Cover Image for Prototyping for Progress: Inclusive Innovation for Jewish Nonprofits & Organizations
Cover Image for Prototyping for Progress: Inclusive Innovation for Jewish Nonprofits & Organizations

Prototyping for Progress: Inclusive Innovation for Jewish Nonprofits & Organizations

Hosted by Amanda Gelb, Aha Studio & Rachael Fried, JQY
Virtual
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About Event

Join us for a hands-on 90-minute workshop designed to empower nonprofit and organizational leaders. This interactive session will introduce you to essential design thinking techniques to tackle challenges, foster innovation, and create impactful solutions tailored to your community's unique needs.

Whether your focus is programming, development, communications, or mental health, this session will provide actionable tools to elevate your problem-solving approach and strengthen your team dynamics.

What You’ll Learn:

  • What You’ll Gain:

    • Rapid Prototyping: Techniques to test and refine ideas quickly

    • Creative Brainstorming: Strategies for out-of-the-box thinking

    • Iterative Feedback Loops: Tools for continuous improvement

What You’ll Do During the Workshop:

  • Collaborate with peers on real-world challenges

  • Engage in practical exercises to boost creativity and teamwork

  • Identify actionable strategies for complex problems

What You’ll Take Away:

  • Practical Tools: Simple, ready-to-use strategies for brainstorming, testing ideas, and gathering feedback to improve quickly

  • Collaborative Leadership: Learn how to work together effectively across different perspectives, promoting inclusion, belonging, and collective problem-solving

  • Agility and Confidence: Develop the flexibility to adapt to changing needs in your community or organization with ease

  • Meaningful Connections: Build relationships with like-minded leaders who are passionate about making a difference

Hosted by Rachael Fried, Executive Director of Jewish Queer Youth (JQY) and Amanda Gelb, Founder and Principal of Aha Studio (formerly Google, Lyft, HUGE, Asana, Harry Potter's Wizarding World) 

💻 Where: Online, zoom link provided after registering
📅 When: Wednesday, December 4th, 2024, at noon Eastern
💲 Pricing: Sliding Scale $50-100 (Scholarships available)

Register now to drive impactful change in your organization and community.

A bit more about your hosts: 

Rachael Fried (she/her) has been with JQY since 2013 and became its Executive Director in 2019, transforming the organization from volunteer-run to a professional team of eight, with a Drop-in Center in Times Square and a $2.1 million operating budget. Committed to amplifying queer Jewish voices, she holds an MSW in Community Organizing from Yeshiva University, an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons, and a BA in Studio Art from Stern College, where she served as student body president. A lifelong Jewish camper, Rachael has held leadership roles at Camp Nesher and is a Wexner Field Fellow, the 2022 JPro Young Professionals Award recipient, and one of The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36.” She lives in Washington Heights with her wife and dog.

Amanda Gelb (she/her), founder of Aha Studio, turns insights into strategies for impactful products and programs, blending over a decade of experience with tech giants like Google, Lyft, and Asana with her passion for experiential education. A digital ethnographer and product strategist, Amanda has designed for Harry Potter's Wizarding World, explored the future of AR/VR at Google, and driven innovation across education, nonprofits, and connected devices. Her work blends intentionality with moments of unexpected insights, making space for inspiration and magic to emerge. A professor of Design Research at NYU, she empowers her learners to navigate complex challenges through workshops and co-creating strategic roadmaps. Rooted in her Jewish values and creativity, Amanda also enjoys prototyping, baking inventive cookies, and chasing after her three young children.