Here’s the truth: playing it safe won’t get us anywhere. We need to color outside the lines.
As we recruit our 10th cohort of Voqal Fellows, we reaffirm our commitment to bold, transformative change. We provide both funding and coaching to social entrepreneurs with innovative, untested ideas that advance progressive values.
Our approach is anything but conventional. We support the people and ideas ready to shake things up. We back those ready to disrupt the status quo, supporting initiatives with uncertain outcomes. We champion individuals who often receive a mere nod from the philanthropic elite before being swiftly dismissed for their perceived riskiness and deviation from the norm.
But let’s rewind. We weren’t always this way. Our boundary-pressing approach was something we grew into. We played it safe, chasing what was predictable and comfortable and focusing on symptoms instead of root causes. Eventually, we evolved from favoring familiar faces and established projects to embracing the ideas that make the so-called experts break a sweat.
Initially, we were hesitant. We wanted to fund groundbreaking ideas capable of overturning entrenched systems, but we were swayed by voices advocating for gradual, incremental changes. We knew we needed to stop playing it safe and instead support the wild cards – the overlooked and underestimated. Yet, we listened to the critics who doubted the efficacy of upending the whole damn system.
Over time, however, we discovered something incredible. Even as we played it safe for a while, we dipped our toes into risk, funding a few out-of-the-box thinkers. We supported individuals on the margins, those excluded from traditional power structures, and those hustling against a system not designed for them. And their impact was remarkable!
Here’s what we’ve learned: True progress often comes from the periphery, where people are unencumbered by conventional thinking. These are the people who see the world differently because they’ve had to navigate it differently. Their ideas, born from necessity and creativity, have the potential to revolutionize industries, shift cultural paradigms, and address deeply rooted societal inequities.
Innovation often comes from the edges—those with lived experiences outside the mainstream whose perspectives offer fresh, unorthodox solutions. When we look beyond the obvious and fund those who are often overlooked, we send a powerful message that every voice matters and that every person has the potential to contribute to our collective well-being.
This is why we’re all in on funding the mavericks and the misfits. We embrace the chaos, revel in the uncertainty, and champion those who dare to imagine a different future. We find the seeds of true transformation waiting to be nurtured and grown in the margins.
