It just occurred to me...

The description at the top of this blog says I am a would-be sector switcher.

But, it's not really a switch, it's more like a merge, or better yet a convergence.

The thesaurus says converge = meet, join, touch, unite, come together. I like it.

It's true, I'm trying to break into the nonprofit sector. I'm knocking at the door of the do-gooders and asking, "Won't you have me?" But it's hard. It's not a lateral move, because you have to learn the language, prove your passion, earn your spot -- you have to bleed some.

But it also shouldn't be a do-over, a totally new beginning. I have amassed some knowledge (skillage, as Sam says), I have something to share. I'm attempting to take the experience I've gained over the past 20 years and join with an organization that works toward positive social change in the community around me.

In the readings for my MPA courses at Seattle University, I'm learning about new methods behind efforts to improve our world. Social innovation, say researchers at Stanford University, is the new vehicle for change. And these "innovative social solutions cut across the traditional boundaries separating nonprofits, government, and for-profit businesses."

Aha!

Furthermore, "...innovation blossoms where the sectors converge." I love it.

As I narrow in on what it is "I really want to do when I grow up," I've decided I'm not a switcher. I'm a joiner, a toucher, a uniter.

Social innovation is the new thing. Sector converger is the new me.

Read the whole Stanford article here...
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