Mehrad Jaberansari #DESIGNtoCHANGE ONstage PODcast with Ruud Janssen

This DESIGNtoCHANGE podcast, hosted by Ruud Janssen, featured an engaging conversation with Mehrad Jaberansari, ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehradj/ ) a longtime leader in the Family Business Network (FBN) and Director of Strategic Engagement at the Conduit. The session explored the art and science of event design, guided by the principles outlined in the DESIGNtoCHANGE book and the Event Canvas methodology. Mehrad shared her journey from leading FBN’s Next Gen community to her current role at the Conduit, where she curates impactful events like the Climate and Future of Health conference, powered by the Wellcome Trust, and the Young Innovator Awards, which celebrate emerging impact entrepreneurs.

Ruud Janssen’s facilitation expertise provided valuable insights into creating safe spaces, fostering trust, and designing events that catalyze change. Merat discussed the importance of stewardship in event ownership, emphasizing her purpose statement: "energizing and mobilizing other units of positive change." The Conduit, a Covent Garden-based hub for changemakers, hosts over 150 events annually, including the Resilient Cities conference, the Sports and Impact event at Aston Villa stadium, and Malala Yousafzai’s upcoming appearance to discuss a film supported by her fund.

The conversation highlighted challenges such as maintaining rhythm, predictability, and depth in event design, while emphasizing the role of Chatham House rules, codes of conduct, and the Ubuntu concept in fostering safe spaces. Merat reflected on pivotal connections at FBN summits, including transformative experiences in Malaysia, and discussed the ethical desires driving changemakers. The AI for Good event in Geneva was mentioned as an example of leveraging technology for positive impact. The capital-content-community framework emerged as a key strategy for catalyzing change, alongside event culture analysis as a tool for measuring impact. This session offered a comprehensive look at designing events that inspire and sustain meaningful change.