Our Story
This page shares the inception of The International Social Impact Institute®️ (The ISII).
This page shares the inception of The International Social Impact Institute®️ (The ISII).
Our journey began with the educational foundation of our founder, Elizabeth (Liz) Ngonzi. Having studied at The United Nations International School, Syracuse University iSchool, and Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Liz’s experiences laid the groundwork for our global orientation, our embrace of emerging technologies, and our unwavering commitment to service excellence.
In 2020, Liz founded The ISII as a social enterprise with a mission to inspire, connect, activate, and transform institutions and individuals for a more equitable world, drawing upon her extensive 20-year career spanning multiple sectors, including the social sector.
We have since delivered over 30 trainings, facilitated 100+ partnerships, and empowered 33,000+ minds.
At The ISII, our core mission is to inspire, connect, activate, and transform institutions and individuals who are dedicated to building a more equitable world. We utilize groundbreaking innovations like generative AI to drive meaningful change.
We are guided by these fundamental values:
We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, where diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued. Our work environment is one where every voice matters, and everyone, regardless of their background, feels a sense of belonging and can contribute fully to our mission.
We deeply appreciate the contributions of our team members, partners, and stakeholders. We take time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and efforts that help us advance our mission.
We are committed to promoting and defending the principles of justice and equality in all our activities. We advocate for fair treatment and equal opportunities for everyone, aiming to contribute to a more equitable world through our work.
We believe in the power of collaboration and see our organization as part of a larger global ecosystem. We strive to build strong relationships with our partners and stakeholders, recognizing that our successes and challenges are intertwined.
We are dedicated to providing the highest quality services to our partners and stakeholders. We continually aim to exceed expectations, innovating and improving our offerings to deliver the best possible outcomes.
Integrity is the foundation of our work. We uphold the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct in all our dealings. We make decisions with transparency and fairness, holding ourselves accountable to our team, our partners, and the communities we serve.
We recognize our responsibility towards environmental and financial sustainability. We strive to minimize our ecological footprint and create programs and initiatives that are not only impactful but also financially viable in the long run.
We ignite passion and possibility through thought-provoking content, events, and initiatives that embrace our potential as changemakers.
We build collaborative ecosystems by fostering connections among like-minded individuals and organizations dedicated to creating positive change.
We empower action by providing the tools, training, consulting, and coaching needed to turn ideas into impactful initiatives.
We catalyze transformation by equipping individuals and institutions with the mindsets and strategies for sustainable impact.
Our Uganda-born founder and storyteller moved to NYC, where she began studying at United Nations International School. Her gift can be traced through her DNA, as the daughter of late legendary Ugandan playwright and dramatist, Dr. John Ruganda, and UN diplomat Hilda Rwabazaire Paqui - a lineage of artists and global change makers.
Over a decade of schooling at United Nations International School in NYC fostered our founder’s multilingual abilities, global orientation, social awareness and creative spirit. This lengthy tenure helped shape key attributes that empower her work as a global changemaker.
Watch video »
Our founder's pioneering Syracuse information systems degree equipped her with critical technical expertise ahead of its time. This enabled her recruitment into Digital Equipment Corporation’s elite Marketing Development Program, foreshadowing her future as a trailblazing leader leveraging technology to drive change.
Ranking as a top salesperson at MICROS Systems for sales to hospitality companies showcased an unparalleled ability to deliver results in this industry and sparked an enduring passion for the field.
More info »
Earning a masters in hospitality management from the world-renowned Cornell University ingrained an unwavering commitment to service excellence. Our founder then managed merger integration consulting projects across sectors in a “Big 5” consulting firm.
Launching Amazing Taste focused on global cuisine catering and events concepts consulting. It was marked by service excellence and a clientele of corporations and elite private clients.
More info »
Beginning as a hospitality course lecturer, our founder eventually developed and taught popular events management courses, which led her to co-develop an event disaster management conference with her students, displaying strengths in innovative applied education and social impact.
More info »
Repositioning her consulting firm to facilitate synergistic partnerships among nonprofits, corporations, philanthropists and media displayed a commitment to purpose-driven work.
Download presentation »
Repositioning a major cancer research fundraising gala to be environmentally sustainable, supported by an innovative online marketing and fundraising strategy, demonstrated forward-thinking leadership.
