to active projects. My challenge was to reevaluate the fellows and their fit, add new, more aligned fellows, and create new processes with more opportunities for article publications, project contributions, and report launches.
The Approach
The first step was to redefine the goals of the fellowship. Fellows were expected to contribute by authoring articles and thought leadership pieces for Atlantic Council publishing outlets. They were also called on as needed to speak at events that were relevant to their background and areas of expertise. The Center was looking to increase the number of articles authored by fellows with unique perspectives on emerging tech policy.
In collaboration with the GeoTech team, I conducted a full assessment of the skills and contributions of each fellow. Once we had identified a core group, we could expand to add new fellows in the areas that weren't represented. We created an open call for new fellows in target areas and developed a rubric for ranking each candidate. I collaborated with GeoTech team members to collect their input on what they needed for their project portfolio.
Once selected, fellows were invited to collaborate with the GeoTech team to hone in on the unique challenges they were interested in tackling. They co-authored emerging tech articles, served as panelists and facilitators for Atlantic Council events, and weighed in on policy analysis.
As a result of our collective efforts, the GTC received over 70 fellow applicants for the open call. We selected final candidates based on their experience in the core GTC verticals and the fellows are on track to increase engagement by 50% in 2023. Within the first couple weeks of final selections, the GTC saw an increase in targeted engagement. Examples included one fellow's timely authoring of an Experts React article for the Atlantic Council's primary publication and another joining a private GeoTech forum as a subject matter expert on healthcare data sharing. As new fellows continue to join the fellowship, the amount of strategic contributions to the GTC's portfolio of work continually increases.
Atlantic Council taught me the importance of alignment in program design. When we got crystal clear on what SMEs we were looking for and what we expected of them, fellows stepped up and engagement increased.
During my tenure, the Fellowship doubled in size and produced an engaged cohort of strategic experts to contribute to the Center's core focus areas, increase impact, and amplify new voices in emerging tech.
The Outcome
"In most organizational change efforts, it is much easier to draw on the strengths of the culture than to overcome the constraints by changing the culture.”
- Edgar Schein
Branding Workshop Series
Biz Story Studio's workshop series received consistently positive feedback, creating novel opportunities for business leaders to think about their brand and the story they're telling. One participant shared the following testimonial: "Stephanie does a phenomenal job meticulously going through the process of helping me accurately identify my business ethos. She is particularly helpful in extracting your thoughts and ideas."
After being on the receiving end of a COVID-related layoff, I put my entrepreneurial skills to work, immersing myself in the StoryBrand framework, designing a Business Leadership Coaching Program, Biz Story Studio.
The program was for business leaders who were looking to attract new customers by creating a values-based business identity and inviting their customers into a compelling story. The program was highly interactive, requiring 100% engagement from learners. After the workshops, participants had well-developed messaging collateral including a one-liner, mission statement, and message script to integrate into their marketing strategy.
For business leaders who wanted to be a part of a peer-based coaching community for additional support, I designed a coaching cohort program that includes 10-weeks of topical group discussions centered around business identity, storytelling, and marketing strategy.
The Opportunity
Small business owners have a very hard time articulating the problem they solve, their offering, and more importantly, how they're different. They don't know how to invite clients into a story and as a result, they're missing out on potential customers and the opportunity to attract the right clients.
The Approach
Using Bloom's taxonomy and the StoryBrand framework to facilitate the learning process, I designed an interactive program for business owners to articulate their business identity and layer on the unique values that set them apart. The program consisted of three two-hour workshops with optional coaching cohorts for added peer support. Learners were asked to brainstorm their values, superpowers, client avatars, and unique offerings. We then worked through StoryBrand's proven 7-part story framework to to articulate a compelling story with a hero who overcomes a problem and experiences success. Alongside the learners, I guided them in telling their story using templates, story mapping, and coaching practices to draw out information in a live group setting.
The Outcome
The program received consistently positive feedback, creating novel opportunities for business leaders to think about their brand and the story they're telling.
One participant shared the following testimonial: "Stephanie does a phenomenal job meticulously going through the process of helping me accurately identify my business ethos. She is particularly helpful in extracting your thoughts and ideas."
The experience of building a business from the ground up was extremely educational, with many trials and errors. I learned the importance of setting small goals and plugging away at them religiously. I learned how to identify a target audience, craft a value proposition, and pivot when things weren't working...all during the constant challenges of navigating COVID. And by creating a brand for my clients, I also learned how to articulate my own personal story, brand, and style.