The Classy Collaborative Makes Its Boston Debut

Classy transformed Boston's Cruiseport for the 3-day Collaborative

The buzz leading up to Classy’s Collaborative and Awards compounded into a palpable energy the morning of June 14, the first of three days organized by Classy to “bring the social innovators hustling for world change together to share their stories in an exciting atmosphere of learning, discovery, and collaboration.”

The California-based company took over a huge warehouse space at Boston’s Cruiseport and transformed it into a hip but comfortable space made up of three stages, multiple lounges outfitted with welcoming furniture and plenty of outlets for those catching up on email between sessions or settling into conversation with new connections, and café areas lit with holiday lights and surrounded by tall tables where complimentary refreshments to keep attendees energized. And still, there was a lot to prove over the three-day event where Boston hoped to showcase its growing social innovation sector and Classy sought to make a splash in its first year of holding the Collaborative outside of its home town of San Diego.

The Social Innovation Forum (SIF) team had helped to welcome the idea of the Classy Collaborative in Boston in the months prior to the event, sharing with the Classy team SIF’s perspective on greater Boston’s most innovative work. Our Executive Director Susan Musinsky served on the host committee, along with many of Boston’s social sector leaders. At the event, Susan would be moderating a showcase session featuring two SIF portfolio organizations, GRIT and Playworks MA, both finalists for the Classy Awards along with another Boston area organization and Classy finalist, ARISE Impact. Besides that and an agenda filled with speakers and panels on exciting topics, we weren’t sure what to expect.

Classy's ability to create an environment infused with the spirit of collaboration led to an uncommon space where leaders seemed to meet on level playing ground.

Susan and I spent the first two days attending talks and panels, getting to know some of the Classy Award finalists in the “lab” where they showcased their innovations, and connecting with old and new friends and colleagues. Although the lineup of speakers and panelists boasted some impressive names, we came away most galvanized by the conversation and connection-making that happened in-between and around the planned sessions. We had heard from others who had attended previous Collaboratives that the connections they made at the event were some of the most valuable take aways, and we were not surprised. Classy’s thoughtful design of the physical warehouse certainly helped, but the company’s ability to create an environment infused with the spirit of collaboration and learning led to an uncommon space where social entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and philanthropic leaders seemed to meet on level playing ground.

SIF Executive Director, Susan Musinsky, presenting at Classy's "Best of Boston" showcase stage

We recognized and identified with this collaborative community-building that reached beyond the traditional give and take of funders and investees and allowed attendees to see themselves as part of a bigger picture in which we can only achieve sustainable impact by recognizing that we are all on the same team. In SIF’s own work, we regularly see that bringing together people passionate about working towards social change in intentional ways to share resources, ideas, and networks is what makes impact possible. We work to leverage every opportunity we can to build this sort of community in greater Boston and believe this approach makes SIF’s work with our community of social purpose leaders and passionate supporters distinctive and, most importantly, effective.

GRIT, a 2013 Impact Entrepreneur and Classy finalist, showing of the Leveraged Freedom Wheelchair

While Classy has yet to announce if the Collaborative and Awards will move to Boston permanently, we hope that the Classy team will look back on the event and recognize the value that Boston’s community of social innovation organizations added in terms of expertise and earnest dedication to addressing today’s toughest social issues through collaboration. And, with one Boston-based Collaborative under its belt, Classy has the opportunity to more deeply engage local, community-based leaders innovating solutions to the entrenched social issues right here in Massachusetts. Increasing the visibility and participation of greater Boston’s diverse network of community leaders will deepen and improve the conversations that were lively but less representative than necessary when discussing such pertinent social issues as equitable access to education, affordable health care, healthy food, safe communities, and more. We hope to welcome Classy back to Boston as a partner and look forward to many more inclusive and productive Collaboratives to come.