More info »
Our founder began developing and teaching pioneering online fundraising courses at NYU, later creating a professional certificate program in digital fundraising and receiving a Distinguished Teaching Award for this work.
More info »
Being selected as the strategic marketing consultant for Cornell's premier hospitality awards blended our expertise in events, marketing, and education at the world's top institution in this field.
More info »
Developing a groundbreaking SXSW panel confronting harmful stereotypes about African women, while spotlighting their applications of technology in healthcare, agriculture and education evidenced a commitment to gender equality and inclusion on the global stage.
More info »
Creating breakthrough training for women leaders across sectors and continents to help them with fundraising, branding, and global partnership building through Vital Voices highlighted our founder’s inclusive approach and worldwide reach.
More info »
As CEO of Afrika Tikkun USA, our founder brought strategic initiatives, digital storytelling, and high-impact partnerships to this nonprofit. Notably, she secured a Fortune 50 CEO partnership and facilitating participation as partner to the U.S. Commerce Department's Trade Winds Africa - the U.S. government's largest trade mission to Africa at the time.
More info »
In this video our founder shares how her sabbatical provided an opportunity to realign with her personal values and purpose, leading to the creation of The ISII dedicated to driving transformative change.
Watch video »
Our founder officially launched Liz Ngonzi Transforms, to provide speaking services building off of her more than a decade of speaking engagements and coaching services based on her personal development honed through training with the likes of Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Lisa Nichols, living in an ashram and her sabbatical.
Visit lizngonzi.com »
Launching The ISII on digital platforms allowed immediately establishing a global presence and commitment to technology-enabled impact. LinkedIn Live launch enabled connecting with worldwide stakeholders from the very start.
Watch video »
Our team of partner consultants was assembled, committed to driving social impact worldwide through excellence in training, coaching and consulting. Their decades of experience and innovative solutions epitomized The ISII's approach.
Our new logo was revealed, featuring three spirals composed of interconnected dots representing the power of collective action. This design reflects our mission of activating change through partnership.
Taking on Youth Giving's stewardship, we convened the inaugural Youth Giving Summit, empowering young leaders from across the globe to connect and activate change in their communities.
Learn more »
Integrating AI strengthened our capacity to help clients craft compelling stories and drive change. Pioneering integrative of generative AI transformed our capabilities, allowing us to deliver customized storytelling and engagement strategies that drive measurable social impact.
Learn more »
1975
Our founder – the daughter of Dr. John Ruganda (Uganda’s preeminent dramatist) and Hilda Rwabazaire Paqui (a diplomat who later became a senior communications official with the United Nations Development Programme) – moves from Uganda to New York City.
1975-1988
Our founder graduates from the United Nations International School, which she attended for 13 years and at which she developed the foundation of her social awareness and global orientation.
1992
1994
Our founder is recognized as the highest grossing first year salesperson in the history of MICROS Systems Inc., where she later becomes a top 10 salesperson on a companywide basis.
1999
Our founder graduates from Cornell University with a hospitality focused management master’s degree and joins Arthur Andersen, where she becomes a Business Consulting Manager overseeing merger integration and strategy development projects.
2001
Our founder launches Amazing Taste LLC as a catering and events consulting firm serving corporate and private clients.
2003
Our founder begins teaching an Event Planning and Meeting Management course at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey. As course instructor she doubles the course’s enrollment and later develops an emergency preparedness/ disaster management conference with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.
2004
Our founder re-positions Amazing Taste LLC as a marketing and fundraising consulting firm focused on the nonprofit sector. The firm develops its first event website and its first email marketing campaign for a fundraiser, launching two of its core offerings.
2007
2009
Our founder begins teaching her online fundraising course at the NYU Heyman Center for Philanthropy & Fundraising (then under the leadership of Executive Director Naomi Levine). A version of this course is still offered, and in 2021 our founder (i) received an NYU Distinguished Teaching Award for her work on the course, and (ii) developed a professional certificate program in Digital Fundraising that is centered around the course.
2011
Amazing Taste LLC is selected by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration as strategic marketing and events consultant for the Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards, the School’s premier event at which it recognizes industry leaders while raising funds for scholarships.
