Building Social Capital At Scale With Tonya Surman, CEO, Centre For Social Innovation

The Discovery Pod

Tired of working in silos? For over two decades, the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) has shown that collaboration—and the power of social capital—is the engine of change. In this deep-dive conversation, CSI Co-founder and CEO Tonya Surman shares the journey of building one of the world’s first co-working spaces—a home for changemakers where “the chaos is everywhere” and “the forks do not match.”


Discover how CSI evolved from a simple idea about shared space into a pioneering Collaborative Infrastructure Organization (CIO), designed to build the trust, relationships, and social capital needed to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Learn why Tonya believes the future of social impact lies in moving beyond convening to true collective action—and why investing in long-term infrastructure is key to creating regenerative, movement-building solutions.


If you’re a leader, social innovator, or simply someone trying to make a difference, explore the power of intentional community design—and how strengthening social capital can shift the sector from scarcity to abundance.

2026-03-25 39 min

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