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Adapting to Change: Innovative Models with Tatiana Fraser, Co Director of Systems Sanctuary 

Tatiana presented the significance of Scaling Deep as a complementary approach to achieving enduring impact alongside other scaling strategies. Scaling Deep involves deep personal and cultural transformation to create lasting and sustainable change. It delves into inner work, community connections, and narrative exploration, demanding time, introspection, and personal growth while challenging biases and assumptions. Rooting in context, it recognizes and works with power dynamics.  

 

The world calls us to shift our mindsets and values from outdated ways of being and doing rooted in dominance, hierarchy and harmful systems, towards new ways rooted in relationship, collaboration and innovation.  

 

As Tatiana says, “In our experience as leaders of long-term systemic change initiatives, innovative leaders and initiatives who are bringing the critical perspective required to actually shift harmful systems, are often under-resourced and under valued.  

They can be working in ways that are resonant with scaling deep practices but are not recognized by traditional power and decision makers. We heard over and over again how  this work is hard and not valued, despite its crucial role in driving transformative change. As a consequence, activities focused on "Scaling Deep" are hidden away from the spotlight and our ambition is to change that.”  

Links and resources: 

Tatiana’s slide deck: Scale Deep Presentation - Helen Copy (canva.com) 

To go deeper into the approach with Systems Sanctuary: https://systemsanctuary.com/courses-training-organisations 

About the presenter:

 

Tatiana has spent her career starting up and growing ecosystems and networks for systemic change.  

She co-founded the Girls Action Foundation, which became a network supporting the empowerment and leadership of girls and young women, scaling it nationally across Canada before stepping away and letting it fly. She was selected as an Ashoka Fellow for her work and recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. 

A thought leader, she coined the phrase ‘Scaling Deep’ in juxtaposition to the silicon valley-esq frameworks ‘Scaling-up’ and ‘Scaling-out’. This came from her own experience working with feminist groups who were creating significant impact at root level; personal, relational and cultural change. 

Her work around feminist systems change brings together intersectional feminist practices with the frameworks of systems change and offers a fresh perspective on how systemic change happens by centering lived experience and shifting power.  

With significant expertise in running a not-for-profit, and an MBA from McGill University, Tatiana is well versed in setting up collaborations and governance structures for success. She has Chaired the Board of CKX for four years and Chaired the Stewardship Group of Illuminate, an international network designed to cultivate the field of systems practice, in the first year of its life.  

She has served on numerous Boards and Advisory Committees including The UN Commission on the Status of Women, The Carold Institute, Food Secure Canada, Exeko and Actua, among others. 

Much of her work has been to advance the leadership and social justice of girls and women, she co-authored Girl Positive (Random House 2016), and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women Studies.  

Tatiana is a mother of 2 and lives in Montreal, Canada. 

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