Forging Alliances to End Poverty & Injustice

Design Challenge
How might we spark powerful conversations and forge alliances to end poverty and injustice?

Partner
Opportunity Collaboration

Project
Co-design, coaching & facilitation for Opportunity Collaboration

Role
Firetender

Outcome
This is an ongoing engagement.

Opportunity Collaboration is an annual gathering - affectionately described as an unconference (in the best sense of the word) - that ignites transformative connections between people, ideas, and initiatives dedicated to ending poverty and injustice.

Unlike traditional conferences, its agenda is fully co-created by Delegates, who convene and facilitate sessions on the topics most vital to their work. The result is a dynamic, living space for honest conversation, creative collaboration, and cross-sector exchange.

As Firetenders, our role is to ignite and nurture the spark within this self-organizing community. We support Catalysts - Delegates who host and facilitate sessions - by helping them design meaningful conversations, manage group energy, and create environments where real dialogue and insight can flourish.

In many ways, we serve as facilitators of facilitators - tending the collective flame of curiosity, courage, and collaboration that powers the gathering. From lighting the first sparks of connection to keeping the fires of dialogue constructive (and sometimes cooling things down when they burn too hot), Firetending is about holding space for emergence - helping ideas catch and spread without consuming the room.

Number of Participants
300+

Duration of Engagement
Fall 2025

Acknowledgements
Firetending Team: Nora Jeanne Joseph, Jessica Loman, Topher Wilkins