What exactly is power—and how can it be used to create positive change?

In this keynote, social innovation scholar Julie Battilana explores how power works in organizations and society, challenges common misconceptions, and demonstrates how it can be mobilised for impact. Participants will gain practical insights into recognising their own sources of power and using them effectively.

Julie Battilana is Professor of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School and Professor of Social Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, where she is also the Founder and Faculty Chair of the Social Innovation + Change Initiative. Her research focuses on the politics of organizational and societal change, and she teaches on power and influence, leadership, and transformation. She is the author of »Power, For All: How It Really Works« and Why It’s Everyone’s Business and »Democratize Work: The Case for Reorganizing the Economy«.

Drawing on decades of research and her work with social innovators and change-makers across sectors, she will share a grounded understanding of what power is—and what it is not. The session invites participants to rethink power not as something negative, but as a force that can be used for the common good.

Learn more and register here: Save the date | 18.06.2026 | NGO Academy Keynote