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Jenn Graham
Founder & CEO of Inclusivv, TEDx Speaker, Storyteller, Systems Thinker, Community Organizer
Jenn Graham is the Founder and CEO of Inclusivv, a company formerly known as Civic Dinners.12 She is a social entrepreneur, activist, designer, and community organizer based in Atlanta, Georgia.2
Background and Mission
Jenn Graham's personal mission is to design a more inclusive world.1 She founded Inclusivv in 2015, starting it as a social experiment to bring diverse people together for meaningful conversations.1 Her vision was to leverage the power of peer-to-peer storytelling and structured conversations to elicit empathy and social connection.1
Professional Experience
Before founding Inclusivv, Jenn worked at Unboundary in various roles, including:
- Social Innovation Designer
- Information Designer
- Account Manager
- Strategist
During her time at Unboundary, she worked with major clients such as FedEx, The Coca-Cola Company, and WhiteWave Foods, focusing on effective presentation development and storytelling.2
Achievements and Recognition
Jenn Graham has received several accolades for her work:
- Named a "2020 World-Changing Woman in Conscious Business" by Conscious Media Company2
- Recognized as "Small Business Person of the Year – Rising Star" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 20192
- Winner of the Startup Runway competition, receiving a $10,000 Community Grant2
- Recipient of the Civic Impact Award from Atlanta Emerging Markets2
Education and Professional Development
Jenn has participated in various professional development programs, including:
- Leadership, Organizing and Action: Leading Change at Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education2
- Civic Innovation Fellowship at the Center for Civic Innovation2
- Graduate of the Techstars Social Impact program2
Through Inclusivv, Jenn Graham has built a digital platform that has enabled tens of thousands of people to gather for conversations around important issues, both in person and online.2 The company works with a diverse range of clients, from large corporations like Coca-Cola to educational institutions and non-profit organizations.2
Highlights
Y'ALL! 🤩 It's happening! The vision I've had for Inclusivv is manifesting itself in amazing ways. Our partnership with SHRM brings it to a whole new level, allowing us to share our vision for a better future, one where we treat each other with respect, dignity and care. We are doubling down on what makes us human.
I'm beyond excited to share that we now have trainings LIVE on SHRM's shrm.org/civility website including a 21-minute video and a host guide for Fostering Civil Conversations at Work. It's available for SHRM members.
I am so proud of the trainings and workshops and series we have created and big shoutouts to Emily Bissel, Lyn Famiglietti, Kate Southall, Lydia Kidd for making this all possible! Thank you to everyone who has continued to believe in our work, the power of conversation, and the importance of creating time and space for personal growth.
THE TIME IS NOW. ✨
#civilityatwork #openhearts #seekunderstanding
On July 4th, we celebrate our independence. But our democracy is at stake. Now is the time to ask ourselves, what values do we hold? What vision do we want for America? It's time for the "people's agenda" to take center stage.
One of our first ever projects with Civic Dinners, back in 2017, when Inclusivv partnered with ActionStation in New Zealand to host "Kai & Korero" dinners. Within a few months, over 92 dinners were held in homes and restaurants all across New Zealand, hosted by volunteers. Combined with anonymous surveys and tent-pole events, these dinners allowed everyone to discuss the values and vision for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The result was "The People's Agenda" — a list of the key priorities. And ActionStation made sure that every political candidate was briefed and educated on the people's agenda. It gained widespread support, and a few months later, the Green Party was elected with the majority of votes, and Jacinda Ardern was elected the Prime Minister of New Zealand (!!!!)
I wonder... what might happen if we did the same thing here in the United States, leading up to possibly the most consequential election in U.S. history?
What if we refocused everyone's attention on the values and vision that we want, rather than arguing over what's wrong with the candidates.
It's time to get back to discussing the issues that we care about, and why we care about them.
It's time to remember that our government, our democracy, was designed to be run by the people, for the people.
It's time to stop complaining about the system being broken, or that one person can save us.
Instead, we have to reclaim our power by doing the work to make sure the values and vision of the people are heard loud and clear.
