2016 National Conference

Ann Cleaveland has led the deployment of structured learning and evaluation approaches at ClimateWorks, in service to the charge that ClimateWorks and its partner funders made for ClimateWorks and the funder collaborative to cultivate a culture of sharing and learning.

Tim Larson has been providing Emergent Learning and Developmental Evaluation support to ClimateWorks over the past several years. He also works with other foundations and government agencies focused on energy, environment, climate change, and sustainable economic development to improve strategies using Emergent Learning, Developmental Evaluation, and other approaches.

Marilyn Darling is a partner of Fourth Quadrant Partners and a founding member of the Society for Organizational Learning. She pioneered the field of Emergent Learning and has worked over 20 years to develop tools and principles that link strategy, learning and evaluation around complex work. Emergent Learning emphasizes making thinking visible and providing frameworks to test it in real-time. She studied the learning practices of grantmakers, as reported in A Compass in the Woods: Learning through Grantmaking to Improve Impact. Marilyn’s recent clients include Annie E. Casey Foundation, Colorado Health Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Living Cities, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and The World Bank.