Experiments in-progress by our Residents
We treat education as an experiment. Sensemakers in Residence share works-in-progress, test ideas with members, and reflect honestly on what didn’t work so the work gets better. Residents meet monthly to share lessons learned, and to update the below list of experiments in progress as a tool of public accountability.
Last Updated: March 26 2026
“What skills do sensemakers need confidence and capability in to succeed?”
Abby Covert is defining an architecture of sensemaker skills. She currently serves as the main guide for our current residents, and having a several-year head start she has published 12 courses at the club. She is currently working on a new book about sensemaking. You can catch Abby at her monthly design jam on 2nd Wednesdays or her IA Discussion Group on 1st Fridays. Both at 2 PM ET.
“How might we bridge the thought-leadership gap in South Africa?”
Alfi Oloo has been building a name for himself in his local community as someone to come to when they want to explore thought leadership. He has also developed a process to get businesses to sponsor their employees upping their thought-leadership skills. Alfi is currently on hiatus from serving the club remotely, while he focuses on impact in his local community.
“How does inclusive and exclusive language impact our ability to signal belonging?”
Clair Rock has major thoughts on inclusive vs. exclusive language. They are currently working on shortening their 5 week course Words Shape Belonging into a 90 min lecture so the content can be tested with a wider audience. They co-host Making Sense of Language w/ Emily Nimsakont last Fridays at 2 PM ET.
“Can shitty maps help save our ability to think?”
Joe Elmendorf is exploring why rough, hand-drawn maps made in the moment consistently outperform polished ones when it comes to helping people think, collaborate, and make decisions. He is currently doing too much—developing ways to talk about the value of shitty mapping and workshops about how to practice, writing a monthly newsletter for his mailing list, and co-hosting Mindfulness & Modeling with Suzan Quick on 1st Tuesdays at 2 PM ET.
“What does messaging look like when it’s designed to preserve human dignity rather than optimize for attention and consumption?”
Jasmine Ibrahim has been on a spiritual and intellectual journey to understanding herself and her place in the world. She believes the future of leadership is the domain of deeply authentic individuals who are capable of stewarding others through metaphysical intelligence, not just emotional intelligence. Jasmine has been revising her narrative framework, Money Grows On Trees, while analyzing the design and architecture of the Quran and co-hosting Seekers Who Make Sense w/ Sam Sanford every last Thursday at 2 PM ET.
“Why do teams struggle to navigate complexity and uncertainty?”
Matt Arnold is exploring collaborative sensemaking, the craft of helping teams maintain shared meaning and coherence over time while navigating complex work. In an environment that increasingly requires collaboration at scale, collaborative sensemaking becomes critical infrastructure that helps teams align meaning, judgment, and action. He hosts “Making Sense of Chaos & Complexity” on the last Friday of every month at 2 PM ET.
“How can we regain a sense of confidence and joy in our work?”
Rebecca Hathaway has worn many hats professionally. When we feel like we do it all, it can become difficult to articulate the value we bring to our teams and communities, and the oft-ensuing burnout makes it hard to feel good about any of it. She is experimenting with a workshop called “Designing Your Sensemaker Stats”, drawing on techniques from design thinking, fiction writing, and roleplaying games to help bring focus to aspects of our lives that can feel fuzzy or invisible. Stay tuned for the next session later this spring.
“What do you do when craft alone isn't getting you where you want to go?”
Erin Rodat-Savla suspects many of us have doubled down on our technical professions — potentially over-indexing on skills, self, and selling at the expense of other needs. Questions we're not asked early or often enough: Where do you want your work to matter? What kind of world do you want to help build? Who do you need alongside you, and how the heck do you make sense of them well enough to work well with them? Dreaming of writing the Non-People-Person's Guide to People she wished she'd had from the beginning, she co-hosts Making Sense of Other Humans with Karen Brothers on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 2 PM ET.
