ABOUT UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The Unfinished Lecture is a monthly event hosted by the Strategic Innovation Lab at OCAD and sponsored by Torch Partnership. Part of the Unfinished Business initiative, the lectures are intended to generate an open conversation about strategic innovation in the business and design of commercial enterprises and public organizations.

THE LECTURE: PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL: A story of convergent innovation

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women who came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003. It is also a compelling story of convergent innovation, demonstrating how activism, philanthropy and filmmaking can create a platform for sustainable and constructive social innovation.

After a screening of this important film, Ms. Disney will talk about the work of the film, its challenges and the opportunities it has created.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Abigail E. Disney (Producer) is Founder and the President of the Daphne Foundation, a progressive, social change Foundation that makes grants to grassroots, community-based organizations working with low-income communities in New York City. Abigail has also spoken to a wide variety of women’s groups, community foundations and financial professionals across the country and internationally about the power of activist philanthropy and the importance of pursuing a life of engaged and intelligent volunteerism. Abby serves on the boards of the White House Project, and the Global Fund for Women, and the Fund for the City of New York, as well as on the advisory boards of the Association to Benefit Children, and the HIV Law Project. She is currently co-producing, with Gini Reticker, a series for Wide Angle and WNET tentatively called "Women and Children First" about the changing role of women in conflict worldwide.

Abigail received her Bachelors degree from Yale University, her Masters degree from Stanford University, and her Doctorate from Columbia University.  While pursuing her Ph.D., Abigail taught English and American Literature at Iona College.  She lives in New York with her husband and their four children, one dog, three cats, a fish, a rabbit and an immortal turtle named Alfred.