2012
Our founder co-develops a panel at SXSW titled “Africa, Tech and Women: The New Faces of Development”. The panel focuses on African women’s application of technology in ways that advance Africa’s development – and it directly confronts persistent negative stereotypes associated with African women and their place in the economy and in society.
2014
Our founder is selected by Vital Voices Global Partnerships to develop fundraising and marketing training for its African Businesswomen’s Network and 200+ VVGROW fellows from around the world.
2014 - 2018
Our founder joins South Africa-based youth development organization Afrika Tikkun as CEO of its North America representative, Afrika Tikkun USA. She begins transforming the US entity into an in-demand nonprofit, developing partnerships with AmerisourceBergen, Delta Airlines, Facebook and McCann Worldgroup, among others.
2018 - 2019
In this video, Liz Ngonzi, our founder, shares how her sabbatical in 2018 provided her with an opportunity to realign with her personal values and purpose. This introspective period led to the creation of Liz Ngonzi Transforms and The International Social Impact Institute, organizations dedicated to driving transformative change and empowering individuals and institutions to make a lasting global impact.
2020
Liz Ngonzi officially launched The International Social Impact Institute (ISII) on LinkedIn and YouTube Live, signifying the beginning of our journey in leveraging technology platforms for global impact. This milestone event allowed us to reach a wide audience and establish our presence as a catalyst for positive change on a global scale. Since then, we have continued to harness the power of technology to connect with diverse stakeholders, deliver impactful programs and services, and operate effectively with a geographically dispersed team and network of partners.
2021
In 2021, we unveiled a new logo for The International Social Impact Institute (ISII) that beautifully encapsulates our mission. The logo features three spirals, each composed of interconnected dots and spirals, symbolizing individuals coming together to create a ripple effect of impact. This design reflects our belief in the transformative power of individual actions, which can inspire and activate change within institutions and society as a whole. Our logo represents our commitment to fostering a more sustainable and equitable world through collective effort.
2022
On International Youth Day (August 12, 2022), we took on the stewardship of the Youth Giving platform, previously established by our partner Candid. To mark this significant milestone, we organized a groundbreaking virtual event known as the Youth Giving Summit. This summit served as a platform to inspire, connect, and activate young individuals, empowering them to become agents of transformative change within their communities.
2023 -
Starting in 2023, the ISII has harnessed the power of generative AI to transform storytelling, communication, and problem-solving. Seamlessly integrated into our programs and services, this technology empowers our clients to craft compelling narratives, engage stakeholders, and drive social impact.
The Institute’s new logo embodies our mission to inspire, connect, and activate individuals and organizations towards making the world more sustainable and equitable. The three spirals, each containing dots with spirals representing individuals, symbolize our belief in the ripple effect of individual impact that can lead to transformation in institutions and society at large.
The Institute is backed by a dedicated core team and partner consultants who share the organization’s core values and bring together diverse backgrounds and experiences to advise and train clients from various public and social sector areas, including arts and culture, associations, government, public health, education, human rights, impact and traditional investing, philanthropy, social justice, and youth development.
The global ecosystem powered by The International Social Impact Institute® – Empowering youth to create global impact.
With our founder / CEO, Liz Ngonzi, about the origins and purpose of The International Social Impact Institute®.
Development and Delivery of a virtual workshop for members of the National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) and the Washington DC Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-DC) on how develop a compelling personal brand story to increase supporter engagement and fundraising support.
Development and Delivery of the Sustainable Leadership, Financial Management/Funding and Digital Engagement Coaching, Peer-to-peer Learning, and Training Program for the 2021-2022 cohort of the CIVICUS Global Alliance Youth Action Lab.
Development, marketing and delivery of the eCornell Keynote webinar and workshop – Telling Your Story: How to Align Your Purpose with Your Paycheck – for 2,000+ purpose-driven leaders and professionals.
Development, Marketing and Delivery of the African Resource Mobilisation Webinar Series in close collaboration with King Baudouin Foundation US (and other valued partners) for 2,000 nonprofit leaders and professionals in Africa and across the globe.
Development and Delivery of the Nelson Mandela University “Global Resource Mobilisation and Branding Executive Education Programme” for the university’s senior leadership in South Africa.