Jenny Niklaus: From Inspiration to ALF Insights
This all started at the onset of the pandemic. A time of uncertainty, if there ever was one. Like all of us, I was confronted by the grim reality of a public health emergency and how it would affect me, my loved ones, and my community. The COVID-19 crisis also triggered a professional panic of sorts. As an American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley Senior Fellow and lead facilitator, my work has been to convene diverse, cross-sector leaders, putting them in the right relationship with each other so that they can achieve deep impact together. An underrated aspect of this approach was the ability to meet in person. With the prospect of prolonged social isolation, how could this work continue?
Not long after the shelter-in-place, the foundations of our society were shaken again. Racial tensions, which had been bubbling beneath the surface for decades, exploded into our consciousness in a way that cannot be forgotten. Suddenly, organizations, municipalities, and communities were forced to reckon with deep divisions which could no longer be papered over. At that moment, we knew that the ALF approach to facilitation, that ability to leverage productive tension in order to achieve impactful change, was essential and needed more than ever. ALF Silicon Valley had long dreamed of creating a consulting and facilitation arm of our work, and we were called now more than ever to make that vision a reality. Out of this flash of inspiration, ALF Insights was born.
Pulling from the ALF Senior Fellows base, I set about recruiting diverse faculty members, including faith leaders, local officials, public servants, and executive directors. This team dug in and started working with clients seeking to deepen their social impact ranging from municipalities like Los Gatos and Watsonville to community networks like Jewish Silicon Valley and impactful nonprofits like United Way Bay Area. There have been some great initial successes as well as learning moments. The future is, of course, uncertain. While we cannot predict what challenges lie ahead, we know that the need for strong relationships, and the ability to leverage those networks, will remain. The ALF Insights team is here to support this critical work in our community.
Jenny is currently the primary facilitator for impact groups on race equity, housing, climate change and philanthropy. She is also overseeing the organization’s community facilitation offerings. Jenny is a proud member of Class XXIV.
