On March 15-17, 2024: sixteen Handshouse directors and advisors gathered in Norwell, MA for a 3-day intensive strategic planning workshop to collaboratively consider the future of the organization. Conducted by the inspired guidance of professional Strategic Planning leader: Lisa Mount of Artistic Logistics, and nourished by the delicious and hand-made cooking of Kelly Casilio, Amber Czapranski, and Issac Goldstein, Handshouse staff and board of directors: Marie Brown, Rick Brown, Laura Brown, Adriana Katzew, Rob Duarte, Nat Crosby, Eric Lemont, Marc Holland, Rashin Fahandej, Krista Lima, and Yari Wolinsky, plus Handshouse Board of Advisor members, Andrea Finnerty, Chuck Stigliano, Joe Wood, Jason Loik, Cailigh MacDonald, explored where Handshouse hopes to be in the next five years, what obstacles we are facing, and what bridges we need to build to overcome them.
Kelly Casilio and Issac Goldstein, volunteered with Amber Czapranski (unfortunately not pictured here!) their delicious hand-made cooking!
One critical next step we identified was the importance of expanding Handshouse leadership. We recognized the need to grow of the Board of Directors and clarify internal board leadership roles. We also noted the value of the Board of Advisors and named the need for more regular involvement of their interest and wisdom. We finallly, we named the urgency for organizational staff, funded with salaries that reflect the scale and skill required for the work it takes to offer the kinds of Handshouse programs that we have become know for.
We can say without hesitation, that Handshouse has been successful because it has been driven by a passionate love of learning, a tenacity to work through uncertainty, an enduring cultivation of curiosity, and a welcoming space to take on challenges in community. Strategic planning is not perhaps the most fun project we could be working on. It involves the unglamorous work of looking into the “sausage gets made” to understand how we have been able to do what do, and what we need to do to keep furthering our mission.
But with the same love of learning, hard work, and remarkable sense of community that makes every other Handshouse project so successful, we have found ways to make even Strategic Planning fun. The room full of authentic smiles (see below!) speaks volumes for the joyful collaboration this group of people was able launch together.
Fueled by the clarity of this planning session, we got to work on expanding our leaderhip.
We leaned into our love of teamwork and welcomed seven new members onto our Board of Directors this October! With a board of 15 capable Directors, with Nat Crosby stepping into the role of Board Chair, we are organizing our resources to getting ready to raise Handshouse into a new chapter.
Stay turned to hear more about the new bridges we are building in the ambitious project of raising Handshouse toward the future. And please reach out if you would have questions or would like to find out more how you can get involved!
We Came together to continue the mission of Handshouse Studio.
Our intrepid team of Strategic Planners: Back Row from Left to Right: Laura Brown, Rashin Fahandej, Yari Wolinsky, Andrea Finnerty, Lisa Mount, Joe Wood, Chuck Stigliano, Rick Brown, Krista Lima, Eric Lemont, Marc Holland, Issac Goldstein, Kelly Casilio, and Amber Czapranski. Front Row, Rob Duarte, Adriana Katzew, Rob Duarte, Marie Brown, Cailigh MacDonald, Jason Loik, Nat Crosby,
We Hope you will Join us in Lifting Handshouse toward the Future!
To find out how to get involved in helping Handshouse build bridges to the future,
please contact Nat Crosby, Interim Chair of the Handshouse Studio Board of Directors.