Today, I want you to meet Cecilia Wessinger, who I’ve known for several years through her work as a community activator with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and her role at Startup Champions Network.

Cecilia shares what types of conflict she has encountered in helping convene an ecosystem of ecosystem builders. Cecilia also talks about how she approaches trust building among diverse parties.

Find out why we shouldn’t quiet but encourage dissent and what places you need to check out if you ever make it to Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Cecilia Wessinger is an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder and founder of Mass Collaboration. She is also the Director for Global Community with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).  Prior to joining GEN, Cecilia was a consultant with the Kauffman Foundation, Future Agro Challenge and has led small group mastermind workshops and cohorts around the world. She has extensive experience mentoring and advising startup founders, ecosystem builders and organizations.

Cecilia has served as a speaker, facilitator and panelist at innovation- and entrepreneurship-focused events such as Shift, Tom-Tom Festival and ESHIP Summit. She has judged and supported pitch competitions for SXSW, U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of State's Global Innovation through Science and Technology program. She currently serves on the executive board(s) of the Institute for Work and the Economy and Startup Champions Network, and has served on over a dozen non-profit boards in her local community ranging from the arts to education and entrepreneurship.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Cecilia’s role as an ecosystem builder of ecosystem builders brought her close to being “collateral damage” when navigating conflict
• Why Cecilia says that cooperation can actually get in the way of real progress, and why dissent is necessary to problem-solving and innovation
• The lessons Cecilia has learned about transparency and relationships
• Why Cecilia defines trust in terms of hope, consistency, and honesty

Learn More About Cecilia Wessinger:

• CeciliaWessinger.me
• Twitter: @Liminal_Nexus
• Connect with Cecilia on LinkedIn
• Read Cecilia's Blog Post on Phenomenology

Learn More About Anika Horn:

• Website: www.socialventurers.com 
• Instagram: SocialVenturers
• Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator

Resources:

• Kauffman Foundation
• Global Entrepreneurship Network
• Startup Champions Network
• Who Do We Choose To Be? Facing Reality | Claiming Leadership | Restoring Sanity, Margaret Wheatley