Abel Maningas’ Post

As much as I love paper and all things printing, my heart's passion is people—connecting, empowering, and helping others grow. That's why I’m thrilled to share something incredibly close to my heart: Echo Connections, a nonprofit I’ve been working on with two of my amazing business besties (Catherine and Jen). Together, we’ve created something special, something we’re deeply passionate about, and now we’re ready to share it with you! Echo Connections is all about empowering each other—whether you're a young adult, an entrepreneur, or someone simply looking for a community to grow with. Our mission is centered around four key pillars: Education, Mentorship, Networking, and Vetted Resources. These pillars are the foundation of everything we do, helping people at all stages of life and business find the support they need to thrive. To kick things off, we’re hosting our first networking event in beautful Washington County, and I’d love for you to join us! It’ll be a fun and relaxed gathering where you can enjoy coffee and hot cider, share what you’re working on, and hear what others are up to. We’ll also talk a bit about our plans for Echo Connections and how we can support each other on our journeys. Please RSVP and feel free to bring your friends. Let’s make some incredible connections and support each other in big ways! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gd7YPEz4 Event Details: Date: Thursday, September 19th Time: 9am-11am Location: The Tower Heritage Center 320 South 5th Avenue, West Bend, WI This isn’t just about networking—it’s about building a community of people who lift each other up, offer guidance, and share resources. Come join us! #echoconnections #networking #education #mentoring #community #resources #passion #sharethepassion #weallstartsomewhere #sharewitheachother #buildup

Venture2Impact's Design Thinking Bootcamp, funded by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, has revolutionized the way nonprofits approach complex challenges. Tailored for the nonprofit sector, the Bootcamp trained 16 leaders from 14 organizations, providing them with practical tools to enhance their impact. The results are impressive: 1️⃣100% of participants felt equipped to apply the new skills to their work. 2️⃣79% reported an increase in their understanding of Design Thinking. 3️⃣93% gained moderate to strong knowledge in Design Thinking post-Bootcamp. 4️⃣ An estimated 3,000 individuals will benefit indirectly from the enhanced programming of these nonprofits. Dive in to read the case study in detail: https://lnkd.in/e7gyS3tU #DesignThinking #NonprofitInnovation #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunityImpact #Venture2Impact

😌 Looking back at my career so far, I’ve had the fortune to be part of several amazing spaces. There’s the Global Virtual Design Sprint, ProductPH, Workshopper and now, Product Tonic. I’ve learned a hell of a lot of stuff and met a lot of amazing people in these spaces. Lessons that helped me improve both as a person and a professional. People who've shared amazing stories to help me build the courage to take on challenges. At times, even their own time to really help me on actual work. Though I’m not yet successful by any means, I can proudly say that I owe most of my success so far from these communities. Not too far from this writing, I’ll be trying my hand at facilitating one. Sort of as a way of giving back to the good fortune I've had so far. It will be my attempt at creating a space that will help product professionals like me learn critical product skills and practice those skills to create social good. On April 2, we will be exploring how we can create social good through product and use innovation tools to come up with solutions—Tools that can be used for creating actual products and services. If that sounds great to you, and you want to learn new tools for your product work or meet like-minded people AND create social good while you’re at it. Then I hope to share the space with you in ‘Product for Good’ this coming Thursday. 👉Sign-up and get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/giaN6RG3 P.S. All proceeds of this event will be donated to Baan Dada University Education Fund. P.P.S. There’s only a few tickets left, so sign-up now and save your seat! #pm #productmanagement #socialinnovation #tech4good

🚀🌍 Just 2 days until Global Code kicks off, and we can hardly contain our excitement! 🌟🔥 Buckle up for a wild ride packed with game-changing #ideas, cutting-edge #tech, and a global mix of #brilliance. This is where #creativity meets #innovation and dreams become #reality! 💡🤝 Make sure your calendar is cleared, your gear is charged, and your #enthusiasm is high. #Global Code is almost here - Let's make history, one line of #code at a time.✨🚀 #GlobalCode #UniversityStudents #TechBootCamp #CarrerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Volunteering

