In the company of revolutionaries: reviving radical innovation 20 years after the contemporary era of cross-sector partnering began

Abstract

This article provides a personal reflection on 20 years of practice and research on cross-sector partnering for sustainable development. It coincides with the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first book on the subject, In the Company of Partners (Murphy and Bendell, 1997). The approach by staff in both business and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) on partnering in the mid 1990s is summarised, including the emphasis on purposeful experimentation. How the same approach might lead to more adventurous partnerships today between start-ups and grassroots networks is discussed. The beginning of such collaborations on changing economic fundamentals, such as monetary systems, is highlighted.