Echoing Green, a leading organization that supports emerging social innovators through a global Fellowship program, hosted its annual All Fellows Convening in Accra, Ghana from October 21-24. The event gathered more than 180 Fellows as both a celebration of their global accomplishments, and a reunion to share insights and inspiration for future innovation. A highlight of the Convening was several cohorts meeting in person for the first time, including the most recent 2024 cohort of 44 social innovators representing one of the largest and most geographically diverse cohorts in the organization's 37-year history.

"As a Fellow myself, I know firsthand that the Convening is a rare and momentous opportunity for Fellows to gather in person and connect across geographies and generations. In Echoing Green's current Fellowship application cycle, 54% of the applications received were from the African continent, so I'm especially thrilled to have gathered so many innovators in Accra — Echoing Green's first time hosting in West Africa," said Cheryl Dorsey, president of Echoing Green.

Echoing Green has a strong track record of bringing social innovators together for urgent and robust conversations about the state of the social impact sector and the importance of community, collective impact, and the health and wellbeing of social innovators. The Convening set the stage for Fellow-led programming that covered several themes including capital-building, career advancement for founders, scaling strategies and funding opportunities, and  leadership development. The Fellow planning committee  was led by 2019 Fellow Akshay Makar based in Delhi, India; 2014 Fellow Alloysius Attah based in Kumasi, Ghana; 1996 Fellow and Echoing Green Chaplain Eric Dawson based in Boston, United States; 2007 Fellow Gemma Bulos based in Upland, United States; 2014 Fellow Kwami Williams based in Accra, Ghana; 2021 Fellow Okong'o Kinyanjui based in Nairobi, Kenya; 2016 Fellow Radwa Rostom based in Cairo, Egypt; 2020 Fellow Samlara Baah based in Accra, Ghana; and 2013 Fellow T. Morgan Dixon based in Maywood, United States.

Session highlights included:

    The Capital Continuum: Addressing funding gaps and how Signal Fund helps to facilitate longevity.

    Community Power: Tapping into collective power of the Fellow community to facilitate the exchange of wisdom, insights, and connections and tackle sticky leadership challenges and topics.

    The Paradigm Shift: Discussion about why Fellows leave their organizations and navigate opportunities and obstacles within the new paradigm.

Echoing Green plans to host the next All Fellows Covening in Mexico City, Mexico in 2026.