To join the I.G. Advisors #FixTheFlow Fellowship, we only need to know four things. Here's a sneak preview of the application form. For most people, it takes about 8 minutes. 💡 What would you like to get out of this fellowship? What skills or experiences would you like to build?  💞 What do you bring to the fellowship that you'd like to share with others? What change would you like to create in the funding system?  🌎 Where do you do your fundraising or grant making (city, region, country), and what are your biggest challenges and opportunities?  🏢 Which organisation or group are you working for, and what is your job title? Submit your application now, the deadline is Friday 21st June. fixtheflow.org

What does success look like for YOU? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone—and that’s exactly why The Propeller Experience was created. "I knew I wanted more, but I wasn’t sure what more was or how to get it. Now, I have clarity and a roadmap that I’m excited to follow." This transformative program helps you define your unique vision of success and map out a step-by-step plan using our proven Advancement Blueprint. With over 600 women already changed by this journey, we're excited to open doors for the next cohort! While our grant funding has ended, I’m still committed to making this accessible. Together, we’ll create the roadmap to your success. **The next cohort kicks off on September 30th.** If you're ready to learn a proven framework, gain an experienced guide, and connect with an aligned community, DM me. Let’s challenge the status quo together and make your next chapter extraordinary! https://lnkd.in/eai4mXR

🌍 Building a Better Future Together 🤝 At Thinkeur, we're not just about business—we're about empowerment and community. Imagine a world where everyone comes together, learns, grows, and creates real change. That's our mission. Through innovative workshops, mentorship, and collaboration, we're helping individuals—especially from underserved backgrounds—launch businesses and develop skills that not only benefit them but uplift entire communities. ✨ The best part? We don’t believe in waiting to "make it" before giving back. We're doing it now, every day, with every project. 💡 Join us in building something bigger than just business. Let’s create the future we all deserve, one step, one collaboration, one Thinkeur at a time. https://lnkd.in/ePuhN-qN 🚀 Let's make an impact! #CommunityDriven #Empowerment #SocialImpact #Thinkeur

11 awesome pivots we made to the Innovation Academy to make it better In this course, we teach fundraisers how to pivot fundraising ideas. So, to show we practice what we preach - here are 11 pivots we made between cohorts one & two to make the course better 😍 <Number 9 was my favourite> 1️⃣ Four Masterclasses - not Three Feedback from the first cohort was that the content was brilliant, but people wanted longer to explore and practice - so we upped it to 4-days. 2️⃣ In-person - not all virtual In the first cohort, all sessions were virtual, which did not allow for a deepening of connections between participants. We wanted to put greater emphasis on connection, networking, and face-to-face time, so we introduced a final in-person session. 3️⃣ A brief from a real organisation We always like to use live briefs in our training sessions. In the first cohort, we used a brief from a made-up organisation. It worked fine but could have been improved. So, for this cohort, organisations submitted briefs using a simple form. 50 applied - we chose Born Free from some brilliant applications. 4️⃣ Split participants into teams - Red, Blue, Green They worked as a team throughout, which meant strong bonds were formed in each of the teams. 5️⃣ Homemade brownies In cohort 1 there were no brownies. In cohort 2 there were brownies. Courtesy of Tanvi Yardi and her incredible baking skills. 6️⃣ Judges  As the participants were working to a live pitch at the end of the four days, we wanted to invite some expert judges along to hear and, well - judge the ideas and give constructive feedback. 7️⃣ Trophies Tied to the competition element, we felt it was appropriate for the winning team to get winners trophies. They arrived just in the nick of time. 😅 8️⃣ Certificates To acknowledge everyone's effort we provided certificates for completing the four Masterclasses. They looked super cool and people are displaying them proudly. 9️⃣ Free spots for under-served people Increasing the diversity of innovation practitioners in the charity sector is incredibly important to us as humans running a business. We think and talk about it on a near daily basis. We asked people from underserved groups to apply for a free spot via a simple Google Form. Over 50 applied, and we gave away four free spots. 🔟 Live pitching Teams concluded by creating their own pitch decks and live-pitched the 5 judges. This created a little stress but the teams rose to the challenge brilliantly, embraced the concept and showed great creativity 1️⃣1️⃣ AI content How could we not include some content on AI? AI is great for some aspects of innovation. We played around with some tools and discussed potential uses. This is the power of the pivot and applying customer feedback rigorously 🙂 We have AWESOME improvements planned for cohort 3 going live in September. Sign up to the waitlist here https://lnkd.in/eG9FJq8a and GET INVOLVED. #fundraising #innovation

