Host a Lunch and Learn with Alex (FOR FREE!)

Alex enjoys the opportunity to speak with employees and active volunteers of nonprofit, mission-driven, and otherwise socially motivated organizations over lunch (or mid-morning/afternoon tea) to explore issues related to changing the world in a way that is sustainable environmentally and personally (i.e., along the lines of his best-selling book, Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind and his latest book When in Doubt, Ask for More: And 213 Other Life and Career Lessons for Mission-Driven Leaders).  

He piloted the idea during the summer and early fall of 2019 with organizations including BRAC USA, Opportunity International, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund, Accion, and the International Center for Research on Women.  All of these groups reported that their employees highly valued the session, and many called it an unusual and invigorating way to spend an hour during the workday.  Since the onset of the pandemic, he has been doing these virtually.

Alex typically spends the first half of the hour talking about some of the most interesting and controversial ideas in his book, and then moderates a discussion with the attendees for the second half of the hour about how those ideas could be applied in the host organization’s mission-advancing work.  

He does not require that the organizations hosting him pay an honorarium, purchase books in advance for its staff, or even permit him to sell books to attendees (though he is open to any of those).  However, he does insist on offering the book free of charge (really!) to any interns taking part in the session.  

He can easily do this for organizations with offices in Washington, DC, Philadelphia or New York, and if tied to some other trip, he can do it in other cities as well.  He can also do lunch and learns from remote locations, especially during the current pandemic.

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, email Alex at alexcounts09@gmail.com.  

Comments from Previous Hosts of Alex’x Lunch & Learn Presentations:

From Jesse Marsden, Chief of Staff of RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund: “Alex is a warm, approachable, genuine person whose conversation with our staff opened up insights that rang true whether the listener was a teammate just starting out who benefited from an inspiring story from someone who was in their shoes a long time ago, or a senior level director with a decade of experience looking for new ideas and ways of thinking from a peer to help unlock the next challenge they are facing. A powerful narrative of learning, successes, misses, and new learnings told by the person who lived it in way that’s applicable, easy to relate to, and eminently useful to someone at just about any stage of their career.”

From Donella Rapier, Executive Director, BRAC USA: “BRAC USA was fortunate to host Alex Counts for a discussion on his book this past summer. Alex is a warm, natural communicator who rapidly built rapport with the attendees. He shared openly about his journey as a social entrepreneur, citing meaningful and deeply personal lessons about management, leadership, and finding balance. My colleagues, mostly ambitious professionals in relatively early stages of their careers, were struck by his candid, forthright insights – and inspired by his energy and optimism. Alex offers tangible, practical guidance relevant both for those just starting out and those well on their way to saving our world.”

From Paul O’Brien, Vice-President for Policy and Advocacy, Oxfam America: “Very grateful to have had Alex come to Oxfam to share reflections on his life and work in social justice. Alex brings a fresh and authentic voice to his journey to remain relevant in our world. Like the stories in his book, his comments were unvarnished with pretense and unafraid to admit failure and weakness. And in offering both vulnerability and wisdom it opened up a frank and deeply useful conversation for the staff who joined.”

From Simona Haiduc, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Opportunity International: “We had the honor of hosting Alex Counts at our Opportunity International office in Chicago to share his newest book Changing the World without Losing your Mind” with our staff. Alex has been a friend of Opportunity’s for years as we’ve shared a passion for serving people living at the bottom of the poverty pyramid and a commitment to building pathways to their financial health and economic prosperity. Our team tremendously enjoyed the conversation with Alex, his leadership lessons and perspectives on both successes and failures in working at the frontlines of international development. Such refreshing introspection on what it takes stay true to who you are as a leader and fulfill your life’s and organization’s mission without losing your mind (because the demands and challenges are many)!”