our global garden of joy Hi 👋 I’m Jasmine, founder of The Bloom. We have a phenomenal selection of social impact resources this week for you to bloom & forward to your friends!
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Welcome bloomers, Here is your summary of the newsletter this week: 🌱The Bloom interviews Malala Fund CEO 🌱UNESCO program for Global South researchers 🌱Clinton global fellowship for emerging entrepreneurs with love & light, The Bloom Team 💌 Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to get your own copy of The Bloom to your inbox with top social impact jobs, uplifting stories, and global resources.
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fresh soil
Meet the diverse social impact leaders in The Bloom. Every week brings "fresh soil" – inspiration for your career and beyond.
Lena Alfi is currently the CEO of Malala Fund, the girls’ education nonprofit from Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Lena has +15 years of international development experience with a focus on casting strategic vision and building transformative partnerships in the education space. She's originally Syrian and Egyptian, a mother of two, and deeply passionate about women and children’s causes. To honor Malala Fund's 10 year anniversary, The Bloom sat down to interview Lena on the theme of leadership.
Let's pretend you're a tenured professor at Bloom University, and inspiring social impact leaders to learn about leadership. What's in your curriculum, and what resources would be part of it? I think I would structure it in terms of the different elements of leadership. You have to have a blend of strategic vision, people and understanding different ways of connection with people, business/accountability, and a values element of leadership that underpins all of it. I might structure it based on categories like that, but underpinning through it all, and what I would recommend is reading, specifically, different autobiographies or biographies of different leaders, and showcasing that anybody can be a leader. I believe anybody at any level within any position can be a leader. I don't think a leader means you're a CEO. I think a leader means you can be an entry-level person and show up with leadership skills. You can be mid-level and show up with leadership skills. You could be a CEO and not be a great leader. I think leadership shows up in many different ways. I think those components, though, are the things that I think you have to keep in mind in leadership. It's a delicate balance. Between being really strategic, and thoughtful. Between being practical and business-minded and understanding realities of what's around you. You can be an amazing visionary, but you also should know how to execute things, you have to have a balance. If you can't really engage with people, then you're a one-person show and nothing will really happen. I think being able to incorporate those components of leadership are really, really important. Then showcasing leaders with visions, big or small, missions, big or small, teams, big or small, starting out young, being seasoned, whatever it might be, pulling different examples of those different types of leaders within communities, within families, within states, within whatever it might movements. That's probably how I would structure my leadership course at Bloom University. And when you think about your own journey, what's helping you nourish the growth of your leadership? Listening. And I think listening is so much more important than speaking as a leader. I think you often come across people who like to take up a lot of space speaking, and I don't like to do that. I like to listen. I think hearing different diverse perspectives is key. But that's an obvious one. I think the less obvious one that is what I'm constantly trying to refine is there is a mental gymnastics as a leader of zooming in and zooming out and zooming in and zooming out at all times. You have to keep the broad, zoomed out perspective of the ecosystem in which we work, of the changing dynamics of the world in which we work, of the experiences of millions and millions of girls with who we're trying to serve with zooming into maybe one specific issue, one specific opportunity, one specific person, one specific meeting a day, out of 10 meetings a day. There's a mental gymnastics of zoom in, zoom out, zoom in, zoom out multiple times a day. That happens in my role. That is a constant muscle I'm trying to build. That is a challenge. I don't think we ever speak about that. It's mentally a very gymnastics. It's an exhausting type of mental practice to zoom in, but have perspective and zoom out, to zoom out, but have real lived experience and zoom in. I think that's something I'm constantly aware of and trying to refine and almost seeing the points in my day where I catch myself needing to zoom out to understand an issue from a better perspective, needing to zoom in to have a real life experience to the issue I'm thinking about in a broad space.
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There's a mental gymnastics as a leader of zooming in and zooming out at all times. You have to keep the broad, zoomed out perspective of the ecosystem in which we work, of the changing dynamics of the world in which we work, of the experiences of millions and millions of girls with who we're trying to serve, while zooming into one specific issue, one specific person, one specific meeting a day, out of 10 meetings a day.