It's not easy for me to admit failure. But that's part of my story, too. Recently, we reached a significant and humbling milestone - we made the strategic decision to sunset ExperienceCraft, a program we've nurtured for over two years. ExperienceCraft was our bold step into the future: a Minecraft-based online community where grieving kids could find support "beyond the bunk." We merged the essence of our camp experience - play, belonging, and grief support - with the digital world where many young people feel at home. The innovation paid off in unexpected ways: - Industry recognition and awards - New funding opportunities - Increased media visibility - Enhanced connection with our camper community But innovation also sometimes means facing the hard reality. While we dreamed of serving thousands, we consistently reached about 12 kids weekly. Technical hurdles for caregivers proved more challenging than anticipated. My fear of failure delayed the decision as we searched for solutions and reasons to continue. I dreaded the questions from board members and donors that would follow and fought against my defensive tendencies. Ultimately, after careful evaluation and a thoughtful board discussion, we chose to redirect our resources toward higher-impact initiatives. As hard as it was to admit defeat, ExperienceCraft wasn't a failure - it was a catalyst. It pushed us to: - Redefine how we measure success - Strengthen our evaluation processes - Build confidence in making tough strategic decisions - Establish ourselves as thought leaders in grief support innovation Most importantly, it taught me that organizational growth isn't just about expanding - it's about evolving. Sometimes the bravest leadership decision is knowing when to say "no" so you can say "yes" to something better. Onward we go. #nonprofitleadership #failure #growth #grief #innovation

you ask, sneh answers: how to collab with cool people building cool things, especially when don't feel confident, part 3 A lil bee in the between the buzz community posed this question to me, and as a first-time founder whose on a mission to create a space where money and emotions can coexist, I wanted to share tidbits this week of things I’ve learned along the way… 🗣️ Prime yourself with hearing no, it’s not personal. Hearing no is hard, especially when you attach your worth to rejection and voids of silence. It can make you feel like you’re building out an idea people don’t resonate with. I won’t lie and say I took hearing no like a champion, I’ve definitely had cuter days. But when I realized that there was nothing more I wished than to release my thought pieces every week, I just went for it. Why am I pulling myself out of the game before the game has even begun? Now, I reach out to at least one person a day. If they respond, great. I’m connecting with real people. If not, I’m allowed to sulk for five minutes but then time to bounce back. Because I remember my original “why”: create a space where money and emotions can co-exist, with no financial jargon, no financial shame, and no gate-keeping. How this looks in practice today: - Make a list of every single person I want to collaborate with. - Reach out. - Be direct. - Don’t make it transactional. We’re real people who are here to connect. - Refine my messaging if something’s not sticking. - And most importantly, just keep swimming. Funnily enough, changing my mindset to just “go for it” has done wonders for me in just the last two weeks. I’m meeting with five founders, creatives, and authors just in these next two weeks. Catch the full article here to unlock your dream collabs: https://lnkd.in/ehs_U-ZB, and stay tuned for more tidbits this week on my journey building between the buzz. #Collaboration #BuildInPublic #BetweenTheBuzz #GrowthMindset #Entrepreneurship #MoneyMatters