Women Rewiring Systems of Power
An interview with Robyn Bennett, Anna Sundukova, and Laura Kromminga
“If I want to do the work well, I need mentors to guide me, elders to accompany me, and accomplices to encourage me on. I am not supposed to know how to do this alone.”
— author unknown
On the 15th of February, WeSpace members Robyn Bennett, Anna Sundukova, and Laura Kromminga convened a gathering of 18 remarkable women who are in some way engaged in work to rewire systems of power for an evening of connection, creative expression, cathartic release, and finding solace in shared experiences.
Among those who were adventurous enough to subscribe to our experiment were people well-versed in revitalizing the public sphere (e.g. reimagining politics, government, and public legal design), igniting cross-sector collaborations for systemic change (e.g. facilitating climate action, hosting new forms of dialogue on regenerative practices) and those challenging entrenched patriarchal norms across various fields (e.g. journalism, design, tech, social entrepreneurship).
Our aim was humble and ambitious at the same time to provide a nurturing space where these women could openly share their stories, navigating the complexities of power systems together with authenticity and vulnerability. So we knew we had to design a new model of convening — as far away from the known cliches of networking as possible. We experimented with a blend of grounding exercises, invigorating interactions, and cathartic expressions—a journey that led us to explore the masks we wear to navigate prevailing power structures.
The heartwarming feedback we received after our event underscored the intuition we had - there is a hunger for genuine connections, surpassing the superficial interactions of “Hey, what do you do?” prevalent in our daily lives. Looking ahead, we envision future gatherings as platforms for mutual learning across diverse knowledge domains, all under the overarching theme of rewiring systems. From personal development to systems thinking practices, from legal design to decolonization efforts, and even exploring the embodied aspects of leadership and power dynamics—we're committed to nurturing spaces where such vital discussions can flourish.
Our inspiration for this endeavor came from various quarters: the insights of Priya Parker's "Art of Gathering," the concept of the Third Place by Oldenburg, Granovetter's notion of Weak Ties, and thought-provoking works like the SSIR article on the relational work of systems change, as well as the wisdom shared by Rev. Jennifer Bailey of Faith Matters Network and the weavers of Wasan Network. We recommend all of this as further reading for anyone interested in the topic.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and mention work experiences most relevant to the theme of the workshop?
Anna: I guess I am two things mainly, or at least, I am two things right now: a connector and a researcher. As a connector at heart, I thrive on curating insightful conversations, drawing system maps, and connecting data points to generate innovative ideas.
As a researcher, I spend much of my personal and professional life trying to understand people in one form or another. Formally, I work as a strategist, service designer, and innovation project manager, focusing in particular on how to make services, products, and experiences meet real human needs. I am a consultant, a founder, and a community builder.
My interests were always closely tied to the human experience of the world and how to make it better. It has led me on a meandering path from studying architecture to studying innovation and design, from researching how to build communities to helping build a few; from co-founding a community space to leading urban innovation projects focusing on human-centricity around the globe, and more. In general, my work circles a lot around bringing people together to explore, discuss, and solve complex, multi-faceted challenges, and I have seen first-hand how much power can be unlocked by thoughtfully facilitated dialogue and collaboration - this has been one of the guiding inspirations behind co-organizing the event for me!
Robyn: I relate to so much of what Anna has said. I guess this partially explains why we were drawn to one another from our first meeting—which was actually in the WeSpace last summer.
I’d likewise say I’m a curious explorer who thrives on creating places and experiences that empower people to be more (beauti)fully human. My own meandering path has led me from studying different cultures and world views, to strategy sparring with corporate innovation leaders, to asking “why?” enough times that I found myself deep in questions of economics, public policy, and governance.
Currently, I spend most of my working hours focused on the notion of “creative bureaucracy” (a deliberately playful oxymoron!) which explores what public administrations fit for the 21st century would look like. We host an annual festival in June here in Berlin to shine a light on individuals across the world engaged in this reimagination work and the hard task of rewiring stubborn bureaucracies. Almost all of the brilliant people I’ve come to know through this share similar stories: they feel lonely, frustrated, burnt out, disheartened.
