5 lessons for growing communities

Hello.

@vicky_stoyanova

Victoria Stoyanova Community Architect

CreativeMornings London host

Second Home Adviser

Community + Culture Strategist

5 lessons x 5 years

(1:M)M

Techstars Startup Programmes

CreativeMornings

Hosting CreativeMornings/London

• 12 events / year • online community of 3.6k • total community of 6k • 100 attendees /event

Managing the CEE Region of UP Global

• 1500 volunteers • 300+ events/year • facilitating 12+ events/year

Techstars Startup Programmes

CreativeMornings

• Core team based in NY • Managing 154 volunteers (hosts) • Volunteers run local events (40-200) • Brings together really lovely people

• Core team (Regional Managers) • Managing 500+ volunteers teams

(Community Leaders) • Community Leaders run local events 100 • Brings together really lovely people

Hosting CreativeMornings/London

• 12 events / year • online community of 3.6k • total community of 6k • 100 attendees /event

Managing the CEE Region of UP Global

• 1500 volunteers • 300+ events/year • facilitating 12+ events/year

Techstars Startup Programmes

Regional Manager

Techstars Community Leaders

One to many to many community model

1. strong existing community 2. clear information 3. engaging onboarding process 4. defined roles and responsibilities of local volunteers 5. reliable point of contact at any time 6. regular meetings/meetups and clarity of format - sense of ritual 7. physical events bringing the community together

2. Culture is in your KPIs

Your KPIs? Your community’s KPIs.

1. Do people feel welcome? (“Everyone is welcome”) 2. Are people meeting likeminded people (tribe)? 3. Do people feel cared for? 4. Is the content interesting/relevant? 5. Are people going to leave the event feeling transformed (kaleidoscope) 6. Did we share/create something as a group?

# of people met per attendant # of collaborations / hiresNPS # written feedback # verbal feedback # referrals # volunteering requests

Your KPIs? Your community’s KPIs.

3. Your role within your community

Curate (v.)

from Latin curare - “to take care of"

You’re a curator and facilitator.

Your only role is to take care of your community while wearing an invisible cap.

4. Designing for community

As a community managers, your role is also to put community at the centre of your organisations, your design processes, your values and missions.

5. Community-made

A community can be many things but there’s one thing that it can’t be. It can’t be owned.

1.Use the one to many to many model 2.It’s not about your KPIs, it’s about your community’s

KPIs 3.Understand your role within your community 4.Design for community 5.Create with your community

5 lessons x 5 years

Thank you.@vicky_stoyanova

victoria.stoyanova@gmail.com