What if rebuilding community wasn’t just about connection—but about care?In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, community strategist and author Lais de Oliveira joins host Todd Nilson for a powerful discussion on designing communities that care. From urban villages and parenting isolation to grassroots civic action, Lais explores what it means to reimagine the "infrastructure of care"—and why we need it now more than ever.Over a year after her first appearance discussing Hacking Communities, Lais returns with fresh insights shaped by motherhood, local activism, and the urgent need for physical and digital spaces where people truly belong.🔍 In this episode:Why cities fail caregivers—and how to fix itThe loneliness epidemic and its civic impactWhat “cozy” communities teach us about belongingThe power of local grassroots action (and how Discord helped save a school)Rebuilding identity and friendship in a new life phaseRobert Putnam, civic fabric, and why it’s not too late to join or die🎯 If you care about community design, loneliness, civic engagement, or the future of belonging—this conversation is for you.Show Notes0:00 Intro & Updates4:26 Infrastructure of Care9:58 Platform Considerations17:17 Creating Community & Belonging31:30 Building LocallyABOUT LAIS DE OLIVEIRALaís de Oliveira is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of global experience in community building, business management, and innovation.Most recently, Laís served as Head of North America at Timeleft, where she led cross-functional initiatives that fueled rapid growth in the company’s largest and fastest-growing region. Her leadership was instrumental in expanding operations to 70+ cities and nearly doubling monthly revenue. She built and managed a high-performing team, driving deeper user engagement and meaningful real-world connections—efforts that earned media coverage from top-tier outlets including NBC’s Today Show, CBS, Vox, NPR, and more. Her work spans industries including tech, education, real estate, and social innovation, always rooted in community as a catalyst for growth.Having lived and worked in Mauritius, Argentina, Chile, Malaysia, the United States, Portugal, and Brazil, Laís brings a rich international perspective and a deep understanding of cultural nuance. She builds communities with heart, strategy, and global insight—wherever she goes.https://hackingcommunities.com/ABOUT THE SHOWTalk About Your Community is a biweekly live stream for leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and community builders. Todd Nilson interviews experts from a variety of fields who have input on how communities are both built and sustained online and off. Tune in to talk about community building and digital strategy.Talk About Your Community is produced by Clocktower Advisors, a global consultancy specialized at helping organizations like yours to build thriving, sustainable communities online.Clocktower Advisors Privacy Policy: https://lnkd.in/dS64AhxUConnect with Todd Nilson on LinkedInhttps://lnkd.in/gi9gh6NNFollow Clocktower Advisors on LinkedInhttps://lnkd.in/gu9CXE_sSchedule a call:https://lnkd.in/gmYK3rwf

NOTE: Originally streamed April 18th, 2025.

Community has an impact - with customer support, solution engineering, product feedback, ideation, customer advocacy, and more!Jillian Bejtlich, Head of Community at Calendly, shares her journey through the community industry to her current role with Calendly. A self-proclaimed data nerd, Jillian dives into trends of community working with different departments and the impact customer stories can have on product development.Show Notes0:00 Intro2:01 Journey Through Community Careers11:01 Trends in Departments and Platforms26:36 Community at Calendly36:11 Exciting DevelopmentsABOUT JILLIAN BEJTLICHJillian is a quirky, ambitious, and enthusiastic techie and community leader who is enamored with online communities and the complex data and psychological puzzles they present. She currently leads community at Calendly.Jillian has spent her entire career working in and on communities of all sizes, in all industries, and of all types. She has extensive experience with all things community and innovation management including engagement, strategies, metrics, analysis, and interface (UI/UX). She prefers the hardest, ugliest, and most inglorious community challenges.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianbejtlich/ABOUT THE SHOWTalk About Your Community is a biweekly live stream for leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and community builders. Todd Nilson interviews experts from a variety of fields who have input on how communities are both built and sustained online and off. Tune in to talk about community building and digital strategy.Talk About Your Community is produced by Clocktower Advisors, a global consultancy specialized at helping organizations like yours to build thriving, sustainable communities online.Clocktower Advisors Privacy Policy: https://lnkd.in/dS64AhxUConnect with Todd Nilson on LinkedInhttps://lnkd.in/gi9gh6NNFollow Clocktower Advisors on LinkedInhttps://lnkd.in/gu9CXE_sSchedule a call:https://lnkd.in/gmYK3rwf

NOTE: Originally streamed February 17th, 2025.

In this episode of Talk About Your Community, Todd Nilson chats with Nikki Thibodeau, Regional Vice President, Digital Engagement & Community at Calix and also the founder of The Community Community, a community for Senior Community Professionals.They discuss a joy for bringing people together via community and what it is like trailblazing the role of Chief Community Officer. Budgeting and reporting are also explored when it comes to working with upper leadership.Show Notes0:00 Intro3:15 Getting Into Community5:14 Creating Belonging and Inclusivity9:50 Trailblazing New Roles19:48 Awareness of Community to Leadership25:48 Budgeting and Reporting33:46 Readiness for a CCO38:52 A Community Department?ABOUT NIKKI THIBODEAUPassionate about people, business and what drives you - Nikki focuses on creating success through Community.Nikki has been a Community Manager, led a global team of Community Managers, moved into Community Operations and was Shopify's first Senior Community Strategist to help scale their efforts across a 10,000+ person organization and for their over 2million merchants.Now, she is the Regional Vice President, Digital Engagement & Community at Calix and also the founder of The Community Community, a community for Senior Community Professionals.https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki2987/ https://communitynikki.com/ABOUT THE CCO SERIESTodd Nilson, founder of Clocktower Advisors, has taken an interest in the Chief Community Officer role. This series interviews a number of different CCOs to explore the path to gaining this title, the skill set and knowledge needed, and the future outlook of this role.The Chief Community Officer series is produced by Clocktower Advisors, a global consultancy specialized at helping organizations like yours to build thriving, sustainable communities online. Clocktower Advisors Privacy Policy: https://lnkd.in/dS64AhxU Connect with Todd Nilson on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/gi9gh6NN Follow Clocktower Advisors on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/gu9CXE_s Schedule a call: https://lnkd.in/gmYK3rwf