A key focus of my work is curating experiences where they can share their stories, connect with others on a similar path, and feel a renewed sense of energy, hope and joy. Having seen the impact such gatherings can have, I was keen to experiment with similar principles in another setting—which largely inspired this event.
Laura: I am a seasoned advocate for social innovation and impactful change and this gathering of outstanding women fits very well with that journey. My journey has been a tapestry of exploration and collaboration, driven by my passion for fostering innovation and driving meaningful transformation.
Rooted in my belief in the power of social innovation to bring positive change to society, my expertise is mainly in impact investing, ecosystem building, and scaling initiatives. I work with very different stakeholders from consultancies, public administration to foundations, in order to create sustainable solutions to complex societal challenges.
At the heart of my mission lies a deep commitment to empowering public administration to embrace social innovation as a catalyst for positive change. And since any system, even public administration, is made up of individual people, I try to enable and connect the intraprapreneurs in the system. It is therefore, that I have co-founded a community for public servants and work as a guest lecturer at various universities.
My story echoes those of kindred spirits Anna and Robyn, each of us driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation and human-centric solutions. Together, we embody a collective force for change, united in our dedication to building a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
Niels: What has been your experience as women working in the field of systems change and transformation?
Anna: As a woman occupying leadership positions from a relatively young age, I have experienced firsthand how confusing, nerve-wracking, and challenging it can be to navigate systems of power that were not made for you. Beyond all the obvious and known barriers stemming from other people’s gender bias, it has been the internalized stuff — the one we walk around with as women, the way we see ourselves — that has been one of the hardest to overcome. It is hard enough to lead any transformation, and it costs double the effort to try and navigate how exactly to present yourself in a way that has both the necessary gravitas to be taken seriously and is true to your inner authentic core.
From a female perspective, however, we believe that it is the cyclical nature of all life, which is particularly familiar to us as females, that we are missing out on as global societies.
Niels: There seems to be an expectation for women to pursue the same careers as men, and shapeshift into business roles and structures that are created by men. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think we're missing out on something important?
We think there is not only an expectation for women to pursue the same careers as men, but also for men to pursue careers that are not necessarily in alignment with who they are. In other words, we are still recycling old patterns of what is considered the norm — across all genders.
From a female perspective, however, we believe that it is the cyclical nature of all life, which is particularly familiar to us as females, that we are missing out on as global societies. Both of us know this particularly well from our experiences in the field of strategy and innovation, where the accepted standard is to work “agile” and in back-to-back “sprints”. The truth is, no natural system sprints without pause. No athlete would ever sprint endlessly. The natural cycles of death (pause) and rebirth (generation and acceleration) are shown to us as women biologically throughout our entire lives.
We are so glad to see more and more women speaking up against the robotic pursuit of constant productivity, taking breaks, and shaping their lives more as chapters rather than an endless marathon at the pace of a sprint. Many of these women do not have it easy though — countless stories can be found online from women sharing the judgment, the expectations, and the raised eyebrows they get from deciding to live their lives on their own terms. But we believe it is a fight worth fighting! And the more of us that move in this direction, the more cultural norms will start to shift.
Niels: Do you have any advice for women navigating career opportunities?
This is a hard one. Everyone’s journey is very different, influenced and informed by where we come from, where we live, what we do, and which privileges we have or do not have. But if we were to summarize a few aspects that we believe would be valuable for any woman, it would be these:
You’re not supposed to do it all alone! Find accomplices with a common mission/curiosities and complementary strengths and support each other in growing together.
Trust your intuition and be brave enough to take leaps into unknown territory.
Even the most “successful” people struggle with self-doubt. Don’t let your inner critic stop you from taking risks – know you’re already deserving and seize opportunities to become the biggest, brightest version of yourself.
Prioritize learning how to set healthy boundaries. It will enable you to lead from a place of love across all areas of life.
Whatever system you find yourself in, try to find people in positions of power (via official titles or otherwise) who are willing to go out of their way to vouch for you and help open doors for you.
Learn to take breaks, rest, and recharge before it is too late. Especially for those of us burning for purpose and mission, it is extremely important to extend a helping hand to yourself first. Changing anything is hard, and changing entrenched paradigms can be excruciatingly exhausting — so learn when to say “no” to protect your power and resources for the many cycles and chapters that are working life.