"My calling is...about how we work together as humans," says BridgeMakers Founder and Core Leader Dr. Ruth Diaz.

And in her leadership cooperative, compassion, community and leadership can result from facing conflict head-on.

Focusing on "being humans on purpose together", as their website says, BridgeMakers has a mission of creating resilient and collaborative virtual communities. In the process, Dr. Diaz explains, they build bridges between communities, while offering support to leaders to help them understand where communities can break down,

Disruption as innovation

Their method? To embrace "disruptive elements" in a way that challenges and strengthens these communities, fostering innovation, inclusion and understanding.

While most communities do not thrive on conflict, BridgeMakers looks to weave it into their fabric, seeing disruption as an opportunity for growth and understanding.

Dr. Diaz says that challenging those best practices by those who have faced exclusion from them is one of the best ways to expand what building community means.

Accordingly, BridgeMakers includes four key initiatives, which explore leadership as a shared journey, in the virtual space, in which all voices are heard.

A precursor to these initiatives is The Troll Project, which involves approaching "trolls", or disruptors, with empathy and compassion. Some ex-trolls are now members of the community, and Dr. Diaz says their experienced perspectives can be helpful to community leaders who have encountered problems.

BridgeMakers' initiatives

In addition, BridgeMakers, which meets weekly on multiple VR platforms, has initiatives for leadership development, inclusive community building and their "Human on Purpose" groups, which explore the multiverse together.

Dr. Diaz talked about her background, shared the story of BridgeMakers and The Troll Project, and offered a closer look at their work--including a "template" for building welcoming and diverse communities.

BridgeMakers:"Bridging" to Community