— Lena Alfi, CEO of Malala Fund
How do you apply that 'zooming in and out of conversations' in practice? I ask a lot of questions, and I like to understand things from a lot of different angles. My day-to-day, these different conversations are often with partners, funders, staff, a lot of internal strategizing, a lot of reading, a lot of writing, all of which can be either zoomed in or zoomed out. Sometimes it's on opportunities and thinking ahead. Sometimes it's on issues and problem solving. Sometimes it's on strategizing around a particular angle in which we should address something. So it can vary in so many different ways. And I think, to me, it's asking a lot of questions to try to get the full picture of it so that I can figure out how my mind can zoom in or zoom out as needed. How would you mentor someone on how to ask better questions? To me, the best question is, what do you think? I think oftentimes people will just explain information, and I really want to know what people think. I really want to know their analysis. Oftentimes, they're the expert. I'm not the expert. They're just sharing information with me. Even in a job interview, I actually think some of the best questions go back to the interviewer to ask them what they think about a particular issue, to ask them their perspective. It helps with forming connection, but it also gives you so much more color to the information that you're being given or to what you might be reading, what presentation you might be viewing. If they ask you a question in an interview and you share a response, and then later it's your turn to ask questions, I would always ask questions about what they think about working in a certain scenario, what they think about a particular issue. Before this interview, I asked The Bloom community what questions I should ask you, and this one comes from Nikkon, which is related to your previous answer:What are the top skills that you think are most important for social impact leaders to acquire if they want to work in the global gender field? More broadly, I would say: practice your communication skills. Figure out how to communicate, and be confident in communicating with anybody, be it somebody you just met, be it somebody who intimidates you, be it somebody who you admire, be it someone with senior level experience, someone with no experience, be really confident and build your communication skills to be able to feel that you can communicate with anybody. I think that is key. Then the flip side of that is listen, absorb, listen, absorb, analyze as much as you possibly can to different perspectives. And then I would even say the flip side of that is also trust your gut and trust your instinct. So it's a big balance of knowing how to communicate and talk to people, knowing how to listen and gather and assess as much information as possible, and then really trusting your gut when it comes to what your position is on something, and feeling really confident in your moral compass. And specific to the gender field: be really persistent. The gender space is a space, like you just mentioned, it's a bit fractured. It's not super connected. It is a centuries-long battle for gender equity, and it's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take time. And being persistent and not giving up, I think, is most important because it can feel sometimes like you're not making progress. It can feel sometimes like you're pushing a rock up a hill. But it is such important work for half of the global population that it is so worthy of that persistence. Final question: if you could gift bloomers reading this some questions to journal on (it's big in our community!) what should we be reflecting on? I would do more macro questions, more like: If you were to reflect on your life, because none of us, as privileged as we are, live in a life without barriers and challenges: what were the barriers I faced? In a perfect world, what does that look like? What does it look like to not have those barriers? What does that utopia for women and girls look like? What does that journey from getting from to look like? How do I contribute to that?
water your soul
Inspiring newsletters, documentaries, social media, and much more; we find media to brighten and enlighten your spirit.
😂POV: the team behind your favorite newsletter creates a new global playlist every week for you to listen while reading & applying for jobs... DJ BLOOM!
branch out
There's countless opportunities to branch out, beyond traditional 9 – 5 jobs. Global South/Global North fellowships, tools, and events.
"Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis are the founders of Amazing If, an award-winning company with a mission to make squiggly careers better for everyone. Together they are the authors of two Sunday Times bestsellers, The Squiggly Career and You Coach You. Their Careers Skill Sprint shares actionable resources to help build soft skills and give expression to your craft as a non-technical professional."
📚For +60 peer-reviewed social impact resources across disciplines from gender equality to diversity & inclusion, head over to the Collaborative Library channel of our learning community.
