Civity’s work is rooted in community and shaped by decades of civic practice and academic research.
Malka Ranjana Kopell is a facilitator and civic engagement expert who has extensive practice designing and guiding collaborative processes in a wide range of communities. Palma Joy Strand is a professor of law whose research and writing documents how systemic change that strengthens communities emerges from how individual people relate to each other.
➤ Both of us have worked for decades in and with communities on a wide range of issues: education, health, housing, the environment, employment, and wealth.
➤ Both of us have seen over and over again how differences that keep people apart are at the root of wicked problems communities face. These differences include race, economics, geography, country of origin, religion, and politics – and more.
➤ Both of us have experienced how relationships determine the health and well-being of communities and their capacity to take on challenges.
Malka and Palma co-founded Civity to name, create, and reinforce the bridging relationships that are essential community assets.
The Whitman Institute (TWI), a national foundation, was an early supporter of Civity. TWI provided essential seed funding to develop relationship-building training strategies based on a strong research foundation. TWI was a valuable thought partner in connecting Civity’s core relationship-building mission to work involving social networks and complex adaptive social systems – and documenting how individual interactions create systemic social transformation.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation provided keystone support for taking Civity’s specific relationship-building strategies to communities across the country. With this support, Civity developed an effective partnership strategy for bringing relationship-building to scale.
As civity gained traction, communications professor and consultant Gina Baleria joined the Civity team. Gina produces the ThisIsCivity! podcast as well as our newsletter. Lucy Lantis, a gifted facilitator and trainer, rounds out the current team – bringing her insights and energy to groups around the country.
Over the years, our work has been enhanced – and, at times, transformed – by a team of talented associates and interns, including Reba Hsu, Humphrey Obuobi, Tamera White, Marselle Alexander-Ozinskas, Vanessa Acevedo Diaz, Genesis Botello, Maya Fiorella, Kaley Gruener, Christina Mathews, and Megan Foreman.