Building a Portfolio Career in Social Impact

​About the session
The traditional social impact career path, a senior role, a clear ladder, and a stable salary, is becoming harder to find and harder to sustain.

​In response, more professionals are building something different: a portfolio of consulting, advisory work, board roles, teaching, and other income streams that together form a career that is both meaningful and resilient.

​This model can be appealing. It also comes with real complexity, including uncertain income cycles, the loss of institutional identity, and a psychological shift that is rarely discussed openly.

​This session creates space for an honest conversation about what portfolio careers actually look like in practice.

​Kelsi Kriitmaa and Liz Jarman are both living this model and will share first-hand perspectives on the strategic decisions, financial realities, identity shifts, and challenges involved. Through facilitated discussion and peer reflection, participants will explore whether this approach fits their own situation and how to navigate a potential transition more intentionally.

​Who this is for
This session is for social impact professionals who are reflecting on their career path, exploring alternatives to traditional roles, or seeking to build greater resilience and flexibility in their work.

​What you will get out of it

• ​A realistic view of what a portfolio career involves in practice

• ​Insight into the trade-offs, challenges, and opportunities of this model

• ​Space to reflect on your own career direction and options

• ​Practical considerations for transitioning thoughtfully rather than reactively

​Facilitators

• ​Kelsi Kriitmaa

• ​Liz Jarman

​This session offers a different angle within the broader Skoll context, creating space to reflect not just on the work, but on how we sustain ourselves within it over time.