This webinar will be facilitated by the Centre for Exponential Change and hosted by the Tamarack Institute, Social Innovation Canada, Community Foundations of Canada, and Philanthropic Foundations Canada.
When systems are complex and constantly shifting, the ability to reimagine isn’t just valuable – it becomes essential to shaping futures that are inclusive, adaptive, and just.
This 90-minute session will explore how leaders can reimagine systems at scale through the lens of System Orchestrators – leaders who center shared purpose over fixed solutions, build collective narratives across actors, and enable others by letting go of custodianship.
Participants can expect a rich and reflective experience that weaves together insights and lived experiences. The session will feature a conversation between Danya Pastuszek (Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement) and Priya Ajmera (Centre for Exponential Change) on what it means to reimagine at scale. In addition, guest speakers who lead this work will share real stories from the field of their reimagination Journeys. The event will create space for both individual and collective reflection, helping participants locate themselves within this evolving landscape of systems change.
Whether you’re a funder, policymaker, movement-builder, or community leader, this session will offer fresh insights and grounded practices for navigating complexity with courage and imagination.
Speakers
Danya Pastuszek, President and CEO, Tamarack Institute
Danya is a mother, daughter, wife, sister, neighbour, community-builder, and runner – identities that have shaped her passion for belonging and financial inclusion in community. Her career has also included refugee resettlement and criminal justice reform.
She spent a decade with the Promise Partnership of Salt Lake, co-designing school, neighbourhood, city, and regional partnerships advancing work on financial inclusion. From 2022 to 2024, she served as Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute, an inaugural Schwab Foundation Collective Social Innovation Awardee, before being appointed President & CEO in December 2024.
Danya is a published author whose work has appeared in the National Observer, Social Innovation Journal, and the World Economic Forum. She is also a lifelong learner and holds an MBA; an MA in Psychology; and certifications in Systems Change, AI Stewardship, and Centering Equity in Climate Action. She is recognized as Utah Business Magazine’s CxO of the Year (2021) and is proud to serve on the advisory board for the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resiliency and the board of Future of Good.
Priya Ajmera, Chief Evangelist, Centre for Exponential Change
Priya Mantri Ajmera is a passionate learner and systems thinker, driven by a fundamental question: How can we solve exponentially growing social problems at scale? Her quest focuses on understanding what truly works at scale, how we can reimagine and innovate for a complex world, and how to build resilient, flexible systems that empower diverse actors to come together and create meaningful change.
As Chief Evangelist at the Centre for Exponential Change, Priya leads efforts to build the emerging field of "exponential change." She simplifies complex theories, brings them to life through real-world stories from the Centre’s global network, and champions the importance of equity in every aspect of advisory and field-building work.
Prior to this, Priya built a strong foundation in strategy and product management, leading initiatives in major technology companies like eBay, Yahoo!, and HP. Her work centered on designing for the unique challenges and opportunities of emerging markets across India, the Middle East, and Latin America — experiences that deeply inform her understanding of the needs of the global south and how to build resilient systems that can fulfill those needs.
Aruna Venkatachalam, Chief, Leader's Lab, Centre for Exponential Change
Aruna Venkatachalam has worked for over 27 years in India and US across Corporate Banks, Inclusion Financing, Access to Credit and Sustainable Livelihood Sectors. She is also an adjunct professor with The New School, NY since 2019. In her current role as Chief, Leader's Lab at Centre for Exponential Change she is passionate about curating & holding spaces, conversations and interactions with systems orchestrators. In this role she is deeply engaged with sensing the needs of the SOs to nurture trust amongst SOs on their journey. She also drives the livelihood domain and co journeys with missions across the geography on their path to impact at scale.
Purvi Shah, Senior Director, StoryWeaver
Purvi Shah is the Chief Operating Officer at Pratham Books, where she leads digital initiatives, marketing, and strategy. Over the past nineteen years, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s evolution — from launching StoryWeaver and Donate-a-Book to pioneering open, collaborative models that empower others to build upon and beyond Pratham Books’ work. An MIT Solve Fellow, she is deeply passionate about building communities and creating shared narratives to advance the mission of putting a book in every child’s hand.