Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace, a global community working at the intersection of technology, volunteerism and a gift culture. As a designer of large-scale social movements that are rooted in small acts of service and powered by micro moments of inner transformation, his work has uniquely catalyzed "many to many" networks of community builders grounded in their localities and rooted in practices of cultivating deeper connection -- with oneself, each other and our systems. Today, ServiceSpace reaches millions every month, is powered by thousands of volunteers, and blossoms into ever-expanding local and virtual service projects that aim to ignite a "whole great than the sum of its parts". Nipun was honored as an "unsung hero of compassion" by the Dalai Lama, not long before former U.S. President Obama appointed him to a council for addressing poverty and inequality in the US. Yet the core of what strikes anyone who meets him is the way his life is an attempt to bring smiles in the world and silence in his heart: "I want to live simply, love purely, and give fearlessly. That's me."

Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace, a global community working at the intersection of technology, volunteerism and a gift culture. As a designer of large-scale social movements that are rooted in small acts of service and powered by micro moments of inner transformation, his work has uniquely catalyzed "many to many" networks of community builders grounded in their localities and rooted in practices of cultivating deeper connection -- with oneself, each other and our systems. Today, ServiceSpace reaches millions every month, is powered by thousands of volunteers, and blossoms into ever-expanding local and virtual service projects that aim to ignite a "whole great than the sum of its parts". Nipun was honored as an "unsung hero of compassion" by the Dalai Lama, not long before former U.S. President Obama appointed him to a council for addressing poverty and inequality in the US. Yet the core of what strikes anyone who meets him is the way his life is an attempt to bring smiles in the world and silence in his heart: "I want to live simply, love purely, and give fearlessly. That's me."

Cultivate The Soul explores the intersection of philanthropy, contemplative practices, self-reflection and spirituality. Hosts Gretchen Ki Steidle and Melissa Durda are joined by leaders in philanthropy who discuss how they are bringing inner work to outer action and the impact this creates for charities, foundations, and other nonprofits. Presented by Synergos, a global organization helping solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, which builds trust and collective action.

Cultivate The Soul explores the intersection of philanthropy, contemplative practices, self-reflection and spirituality. Hosts Gretchen Ki Steidle and Melissa Durda are joined by leaders in philanthropy who discuss how they are bringing inner work to outer action and the impact this creates for charities, foundations, and other nonprofits. Presented by Synergos, a global organization helping solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, which builds trust and collective action.

Synergos Cultivate the Soul: ﻿Stories of Purpose-Driven Philanthropy

Synergos Cultivate the Soul: Stories of Purpose-Driven Philanthropy

Service, Volunteerism, and Generosity for Collective Action with Nipun Mehta

Teresa Corção was the Chef and Owner of the restaurant O Navegador from 1981 to 2020. The restaurant closed during the Covid 19 pandemic.

In 2001, she joined the International Slow Food Movement as co-leader in Rio de Janeiro, becoming interested in the socio-environmental influence linked to the world of food.

In 2002, she created the Cassava Project, researching the importance of this root for Brazil, promoting Tapioca Workshops in public schools until 2012, innovating food education with a concept she created: “gastronomic identity”.

In 2007, she founded the Maniva Institute and the Ecochefs group, Civil Social Organization of Public Interest – OSCIP, a pioneer in working with gastronomy as an instrument for socio-environmental transformation: “valuing traditional foods and reestablishing lost ties between small and medium-sized farmers, their products and consumers”

She is the creator and screenwriter of documentaries: O Professor da Farinha (2004), Seu Bené Via Para a Itália (2006) (screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008), The Food Path (2015), Terra Preta, Aço Prata (2016), in addition to the TV series Bagunça na Cozinha shown on Canal Futura (2010).

She was chosen as Chef Ambassador of Brazilian Cuisine at SENAC, and she was a speaker at TEDX CAMPOS in 2012 and at TED GLOBAL-SOUTH during the Rio Olympics in 2015.

Teresa was a finalist for the Basque Culinary World Prize, which is considered the Nobel Prize for Gastronomy in 2016, for her work as an activist chef and researcher of healthy and sustainable Brazilian cuisine.

Other highlights:

Co-creator in 2019 and manager of the Projeto Gosto da Amazônia – whose objective is to open the Rio de Janeiro market for wild arapaima from Amazon management.

Consultant in the training of the 12th Military Region in Amazonas for training in cooking regional Amazonian products.

Co-creator of the Alimenta Manaus campaign during the pandemic that enabled the connection between family farmers and food insecure populations in the city of Manaus, promoting the acquisition of organic and culturally related products to the beneficiaries.

Co-manager of the Arroz Anã project in Porto Marinho, in the State of Rio. Curator of the Project at SENAC for the production of the book Very Prazer, Arroz Anã and lectures and show classes at events to promote the culture of this product.

Winner, by Instituto Maniva, of the Jabuti Award in 2020, the most important in Brazilian literature, in the Creative Economy category for the book Ecochefs, Parceiros do Agricultor – Editora SENAC, in the Creative Economy category.

Curator and consultant and Executive Chef at Bistrô SESC Convento do Carmo in 2023, 2024.

Teresa is a Fellow of the international organizations Ashoka and Synergos. She also participates in international Forums linked to the sustainability of Food Systems, such as Conscious Food Systems Alliance – CoFSA and Catalysts 2030 Brasil.

Teresa Cor&ccedil;&atilde;o was the Chef and Owner of the restaurant O Navegador from 1981 to 2020. The restaurant closed during the Covid 19 pandemic.
In 2001, she joined the International Slow Food Movement as co-leader in Rio de Janeiro, becoming interested in the socio-environmental influence linked to the world of food.
In 2002, she created the Cassava Project, researching the importance of this root for Brazil, promoting Tapioca Workshops in public schools until 2012, innovating food education with a concept she created: &ldquo;gastronomic identity&rdquo;.
In 2007, she founded the Maniva Institute and the Ecochefs group, Civil Social Organization of Public Interest &ndash; OSCIP, a pioneer in working with gastronomy as an instrument for socio-environmental transformation: &ldquo;valuing traditional foods and reestablishing lost ties between small and medium-sized farmers, their products and consumers&rdquo;
She is the creator and screenwriter of documentaries: O Professor da Farinha (2004), Seu Ben&eacute; Via Para a It&aacute;lia (2006) (screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008), The Food Path (2015), Terra Preta, A&ccedil;o Prata (2016), in addition to the TV series Bagun&ccedil;a na Cozinha shown on Canal Futura (2010).
She was chosen as Chef Ambassador of Brazilian Cuisine at SENAC, and she was a speaker at TEDX CAMPOS in 2012 and at TED GLOBAL-SOUTH during the Rio Olympics in 2015.
Teresa was a finalist for the Basque Culinary World Prize, which is considered the Nobel Prize for Gastronomy in 2016, for her work as an activist chef and researcher of healthy and sustainable Brazilian cuisine.
Other highlights:
Co-creator in 2019 and manager of the Projeto Gosto da Amaz&ocirc;nia &ndash; whose objective is to open the Rio de Janeiro market for wild arapaima from Amazon management.
Consultant in the training of the 12th Military Region in Amazonas for training in cooking regional Amazonian products.
Co-creator of the Alimenta Manaus campaign during the pandemic that enabled the connection between family farmers and food insecure populations in the city of Manaus, promoting the acquisition of organic and culturally related products to the beneficiaries.
Co-manager of the Arroz An&atilde; project in Porto Marinho, in the State of Rio. Curator of the Project at SENAC for the production of the book Very Prazer, Arroz An&atilde; and lectures and show classes at events to promote the culture of this product.
Winner, by Instituto Maniva, of the Jabuti Award in 2020, the most important in Brazilian literature, in the Creative Economy category for the book Ecochefs, Parceiros do Agricultor &ndash; Editora SENAC, in the Creative Economy category.
Curator and consultant and Executive Chef at Bistr&ocirc; SESC Convento do Carmo in 2023, 2024.
Teresa is a Fellow of the international organizations Ashoka and Synergos. She also participates in international Forums linked to the sustainability of Food Systems, such as Conscious Food Systems Alliance &ndash; CoFSA and Catalysts 2030 Brasil.

Connecting to Heritage Through Food with Teresa Corção, Founder, Instituto Maniva.

Alexa Firmenich is an investor, consultant and facilitator focused on climate and biodiversity. She is the founder of Naia Trust, an animist investment vehicle that supports early stage nature-based solutions, scientific research and new economic models. She is also senior advisor at the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich, and was co-director of its initiative SEED that is developing the world's most holistic measure of biodiversity with the goal to steer financial and political decision-makers to crystallise the value of nature into the global economy. Parallel to this work Alexa is trained as a group facilitator in leadership development and ecological pedagogy, designing multi-day learning journeys through her role at Leaders' Quest.  She is also an author, podcast host of Lifeworlds, a founding board member of Terra Habitus, a Mexican environmental fund that operates large-landscape conservation and watershed restoration, and a wilderness guide. 

https://www.alexafirmenich.com/

https://www.naiatrust.com/

Alexa&nbsp;Firmenich is an&nbsp;investor, consultant and facilitator focused on climate and&nbsp;biodiversity. She is the founder of Naia Trust,&nbsp;an animist investment vehicle that supports early stage nature-based solutions, scientific research&nbsp;and new economic models. She is also senior advisor at the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich, and was co-director of its initiative SEED that is developing the world's most holistic measure of&nbsp;biodiversity with the goal to steer financial and political decision-makers to crystallise the value of nature into the global economy. Parallel to this work&nbsp;Alexa&nbsp;is trained as a group facilitator in leadership development and ecological pedagogy, designing multi-day learning journeys through her role at Leaders' Quest.&nbsp; She is also an author, podcast host of Lifeworlds,&nbsp;a founding board member of Terra Habitus, a Mexican environmental fund that operates large-landscape conservation and watershed restoration, and a&nbsp;wilderness guide.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.alexafirmenich.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.alexafirmenich.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1733933625371000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PrlaS5ZVWLQzSiek64EoJ">https://www.alexafirmenich.com/</a>
<a href="https://www.naiatrust.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.naiatrust.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1733933625372000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2NoObJ2XuaB71edc-ol_4u">https://www.naiatrust.com/</a>

Working with Capital On Behalf of Nature with Alexa Firmenich, Founder, Naia Trust

Through A Growing Culture, Loren has worked to shift cultural narratives around food and farmers to center justice. The organization’s work has grown from over a decade of Loren’s work building relationships of deep trust with peasant- and Indigenous-led movements around the world — movements that are seeding radical hope for a just and dignified future for all. A Growing Culture brings together grassroots groups, farmers, advocates, and allies, through the belief that stories have the power to change our unjust systems, and that lasting change requires all of us.

Through A Growing Culture, Loren has worked to shift cultural narratives around food and farmers to center justice. The organization’s work has grown from over a decade of Loren’s work building relationships of deep trust with peasant- and Indigenous-led movements around the world — movements that are seeding radical hope for a just and dignified future for all. A Growing Culture brings together grassroots groups, farmers, advocates, and allies, through the belief that stories have the power to change our unjust systems, and that lasting change requires all of us.

Service, Volunteerism, and Generosity for Collective Action with Nipun Mehta

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Synergos Cultivate the Soul: Stories of Purpose-Driven Philanthropy

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