Bill Toliver

Bill Toliver's Speech Descriptions

Toliver believes that by merging the most innovative tactics of consumer communications and media with the best strategies of social movement building it is possible to build a critical mass of support for worthy causes and organizations. In an era in which 12-year-olds have communication tools that would have blown the minds of Gandhi, King and Mandhela, we have yet to turn them into anything that resembles the kind of global social movement these leaders created. Toliver aims to change that by offering a way for social impact organizations to create “manageable movements.”

Toliver’s programs teach leadership and communication skills using a mix of authority and humor. He helps organizations bring about more support by demonstrating effective social movement building efforts around the world and empowering audiences with real world advice.

From Gandhi to Google: Building Social Movements in a World of Social Medias
An insightful discussion on how the marriage of traditional consumer marketing and social movement building can bring about just the kind of support your organization needs. Bill will demonstrate effective movement building efforts around the world, and dissect the essential ingredients of each in a way that empowers his audience with real world advice.

Telling the Difference Between a Fad and a Trend in a World of Change
The first decade of the internet and social media had many times more “rabbit trails” than success stories. Entire companies (and trading indexes) were built quickly, and then literally crashed over night because of flawed business models and the inability to see the difference between a fad and a true trend. This conversation by a guy who worked for IBM when the first PC was shipped, has been through enough boom and bust cycles to speak to this issue with both authority and humour.

The Turning Point in History When History Failed to Turn
A compelling study of powerful social movements that failed, with particular emphasis on the “People’s Spring of 1848.” The discussion will provide important lessons for what will be required to sustain current-day social movements.

Leadership in the 21st Century
An ironic look at how leaders have become profoundly ineffective in the 21st Century—just when we need leadership most. How political vitriol, servant-based management philosophy and political correctness have left leaders across the spectrum afraid of their own shadows. Particular focus on new flatter, leaner models and how not to make the logical mistakes as everyone scrambles to be more progressive.

Of Marketers and Messengers
Most civil society organizations have a healthy aversion to traditional consumer style marketing strategies and sales tactics. It seems unsavory to consider things like “branding,” “market position” and “competitive advantage” when your mission is about the future of our environment, or funding for the arts, or the wellbeing of children. Bill will encourage us to hold on to that healthy skepticism, while at the same time offering a model for communications that merges the tactics of traditional consumer marketing with the best strategies of social movement building. He’ll take us on a fun and informative journey through some of the most effective social movements and nonprofit campaigns over history and help us see how there is a way to build a critical mass of support for the causes we hold so dear.

Swimming Against the Current of Today’s Politics, Economics, and Headlines
Politics seem deadlocked somewhere between “Yes we can” and “Over my dead body.” Economics have left all of us worried about of our next paycheck much less our retirement plans. Headlines that provide hourly reminders of revolutions and tsunamis, terrorism and climate change. It’s no wonder that today’s social impact organizations are having a hard time getting air time—much less lasting support! Bill will offer some key strategies to rally people around your cause. Regardless of what might be in the headlines, or which way the political or economic winds may be blowing.

Ten Critical Mistakes Non-Profit and Civil Society Organizations Make
The U.S. and England are often seen as leaders in innovative communications and fundraising techniques for non-profits and civil society organizations. However, they've also taken many decisions that have created very consequential—though often unforeseen—mistakes. This keynote address provides a frank look at the problems that can arise when “consumer-style” marketing tactics, and “business-style” leadership models are too quickly applied to organizations devoted to social change. This session will provide a fun and informative illustration of how these mistakes were created, and provide sound practical advice on how you can avoid making them yourself. The session will be targeted toward a wide range of people involved in communications, fundraising and non-profit leadership.

Doing Well by Doing Good
Companies have an opportunity to play a far more important role in creating progress in the world, if they had the courage to see social responsibility as something more than an effective marketing or employee retention strategy. This presentation provides an inspirational look at the role corporations could—and sometimes do— play if they had the courage to live closer to their own values and commitments.

What You Didn’t Know about “Them.”
Did you know the country with the largest number of women in Parliament is Rawanda? This presentation is a fun and surprising look at the many different misperceptions and underestimations people in the West have about those in the other hemisphere. It's a an inspirational look at the real-life circumstance of people around the world, and the important difference we could each make if we saw ourselves as brothers and sisters, rather than global competitors for the earth’s resources.