Introducing Steacy Pinney as Changemaker in Residence

Steacy Pinney is our most recent Changemaker in Residence at the Trico Changemakers Studio. Steacy was formerly the CEO of Calgary Reads, which is currently going through its Dandelion Strategy and working with Seed Partners across Calgary to expand the impact of children learning to read. We asked Steacy a few questions to get to know her better and understand how this new role is fitting for her.

What excites you most about being a Changemaker in Residence at the Studio?

Steacy reflects on how she is excited to think of the possibilities in this new role, even though she is still determining exactly what that looks like. She is looking forward to change, which has always excited her and has drawn her to organizational change in the past. Overall, she is both terrified and excited about this new chapter and what it might bring. The paradox of feeling terrified and excited is familiar to many changemakers. 

This new role has Steacy thinking about how she is at an interesting time in her life.  She did not dissolve Calgary Reads to retire but rather to change the impact she is making in the community. Through her Changemaker in Residence role, she is looking forward to bringing in new people and new opportunities to the Studio community.

What does changemaking mean to you? 

Steacy says she is still figuring out what changemaking means to her. She hopes her definition evolves as she deepens her understanding of social innovation through the Literacy Lab and its processes. Changemaking for Steacy brings excitement about learning. On a more fundamental level, she loves that change is adaptive and dynamic and means something new. Changemaking reminds Steacy of liminal space: whenever you are making change, there is always an in-between time/space where everything is unknown. Changemakers must be comfortable in that liminal space and hold that space with a lot of intention to discern where and how change needs to happen. Steacy sees changemaker as two distinct words - change and maker. She wraps up by saying that changemaking is about working in the unknown and learning to be creative with it. 

What are you working on right now, and what is the biggest question driving your work?

Steacy is currently working with the seven Seed Partner organizations who have taken on parts of Calgary Reads.  This work is supported by the Studio’s facilitation team in a year-long process. Questions surrounding this work are: Are more children being supported? Do we have a greater impact? Was the Dandelion Strategy a good one? Steacy is also working on writing a book about the story of Calgary Reads and the importance of reading. She has two chapters left to write and is looking to finish the book this summer. Her book is titled Because of a Book, and we look forward to reading it. 

What books do you refer to for inspiration?

Steacy’s favourite book is whatever she is currently reading at the moment. Some of the books she goes back to read for frequent inspiration are Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed by Frances Westley, Brenda Zimmermanm and Micheal Patton and Margaret Wheatley’s Turning to One Another. Steacy just finished reading Change: How to Make Big Things Happen by Damon Centola; she is hoping to do a book club with this book with everyone in the lab and whoever wants to be a part of it. Even if you cannot join her book club, she recommends everyone read it. As for fiction, Steacy just finished reading Lessons by Ian McEwan and she found it fascinating. As for non-fiction Steacy just finished reading Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, an amazing book that made her think about the things she says yes to and how you make the best of the time you are alive. Steacy is drawn to books that make her think about the past and how she will contribute going forward. 

Steacy invites you to visit her at the Studio if you want to talk about books and how they might change you as a person. 

We are excited to have Steacy in the community to help make change as the Changemaker in Residence for 2023 and 2024.  We look forward to seeing all the beautiful things she creates while with us!