Collaboration: What Makes It Work

PAUL W. MATTESSICH, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Wilder Research, which dedicates itself to improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities through applied research. Mattessich has assisted local, national, and international organizations with strategic planning, organizational improvement, and evaluation. He travels regularly to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, where he learns from, and consults with, organizations addressing youth development, community development, and the promotion of peace and acceptance of diversity among groups from divided communities. Mattessich has been involved in applied social research since 1973 and is the author or coauthor of more than three hundred publications and reports. He has also served on a variety of task forces in government and the nonprofit sectors. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Minnesota, where he currently serves as an adjunct faculty in the School of Social Work.

KIRSTEN M. JOHNSON is the Director of Community Engagement and Systems Change at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation where she manages a portfolio of community-driven projects aimed at creating equity. Johnson’s work focuses on engagement, collaboration, and systems change addressing complex challenges impacting the communities that Wilder serves. Johnson brings the lenses of emotional intelligence, intercultural competence, and network weaving to all of her work. Johnson studied Political Science and Women’s Studies at the University of Minnesota and has worked in the nonprofit sector on collaboration and community development for over fifteen years. Prior to coming to the Wilder Foundation, Johnson’s work supported a variety of nonprofit organizations including the StreetWorks Collaborative, VEAP, and Arc Greater Twin Cities.