💸 Networking & Community Events
In this month's global networking event in The Bloom, we’re bringing three incredible bloom leaders to share their journeys, insights, and transformative work:
🎤 Deborah David, Migration Expert & Human Rights Advocate: Deborah is a force in international development, with +15 years dedicated to humanitarian aid and community empowerment across Latin America and the Caribbean. Fluent in four languages, she has a remarkable track record in scaling teams, securing funding, and building partnerships for equity-driven projects. She is also a Migration Leader here at The Bloom! Deborah’s mission? To amplify diversity, inclusion, and social justice in global migration efforts.
🎤 Disha Arora, Award-Winning Feminist Filmmaker & Development Communications Specialist: Disha has led impactful campaigns on climate action, gender equality, and peacebuilding with organizations like the World Bank and UN Women. As a feminist storyteller and documentary filmmaker, she uses the power of visual narratives to spotlight social issues, from women’s rights to climate resilience, crafting stories that resonate deeply with audiences.
🎤 Oluwagbemibori Olaoye, NGO/ Startup Growth Advisor: Oluwagbemibori is a visionary strategist who has transformed global programs, impacting over 5,000 lives across Africa and Asia. Known for turning big ideas into tangible impact, she drives growth and innovation for nonprofits and businesses alike. Her leadership in scaling programs and reimagining organizational growth speaks to her passion for making lasting, measurable change.
RSVP to November 7 networking event under "Events" channel of our learning community for social impact careers.
💸 Fellowships & Grants
Olympism365 Innovation Hub: Co-led by the International Olympic Committee and Women Win, open for applications from disruptors & leaders committed to leveraging sport and emerging technologies to create a more inclusive, equitable society.
UNESCO Program for Global South Researchers: To enable competent researchers from the Global South to visit +300 research centers in person for collaborations over the course of three years.
USA Google Public Policy Fellowship: If you have a passion for internet and technology policy, this fellowship represents a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field.
Clinton Global Initiative Fellowship: Invites aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world to join a transformative program focused on addressing urgent global challenges, to equip a select group of innovative leaders with the resources, guidance, and network needed to create sustainable, impactful solutions.
Did you know The Bloom has... a digital community?! Fun fact: many bloomers don't, according to our IRL encounters with many of you in Brazil, UK, and Spain...that's what we get for not having social media or marketing...the path less traveled 😂 To make sure you don't miss out, each week we will dedicate this section to round-up meaningful activities behind the scenes happening in the digital community:
🌵Explore a wholesome corner of the internet to ask & offer support from likeminded changemakers
Joana: Is there anyone working in Mozambique right know? I would need some help understanding the details and the logistics of a job offer!
Aayan: US & Mexico-based Bloomers: My old workplace is hiring for contract roles in environmental justice and public health strategic communications. I'm happy to put in a reference for you if you apply. And I can answer any questions about the workplace culture, my time at MG, and so on.
Fanny: I am currently offering the reading of essays to apply for the Chevening Scholarship. Or if you have questions about the process just let me know.
👀 Meet values-aligned hiring managers & social impact thought leaders in an intimate space
Log-in or create a profile on The Bloom to RSVP for our networking events, reply to asks & offers, and meet 2,000 like-minded changemakers in The Bloom's digital community 🌞
grow new roots
Social impact job opportunities we love around the world to grow new roots in your career. Employers: reach out to team@readtobloom.com to amplify your roles 💌
AFRICA+ MENA 🇰🇪 Research officer– Population Council 🇬🇭 Youth leadership analyst – UNFPA
🇲🇦 Directeur.rice du programme Maghreb – Handicap International LATIN AMERICA + CARIBBEAN 🇲🇽 Gerente de Crédito y Cobranza – Pro Mujer Asesor/a de servicios digitales – Pro Mujer
ASIA + PACIFIC Women Gaining Ground fellow – IWRAW Asia Pacific 🇦🇺 Sustainability analyst – Canva 🇮🇳 Program lead focused on agri capacity building and climate change – Women's World Banking India lead for the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance – Climate Policy Initiative Consultant, sustainability and business advisory – Sattva Consulting
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