Written by Gabrielle Mollineau — Edited by Noah LeJeune

To dream without restraint is difficult.

Our innate nature is to think of all the ways our ideas won’t work. We may think of all the barriers, both physical and mental, that would prevent us from achieving, and overall our inaction is fueled by fears. Specifically in the field of social justice, the spark to solve problems is quickly blown out by the reality of funding and lack of resources amongst other things.

Dr. Halima Leak-Francis helped us work through our own insecurities by displaying for us through her own journey how she was able to overcome these mental blocks and garner community to achieve her philosophical goals. Through her facilitation, we were able to Dream without boundaries. To say the session was therapeutic might be an understatement. Her infectious bubbly spirit was something that was felt throughout the entire session and really set the foundation for what dreaming could look like in today’s world.

With her setting the tone, the space transformed into a collaborative hub with each team working on ways in which they could tackle a specific social problem.

For me, this experience has allowed me to be in a community with like-minded persons, building a friendship with someone I would’ve never met. Dr. Leak-Francis’ passion and visionary outlook helped me to hone my skills and outlook on how I would like to positively impact the world. She provided hope that all is not lost in the world and that there are ways you can achieve goals for yourself and your community. Her life experience explored the building blocks of becoming a changemaker in this world, showing the ability to reach goals by starting with little steps. Something that stuck with me was how she started a giving circle by simply calling up one of her friends to start it with her. Now it’s blossomed into a beautiful service and organization.

Quotes from other July DTB participants:

• “I think the biggest point of her presentation that really stood out to me and was new for me was the idea of ‘Freedom Dreaming.’ She had taken the phrase from a book of the same name. Essentially the idea is that in order for individuals to dream big and have new ideas about addressing social issues, we must stop fixating on what hurtful policies or programs that need to be torn down and instead dream beyond them. Dream without these restrictions and then address any policies that stand in the way of your dream.” – Julianne Lamy, Recirculating Farms Coalition
• “The Design Thinking Breakfast was both an educational and enriching experience. I appreciated the knowledge given by Dr. Halima Leak Francis and the design template for our philanthropy project. Dr Francis truly created an environment of safety  and openness to be oneself and bring one’s ideas to the table.” – Tamara Rogers

Do you need something to start your day on the right foot? Want to network with people in New Orleans and all around the country (maybe even the world)?  

Please join us for our next design thinking breakfast (DTB) on October 20th with Rae Stevenson (or check out the recordings from our May DTB with Ricardo Millhouse)! You won’t regret it!