This session explores how youth organisations working with representation, empowerment and the recruitment of underrepresented young people can work with private partners and sponsors in ways that are both useful and values-driven.

Through examples and conversation, the session will look at how partnerships can begin, what each side may be looking for, and how to build collaborations that support access, participation and long-term development without losing sight of an organisation’s purpose. The discussion will also touch on challenges, best practices and questions of alignment, power and credibility.

Speakers:

Ruth Mac / SoundCloud
Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SoundCloud, as well as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is a Keychange alumni and a passionate social change advocate and organizer through Berlin-based collectives and community-driven initiatives.

Sofia Xavier is a Finnish musician, social worker and the executive director of the organisation Rock Donna, which she co-founded in 2014. She is passionate about creating music, art and safer spaces for well-being.

Flávia Biggs is a Brazilian sociologist, educator and cultural producer, and the founder and director of Girls Rock Camp Brasil, one of the pioneering projects of its kind in South America. Active in the Girls Rock movement since 2005, she has worked internationally on gender equity, decolonial practice and empowerment through music, and has also served on the board of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance.