In April 2017, The Changer turned three. (Though we forgot to celebrate.) A lot has happened in those three years, we’ve helped over 2000 organizations recruit top talent, we’ve reached over one million people, we nearly went bankrupt, we’ve raised capital, we founded a GmbH, we’ve grown into a small team of incredible people and we’ve learnt so much.
In those three years, a lot has changed in the world as well. The world today feels like a much more uncertain place then when we first started out.
As it did for so many, 2016 rocked us to the core. As a Brit (Naomi) and American (Nicole), we three founders were deeply affected by the political events that took place in our respective home countries last year.
In the early hours of November 9th, the three of us met in Nicole’s apartment. Trump had just been elected president of the United States. Shocked, we sat in silence, trying to understand what had happened. Over a 7am glass of whiskey, we resolved that we needed to do even more. Sure The Changer was a great start, but how could we better serve the people and organizations who were standing up for social justice and social change? And beyond that, how could ensure that we don’t just TALK about change, but make it happen? Now.
Around that same time, we found out that due to a potential trademark conflict we would need to change our name. And as we took a good look at the current state of the world, we realized it was time to get real.
The silver lining that came out of 2016 was that around the world, people have shown what it means to be determined to fight for a better future. There is a renewed sense of activism and urgency. Change doesn’t happen by sitting back and waiting, it requires people to lean in.
One could say that when we started The Changer we were fantastically naive - and thank God! It was this can-do idealism that spurred us to dream big and go for it. Today we know that instigating meaningful change doesn’t happen easily. (Let’s just say, if we’d given up when the going got tough we definitely wouldn’t exist today.) It requires strength and persistence. It requires the will to stick with it. It’s about being determined.
And that is what tbd* is all about. To be determined to change the world.
- To be determined - tbd*
-
Meaningful change doesn’t happen easily. It requires strength and persistence. It requires the will to stick with it. It’s about being determined. And that is what tbd* is all about. "To be determined" to change the world.
tbd* supports those who are determined to make a career out of changing the world. We’re a digital hub where people like you can find a job, hire the right team, discover workshops and courses, locate funding opportunities, connect with mission-driven companies, share best practices, or learn from others who are using their careers to make an impact.
So what has changed?
Besides a fresh new design and logo, we’ve also launched an organizational directory and organization profiles where you can connect with mission-driven companies and organizations that share your values. We’ve also introduced topic pages where you can browse aggregated content on the latest social innovation trends. In our People section, you can learn from other social entrepreneurs and impact professionals. Plus we’ve reorganized content in our Ideas section so it’s easier for you - whether you’re a recruiter, jobseeker or aspiring entrepreneur - to find what you’re looking for. Our content is sourced from people like you - so that you can learn from one another and support one another. (If you would like to contribute, get in touch!) We’ve streamlined our process for submitting a job (or you can just send us an email and we’ll do it for you) and simplified our pricing to make it even more straightforward and transparent. We’ve also created a German version of the site and separated English and German content so that you can more easily find articles in your language. And we have MUCH more planned! As a small startup, we greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions for improvement. If you encounter any bugs or notice something amiss, please shoot us an email at support@tbd.community.
Of course we still love The Changer and what it represented. We are still the same people, the same team, with the same values. We’ve just grown up a bit. The current state of the world calls for us to be a bit less idealist and a bit more realist/fearless. Because at the end of the day, it’s up to us to determine the world that we want to live in.
We want to live in a just and equal world where consideration for the planet and its people are at the core of decision-making. Nobody said getting there would be easy - but that won’t stop us.
On that morning of November 9th it was this community - you - that gave us hope. Hope for a better future. And while the outcome is yet to be determined, we know that we are determined to change the world for the better.
So who’s with us?
Originally published May 18, 2017
