sense-scenius
The Sensemaking Scenius
October 2023 - present
Roles
Co-founder
Community Strategist & Facilitator
Member
A digital sensemaking collective exploring how we weave meaningful connection and shared understanding into the fabric of the internet
Overview
As a co-founder of the Sensemaking Scenius, I lead community growth and culture development in our diverse collective of creators, builders, researchers, artists and activists.
My core work is cultivating a place of belonging for digital technologists who envision the internet as a powerful tool for shared understanding, meaningful connection, and collective transformation.
While our work is a deep intellectual inquiry into the role of technology in human systems, I’ve crafted a place where we intentionally weave in playful practices that remind us not to take things too seriously.
I'm honored to hold space for our community members as they thoughtfully explore how technology can help us be better humans.
For me, community building itself is a form of sensemaking—through community we learn about ourselves and our relationship to the world. It's a fundamental way we create meaning together.
I'm honored to hold space for our community members as they thoughtfully explore how technology can help us be better humans.
Kristen does a great job emerging and codifying the social architecture, giving form to the community in a space that is dense in complex information.
-JonBo
Spotlight on Community & Relational Design
In my role as lead community designer, I've intentionally shaped the emergence of our culture through:
Crafting and launching games that invite playful collaboration and mutual discovery
Facilitating and encouraging smaller group sessions where members forge deeper connections and exchange insights
Building spaces for emergent exploration that spark creative exchange and collective meaning-making
How you make informs what you make. If we’re trying to build an internet for deeper connection, as tool builders we first need to find ways to connect more deeply to each other.
I'm currently developing a decentralized system for managing the community, enabling members to share in the community's stewardship. This involves creating processes and practices for distributed responsibility in onboarding, organization, and facilitation—work that's essential for cultivating a truly regenerative space.
Kristen is a master convener, she’s so good at creating groups spaces that she can make Zoom calls feel magical.
-Ronen
My Toolkit
Notion - wiki
Telegram - home base
FigJam - canvas
Tally - forms
Google (docs, mail, groups) - general comms
Zoom - convening
Paragraph - group publishing
Kristen is a shining example of embracing uncertainty and change. Since the beginning of our community, through its ups, downs, surges, and lulls, she's stayed the course with facilitation, stewardship, patience, and continuing experimentation.
-Gabriel
A Peek Inside the Community
Our main Notion landing page - the gateway to everything the community has to offer. From the member directory to member project directory to an upcoming community call agenda. Adding content and getting involved is not centrally gate-kept, any member can participate.
We recently create a community “bulletin board” in Telegram. This was a member-drive idea that allows anyone to forward message from other channels to be highlighted on the board. I love seeing member ideas that really make a difference in the community.
I designed and participated in the collective’s first ever game of co-creation. We played a group publishing game to get to know each other better in a fun, engaging way.
Leading by example is on of my key culture cultivation techniques—as others notice, “oh! we play games here”, more games pop-up throughout the community organically.
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