8 Years of Optimism

Dear Reader,

This month, Optimistic Anthropology is celebrating its 8th birthday. It continues to amaze me that I get to spend my days collaborating with organizations and individuals to do the work of positive and just social change while centering optimism, building trusting relationships, facilitating collective learning, with the goal of bringing more positive and just world into being.

I recognize that how we work and what we work on at Optimistic Anthropology contrasts with a lot of what has been happening in our world. Over the last eight years, we’ve seen the international expansion of authoritarianism and xenophobia, the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating loss of life and conspiracy theories, wars and genocides ravaging Palestine, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, China, and Myanmar, and escalating violence, discriminatory policy and rhetoric targeting Black, LatinX, Asian, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities.

It hasn’t been an easy 8 years in the world, and yet, I have found that our (and my own) grounding in optimism has been a powerful and sustaining practice.

So, in this newsletter, I’m trying something new. In the past, I have tried to boil my thoughts down to a short letter - but this month, I’m sharing more about this topic in three different ways - as a video message, a more extensive blog post, and an invitation to share about your own efforts to bring a more positive and just world into being.

I hope you enjoy one, two, or all of these offerings. And whether we’ve known each other from before the start of Optimistic Anthropology, or we’ve become connected along the way, thank you for being a part of this community.

WHAT’S NEW?

CHECK OUT THE NEW OPTIMISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY WEBSITE

We’ve launched a brand new website featuring:

• An updated description of who we are and what we do!  After 8 years in the consulting world, we’ve honed our understanding of how we can partner with you to create a more just and positive world.  To support this we’ve updated how we describe our work, what services we offer, our values, and our approach to collaborating with clients!

• Better organized resources!  We’ve updated our blog and newsletter pages so that they are easier to navigate!

• Quicker and easier ways to connect! If you want to email us to say hello or schedule a meeting!

Thanks so much to our partner Kuma Design - who helped us keep the spirit of our old site and what people told us they liked - the energy and photos - while innovating the look and navigation for 2025 and beyond!

IN THE STORE

CELEBRATE 8 YEARS OF OPTIMISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY WITH $8.88 OFF IN OUR SHOP!

If we’ve learned anything from Alison’s Grandma Gladys, it’s that a birthday is the perfect time to give gifts to friends and family!

As part of our new website, we’ve also launched a new online shop - because we believe social change practitioners deserve beautiful, thoughtful tools that enable collaboration and learning.

The resources featured in the shop grew from our own fieldwork, and your support helps us continue to collaborate with talented designers and illustrators to make them as dynamic and engaging as they are useful. Today, you can buy a set of the digital images and a facilitation activity we developed relating to the principles of Emergent Learning.

Use the coupon code 8YEARSOFOA for $8.88 off any order in the Optimistic Anthropology shop through the end of August 2025!

THE LATEST

NEW RESOURCES & RECENT PROJECTS

On June 3, Alison Gold co-facilitated the third in a series of Causal Pathways 101 Virtual Trainings, The Nitty Gritty of a Causal Pathways Evaluation Design and Implementation, with Fiona Remnant and Steve Powell.  Over 200 folks registered for the session and it along with the other two virtual trainings - on Understanding and Getting Ready for Causal Pathways Evaluation and Values-Driven Causal Pathways Evaluations: Strengthening Rigor and Quality - are available to watch for free on the Causal Pathways website!

In June, Alison also wrapped up her second year as a coach/facilitator for the Emergent Learning Community’s Open Enrollment Program with an amazing in-person session in Chicago. The 2 days of programming enabled participants to meet one another in person, be introduced to one of our favorite Emergent Learning Tools - learning logs - and provide peer support and consultations to one another. If you’re interested in being notified of future trainings, sign up here!

NEW PROJECT! We’ve kicked off a new project with an International Private Philanthropic Trust to help build their Emergent Learning capacity among staff in their grant portfolio and learning and impact & learning teams!  Our intro sessions with staff members, and first session all together were joyful and generative and we look forward to continuing to learn with and from our new client.

HARING OUR VALUES: JOY

DIMI THE WONDERDOG

In Optimistic Anthropology’s work, we often talk about our values which include joy, as it enables groups to stay engaged and committed to the work of social change through human connection, food, art, meditation, movement, and nature. In that spirit, we wanted to share a bit of joy with you today in the form of the newest member of the Optimistic Anthropology team, our office mascot, Dimi the wonderdog! Dimi is a 10-month old, bilingual former street puppy from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He likes chewing, belly rubs, playing in the river, and hanging with his buddies at the dog park.

Here’s a recent photo of him on a trip to the town of Jablanica where he got to try spit-roasted lamb and swim in a lake for the first time! It was a very good day!

ABOUT US

WORK WITH OPTIMISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

AVAILABILITY

We currently have capacity for 1-2 small projects in Fall 2025, and are beginning to plan for bigger projects starting in 2026. Are we the right fit for you? Please take a look at who some of our clients are, read what people have to say about their experience working with us, and check out the different ways Optimistic Anthropology can work with you, including: 

• Developing Emergent Learning Cultures & Strategies,

• Designing & Facilitating Learning Experiences,

• Dialoguing as an Independent Learning Partner, and

• Delivering Workshops & Webinars.

Does our work sound like it might be helpful to you?  Send us an email or better yet, book an introductory call.