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By: Ryan Ubuntu Olson, Colorado Tuesday Group

Showing Up Despite Uncertainty

In late June 2026, members of Colorado’s former USAID and international development community gathered for a Career Reset Bootcamp. On the surface, the day focused on strengthening job searches, sharing practical advice, and expanding networks. By the end, it had become something far more meaningful.

Many participants shared that they almost did not come. It was difficult to step out of the self imposed isolation many have been living in, to meet new people, or to invest energy in a space like this while facing uncertainty and deeper existential questions about purpose and direction.

A Different Kind of Learning Space

From the outset, the program leveraged trauma-informed principles using a liberating structures framework that emphasizes participation, shared ownership, and the belief that the wisdom we need already exists within us. Rather than relying on top down instruction, the day was designed to surface the collective experience and insight in the room. The goal was not to “fix” anyone, but to create space for people to reconnect with their strengths and with one another.

Moving Through Loss, Not Around It

More than a year after the dismantling of USAID and sweeping cuts to foreign assistance, one lesson stood out. Many of us are still recovering, not just from losing jobs, but from losing a chapter of our lives. For months, conversations have centered on interviews, networking, AI, and navigating a difficult job market. Those discussions remain important. But last week reminded us that to move forward, we cannot simply work around what we’ve experienced, we must move through it.

Before envisioning what comes next, many still need space to acknowledge what was lost. That includes not only jobs, but identities, communities, purpose, colleagues who became friends, and work we believed in. The Bootcamp intentionally balanced practical career support with honest human connection, and that balance proved essential.

The Power of Community

From the moment people arrived, conversation filled the room, during activities, over lunch, between sessions, and long after the program ended. People were not seeking another presentation; they were seeking one another. After months of rejection, uncertainty, and isolation, many needed something they hadn’t fully recognized: community with others who understood.

Remembering Who We Are

One of the most powerful moments came when participants reflected on and shared the work they had devoted their careers to. The shift was immediate. People sat taller, spoke with energy, and rediscovered confidence. As they described strengthening health systems, responding to crises, advancing human rights, supporting democratic governance, addressing climate challenges, and working on the frontlines of famine and conflict, something important happened. The room remembered, and so did they.

Each participant, in one capacity or another, had served in deeply compelling and consequential roles across the globe. Their experiences spanned some of the most complex and urgent challenges of our time, and that collective depth of expertise became visible again in the room.

For a time, job seekers became experts again. Colleagues became leaders again. It was a reminder that unemployment does not erase expertise. Titles may disappear, but skills, compassion, and leadership remain. Sometimes those qualities simply need to be reflected back by a community.

Collective Wisdom in Action

Another lesson emerged: the answers we need already exist within our community. Participants exchanged strategies, mapped skills, practiced storytelling, explored new paths, and supported one another. What emerged was not a room waiting for outside experts, but one full of experts rediscovering each other.

This is one of the greatest strengths of communities like OneAID. We carry decades of experience across regions and disciplines. Rather than waiting for solutions, we can create spaces that surface existing talent. These spaces do not require elaborate programming, just thoughtful facilitation, structure, trust, and permission for people to bring both expertise and humanity.

Restoring Hope Through Connection

Participants felt this deeply. As one shared, “We are not alone.” Another reflected on the power of simply being together again, noting that community itself restored hope. Others spoke about the energy, generosity, and belonging that emerged. These were not small outcomes, they were foundational.

A Shared Responsibility Moving Forward

The Bootcamp also reminded us that our responsibility extends beyond finding our next jobs. As we move forward, we must continue lifting one another. Each new opportunity secured should strengthen the network for others still searching. Until everyone who wants to contribute has found a place to do so, our commitment continues.

At the same time, a new job will not resolve everything. Employment can restore stability and purpose, but it does not fully address the grief many carry. That grief deserves acknowledgment and space. What happened over the past year was not just an employment shift, it was a deeply personal loss.

Grief Beyond Ourselves

There is also a broader dimension to that grief. Many are not grieving only for themselves, but for colleagues across the globe, former national staff, local partners, and communities deeply affected. Many face far greater challenges. Their uncertainty weighs heavily because they were never just colleagues, they were partners and friends. This reminds us that this story has always been about people.

A Model Worth Replicating

One clear takeaway is that this model can be replicated. It does not require a large budget or high profile speakers. It requires people willing to convene others, create space for meaningful conversation, and draw out existing wisdom. It requires reminding people of their value.

If you are part of the OneAID community or any group navigating a similar moment, consider creating something like this where you live. Bring people together in person. Make space for both practical support and honest conversations about grief, purpose, and hope. Help people remember not only where they want to go, but who they have always been.

Continuing the Momentum

For those interested in learning more about the structure, exercises, and outcomes, we’ve compiled a detailed report and facilitators guide capturing the approach, insights, and participant reflections and on how you can reproduce your own Career Reset Bootcamp.

Importantly, this was never meant to be a one time event. The group remains connected, and what emerged was not just a moment, but momentum. While a single gathering cannot complete the work of healing or transition, it can spark connection, confidence, and renewed direction, especially now, a year and a half later, when many are still searching.

Small Steps Forward

The day concluded with a simple but powerful exercise known as the 15 percent solution. It focused on identifying what is within our control, the small, immediate actions we can take without additional resources or permission. It was a reminder that progress does not come only from big breakthroughs, but from consistent, incremental steps that move us forward each day.

What Endures

The work that brought us together may have changed, but the values that defined it remain. Service, compassion, partnership, generosity, and belief in one another continue to guide us. Most importantly, moments like this remind us that beneath our roles and institutions lies something more enduring, our shared humanity. In recognizing that humanity in ourselves and each other, we find the courage to keep going, to keep showing up, and to build a future rooted not just in what we do, but in who we are, and what we are capable of accomplishing standing shoulder to shoulder together.

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