Greg Tehven runs a $5.5 million nonprofit with 40 teammates in Fargo, North Dakota — and his advice to leaders is to stop working on problems they can solve alone.

That instinct built Emerging Prairie into the heartbeat of a region's entrepreneurial ecosystem, launched Grand Farm, and turned TEDx Fargo into an event 1,000+ people build their year around. Guest co-host Stacy Houston, CEO of Six Degrees, brings Greg on to talk about what it actually takes. 🩵

In this episode, you'll hear:

Why "make the problem bigger" is the fastest way to get more people working on it — and more fun besides
The business model Greg borrowed from a Buddhist teacher: if a tree adds value to the community, the community waters it
How Emerging Prairie designs for radical inclusion — childcare, food choices, time of day — and why those small barriers decide who shows up
What Greg learned about receiving, not just giving, in a gift shop in India
How serving the board first changed what the board gave back

You'll walk away with a way of building that doesn't require permission, a finished plan, or a bigger budget. 🩵

Episode Highlights:

(4:05) Gravel roads and good neighbors: the making of Greg
(7:38) From burnout to the Fargo thesis
(11:17) Designing for generosity: the business model
(14:09) Tolerance of ambiguity (and the TEDx story nobody saw coming)
(21:43) Fighting for self, team, and community
(26:50) The gift shop in India: learning to receive
(30:21) Serving the board before asking the board
(34:50) What doesn't show up in a grant application
(37:55) One good thing: make the problem bigger

Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/744

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.

Learn more and save your free spot today.

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Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

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744. Make the Problem Bigger: A Different Way to Build Community - Greg Tehven, Emerging Prairie

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

744. Make the Problem Bigger: A Different Way to Build Community - Greg Tehven, Emerging Prairie