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The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is "to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all."

Systemic change needs more than data and information; it needs real intelligence and wisdom. Jay Forrester, the founder of the system dynamics method that has shaped our approach to systems thinking, pointed out that complex non-linear systems exhibit "counterintuitive behavior." He illustrated this by citing the large number of government interventions that go awry through aiming at short-term improvement in measurable problem symptoms but ultimately worsening the underlying problems-like increased urban policing that leads to short-term reductions in crime rates but does nothing to alter the sources of embedded poverty and worsens long-term incarceration rates.

As economic development practitioners for the past 15 years, we have watched incentives become more important to the day-to-day work of economic developers. This is true for communities small and large, rural and urban, with large economic development staffs and with volunteer leadership. We have developed Smart Incentives because we believe that it is vital for economic development groups to have access to high-quality business intelligence, data and analytical tools in order to make the best decisions for their community.

"The Continuous Improvement effort is developing a prototype process for improving how state and federal agency systems that fund, regulate, or organize ecosystem recovery might improve services to local actors working on ecosystem recovery. It is inspired by Gemba Kaizen theory, initially developed within the Toyota Production System, where improvement opportunities are identified by the people who do the work on the "factory floor" and rapid improvement efforts are enabled through standard practices, and encouraged by leadership. We work with the resources we have, because self improvement in an intrinsic part of good government. The current iteration has received support from the Puget Sound Partnership's Ecosystem Coordination Board and is being guided by Lead Entities, Local Integrating Organizations and Ecosystem Recovery coordinators. "

We lead proactive efforts to make the federal government more effective. We convene stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to solve critical management challenges, and we work with federal agencies, Congress and the administration to deliver results.

LGC works to build livable communities and local leadership by connecting leaders via innovative programs and network opportunities, advancing policies through participation at the local and state level, and implementing solutions as a technical assistance provider and advisor to local jurisdictions.

We are committed to facilitating public understanding. We've developed several ways that you can learn systems thinking, mapping, and leadership from the very best research in the field.

Corporation for Positive Change is a global network of master consultants, linked by a shared commitment to the principles and practices of Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Change. We are skilled designers and facilitators of high engagement, strength-based, large-scale change. We help with the human side of organizing, strategic change, and culture transformation in businesses, non-profits and NGO's, health care, education, government and religious organizations. We are team builders, helping with leadership, professional, and project teams to achieve their goals by clarifying their purpose and principles, strengthening stakeholder relations, and aligning strengths around performance outcomes.

On the Commons (OTC) is a commons movement strategy center founded in 2001. Through our efforts, we help: Build and bring visibility to the commons movement; Initiate and catalyze commons work; and, Develop and encourage commons leadership. We believe it is possible to foster a commons-based society, which refers to a shift away from our market-based system, through new, collaborative ways of working.

Weaving is an emerging practice of leadership that creates thriving communities, continuously aligning, learning and collaborating together toward a shared purpose.

The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership supports and promotes public participation as a way of developing more creative and sustainable policy decisions, and more engaged and informed citizens. To fulfill this mission, we assume three roles as we work with California's cities, counties, school districts and civic organizations:

The Center coordinates teaching on nonprofit organizations and aspects of civil society; conducts research; and offers conferences, colloquia, and executive education as part of our community engagement. In undertaking these mutually supporting activities, we seek to contribute to the policy dialogue on the current and future role of nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and civil society.

This Rebels at Work community is for corporate rebels to share experiences, insights and advice with other rebels and aspiring rebels. By rebels we're talking about those people who feel compelled to create ways to improve, change, and innovate. They are brave (or foolhardy) enough to stand against the prevailing mindset of the organization and argue for a better way. The hope is that rebels can find courage and ideas to be more successful, and executives can see why their success depends on encouraging rebels.

Design with Dialogue (DwD) is an open Toronto-based community of practice for dialogue as co-creation. DwD has the ultimate purpose of facilitating change and meaningful action in our organizations, communities, collaborative projects and as individuals. We learn and play together through participatory design, strategic dialogue, creative arts and emerging facilitation methods.

Through our innovative deliberative tools such as our 21st Century Town Meeting®, more than 160,000 people across the country and around the world have had an impact on their communities. These tools give citizens an opportunity to have a strong voice in public decision-making within the increasingly short timeframes required of decision-makers. As a result, citizens can impact decisions and those in leadership positions can make more informed, lasting decisions.

The information in our study covers the city of Long Beach, Calif. In each community, the Knight Soul of the Community study identified factors that emotionally attach residents to where they live

IISC provides consulting services to organizations, communities, networks, and others that build their capacity for more effective, equitable and inclusive social change. And we offer workshops that provide participants with the opportunity to learn and practice the skills and tools of collaboration for social change so that they can do everything from designing meetings to building and running organizations and networks with greater social impact.

On the Commons (OTC) is a commons movement strategy center founded in 2001. Through our efforts, we help: Build and bring visibility to the commons movement; Initiate and catalyze commons work; and, Develop and encourage commons leadership.

The Agenda 360 organizers began with the framework of Northern Kentucky's Vision 2015 growth plan as a way to closely align the two plans once Agenda 360 was complete. Developing a shared agenda is a novel approach to regional civic leadership, and it includes a strong bias toward action. Our intention was not to re-create the outstanding long-range planning and visioning work completed by various other public and private organizations over the years, but instead to synthesize and focus the results of previous initiatives and develop bold and inclusive action strategies.