Unforgettable
Deeply Human
True

July 2026: Salzburg, Austria

Participants at this year’s Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change shared stories on the theme of “friendship”. In a world inundated by frictionless clicks and artificial connection, this group of 20+ change makers—from Johannesburg to Miami—gathered in person to remember the friendships that have influenced their lives. Stories from this event will feature on the Flame Tree Story podcast.

June 2026: Durham, NC

Community members gathered to listen and share stories of migration and courage. We journeyed across oceans, considered our roots, and reconnected to the concept of home. Storytellers shared true stories of experiences that have shaped their lives, and these stories—in turn—shaped the lives of listeners in the room. This event was hosted in collaboration with Story First Design and Pour Taproom.

March 2026: Carrboro, NC

Eight storytellers took the stage in a local brewery—packed to standing room only—to share stories about water and renewal. From a Peace Corps volunteer reflecting on her experience in Togo, to a local educator who marveled at the miracle of water, to a woman who took us back to her childhood in Mississippi—all stories reminded us of the power of water to renew and restore. Stories will feature on the Flame Tree Story podcast.

December 2025: Durham, NC

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pour Taproom in Durham filled to standing room only with friends and neighbors for an evening of storytelling. We listened to stories of belonging within the disability community and marveled at how story can remind us that we all belong. Stories from this event are featured on the Flame Tree Story podcast.

November 2025: Northumbria University; Newcastle, UK

As part of the North East Global Health Network, students and faculty participated in a hybrid session focusing on strengths-based evaluation. Participants discovered how Appreciative Inquiry is revolutionizing health initiatives worldwide—from addressing gender-based violence in Kenyan refugee settings to reimagining community-driven solutions.

November 2025: Northumbria University; Newcastle, UK

In this values-led exploration of the intersection of research and implementation, participants considered alternative measures for birth outcomes. How might the field of health economics value maternity and birth beyond deficit-based morbidity and mortality? What if we were to also measure transformation, joy, and pleasure? We told stories, imagined new narratives, and designed pathways towards this possible future.

September 2025: Chapel Hill, NC

Flame Tree Story, in partnership Madre Terra LLC and NVC expert Anna Maria Graziano, convened community members in a one-day NVC basic training. We gathered to reclaim our innate desire and capacity for peace, question violence as the way to deal with inner and outer conflicts, and learn new skills to move from a zero-sum approach to one where everyone’s needs are met.

August 2025: Durham, NC

Ten brave souls shared true stories of connection in global aid and development. An audience of listeners gathered on the eve of World Humanitarian Day at Pour Taproom in Durham to honor and receive these stories, stories which will be included in the Flame Tree Story podcast. This was the debut storytelling event of Flame Tree Story, a collaboration with Story First Design.

May 2025: AI Jam - Annual Appreciative Inquiry Conference

This online session presented real-time application of Appreciative Inquiry in the midst of US foreign aid funding freeze and its devastation to the industry. Whitney Fry presented outcomes from workshops with global health and development professionals that centered stories of reflection and repositioning, to reimagine and relaunch.

March 2025: Durham, NC

Amid the dismantling of USAID, Flame Tree Story gathered NC-based development professionals and humanitarians in an Appreciative Inquiry workshop. Participants shared genesis stories of their work, what needed to be preserved, and how they might design a new model. Out of this workshop emerged the a new catalyst start-up called C-Suite.