Patty Alleman: Forging Alliances to Help Innovators Drive Social Change

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, and Changemakers who are advancing the UN SDGs.

Hi friends, it’s Spiffy, back again on Planet Earth with an eye on entrepreneurs making the world a more equitable place! I have one more interview for you this week. Today I’m excited to cruise around with Patty Alleman, lead, strategic partnerships at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Are you ready to be inspired?

Spiffy: Welcome, Patty. Thanks a million for talking to me today. Can you tell me what challenge UNICEF is addressing?

Patty: It’s great to be here, Spiffy! We want all innovators, who have a purpose to impact social change, to design with a lens on children. And all, who have a purpose to deliver a world of equal opportunity for every child, to embrace innovation as the bold accelerator to that global reality. 

Spiffy: What motivates you to do it?

Patty: I'm motivated by the imagination of children. For me, it is that imagination and creativity that is the essence of innovation.

Spiffy: What would you say is the impact of your work?

Patty: I see myself as a system orchestrator. Someone who seeks alliances across industries, geographies, and generations to bring together an unconventional collective of individuals and organizations who together are stronger than apart. A collective that wants to challenge paradigms, and is grounded in generosity, kindness, and humility.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Patty—it’s been an honor!

Patty Alleman has over 20 years of experience supporting inclusive, equitable, and transformative social change by engaging diverse partners together for sustainable impact. Currently with UNICEF Innovation based in Stockholm, she and her husband, Ivan (and dog, JP), greatly enjoy exploring the Swedish archipelago and forests. (First published on the Ladderworks website on October 5, 2023.)

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Ladderworks LLC.