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Friday, June 27, 2025

Blueprints for Change: Reimagining Social Impact With Builders

Community

In the Social Change Ecosystem Map developed by Deepa Iyer, the role of "Builder" is one of ten distinct archetypes that individuals and organizations can embody in movements for equity, justice, and liberation.

Here's a closer look at what it means to be a Builder in this framework:

🧱 The Role of the Builder

Builders are the architects of vision and structure. They are the ones who:

  • Create, organize, and implement systems, processes, and infrastructures that support long-term movement goals.
  • Focus on sustainability and scalability, ensuring that the work of social change is not just reactive but enduring.
  • Often work behind the scenes, laying the foundation for others to act effectively.

🔧 Builders might:

  • Design community programs or mutual aid networks.
  • Develop digital platforms or tools for organizing.
  • Create internal systems for equity and accountability within organizations.
  • Construct physical or metaphorical spaces for healing, learning, or collaboration

 


5 Modern Day Builders

Tonya Allen (McKnight Foundation) | The McKnight Foundation exemplifies the Builder role: designing and implementing systems, partnerships, and infrastructure that advance equity, sustainability, and community resilience.

Education | Linda Darling-Hammond: President of the Learning Policy Institute, builds research-based policy recommendations that shape equitable education systems nationwide.

Health Leads: Builds systems that connect patients to essential resources like food, housing, and transportation—addressing social determinants of health.

Soul Fire Farm (NY): Co-founded by Leah Penniman, a Afro-Indigenous-centered farm builds food sovereignty through training programs, policy advocacy, and regenerative farming.

Women’s Rights | Fatima Goss Graves – President of the National Women’s Law Center, she builds legal frameworks and policy initiatives to protect reproductive rights, workplace equity, and economic justice.

 

In a time of climate instability, health disparities, and shifting civic landscapes, Builders are foundational.  Builders lay the bricks for a society that reflects shared values and interdependence.

 

Let’s build what justice demands—one system, one story, one solution at a time. Whether you design, teach, organize, or innovate, your hands shape the future. Step into the Builder role and construct the structures our communities deserve.