Spitfire Sparks

We’ve likely all done it. Spent 15 minutes crafting one sentence. Kicked ourselves for coming up with the perfect retort that would leave our audience speechless after the fact. Or had a full staff discussion about whether to use the word equity or equality in our new vision...

We’ve basked in the glow of victory now for a couple of weeks, savoring the sweet win of repeal and replace’s resounding defeat (for now, at least). The congratulatory emails full of thanks and pats on the back flooded our in-boxes and dominated news headlines. Now we’re in that...

How are you sparking change as a Spitfire these days? Right now I am starting to work with a couple of different client teams focused on environmental conservation and social justice issues, with a focus on race and economic impact. What made you want to be a Spitfire? I was...

How are you sparking change as a Spitfire these days? As a training coordinator at Spitfire, I manage the logistics of Spitfire’s training workshops. My team focuses on helping foundations and nonprofits learn new ways to utilize communication as they work to spark social change...

How are you sparking change as a Spitfire these days? The majority of my clients are strengthening aspects of public education so that all students have access to highly effective teachers, classroom lessons that drive results and schools that focus on their outcomes. I help them...

Late-night television programs are remarkably successful pushing policy issues into mainstream conversation – sometimes even better than traditional broadcast news. However, what’s really remarkable is that organizations rarely take advantage of this opportunity to promote their...

Dear future female entrepreneur, I was 28 when I first became a chief officer of anything, 32 when I became the president of the company where I started as an intern, and 33 when I decided to found my own company. That was 15 years ago. My first client is still a client today. In...

This piece was originally published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on June 26, 2017. This question—can we sustain it?—is one we often see in the news and hear at cocktail receptions these days, as people follow the political resistance that has emerged since the US...

I’ve been to a lot of gatherings lately. Some speakers made me jump to my feet and beg for an encore. Seriously. Others lost the epic battle for my attention to my iPhone. At Spitfire, I’ve prepped speakers for TED, Aspen Ideas Festival, Ignite Talks, large keynote addresses and...