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Introducing:

Parayma Fellowship

For dedicated changeworkers who have a track record in advancing paradigm shifts and implementing systems change strategies 

Apply now
A person taking writing in a notebook and looking at a book. Theres a laptop and coffe mug on the table.

Who supports those working to shift paradigms?

Have you ever met a thriving systems change leader? After 8 years in the field, I haven’t. It’s more of an generative question to me as I am yet to meet such a person. Most of us are on the struggle bus. Some more, some less.

I know plenty of people who cope with the challenges pretty well, and you couldn’t tell by just looking at their work or social media that there are major struggles behind the scenes, but that is still a long way off from thriving. 

Between resistance to change, which gets stronger the deeper the transformation you advocate for, and the lack of funding and adequate support, which gets scarcer the more you deepen your strategies towards paradigm shifts
 It's no surprise. 

The answer can’t be that our well-being or financial stability as systems change leaders is proportional to our level of privilege in this world. 

With Parayma, I hope to make a difference in this equation. So based on my first-hand experience, including with the hundreds of aspiring systems change leaders I have trained and supported, academic research and conversations with experts, we designed the Parayma Fellowship. 

Do any of these sound familiar?

⟫ You have spent years working towards systems change in your sector, and working yourself towards your limits is a regular occurrence, or perhaps you even received a burnout diagnosis in the past already.

⟫ Most days you spend more time on the ‘work around the work’ (fundraising, admin, team issues
) leaving you feeling overwhelmed and like you are on a hamster wheel that you need to keep spinning.

⟫ It seems there no end in sight, whenever stability felt within reach it slipped between your fingers again and the next fire to put out emerged.

⟫ Even amongst changeworkers you feel sometimes lonely, as others don’t always understand why your work just seems to be so much harder, and some even tell you “why don’t you do something easier?”

a collage of two hands, one above dropping seeds down into the other while both are wrapped in a leafy vine

What if


  • You could be a part of a community where everyone is working on systems change in their own context, and have all personally experienced challenges such as funding, resistance to change and even backlash to their work
  • There would be a supportive team that helps you share your knowledge and story, to bring more visibility to your work, which in turn increases your perceived legitimacy and chances of obtaining funding
  • Receive strategic, hands-on support for your systems change work to make its delivery more transformative, but also more easeful for you

This is what the Parayma Fellowship is all about. 

I can’t promise you everything will change overnight, but I can promise you that we will collectively do all we can to support you. It doesn’t have to be this lonely and hard going. 

Nora wilhelm, founder of Parayma, wearing a red orange suit sits in a modern wooden chair leaning forward resting an elbow on her kneww and her chin on that hand. Hand drawn stars to the top left and an arrow pointing down to the right

Hi, I’m Nora!

I will tell you a bit of my story, as what I experienced is what led me to create Parayma and this fellowship. If you are a systems change leader, perhaps one thing or another resonates with you, too
 So here goes: I was 16 when I awoke to the state of the world. Once I had processed some of the grief, shock and anger that this caused, I set out to make a difference. Ever since, I have been on a quest to make my best possible contribution to a better tomorrow. It was never a question of whether this is what I would dedicate my life to, it was just a question of how.

Since then, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to truly make change work. In 2017, I realised that the tools we were taught would be insufficient to create the level of transformation needed, so I set out to learn about systems change. I worked in the field for 8 years, running multiple Social Innovation Labs, delivering hundreds of talks, training and supporting dozens of aspiring systems change leaders
 Also burning out in the process.

I’m not ashamed to speak of what I went through, because it was one of the experiences in my life that taught me the most. I know now that exploiting myself is not the way to create a more regenerative world. This is one of the many hard learned lessons that I hope you won’t have to go through in the same way.

I am very passionate about helping people and organisations unleash their full potential, and exploring how we might shift paradigms towards a just and regenerative future. When I realised that I’m not the only one who burns out trying to do systems change work, but that this is a systemic issue affecting us all, I decided to make a change. 

Telling systems change leaders to learn how to cope better can’t be the only thing we do. Whilst I wish I could set up a foundation that would fund their work at scale and offer extensive support, for now I am doing the next best thing with the resources I have: I am putting all the tools, processes and insights I have gathered over my 15+ years of changework into a fellowship for systems change leaders. For you. 

I became a little sisyphus of my own making

My background was first in youth-engagement (with the European Youth Parliament and other organisations). When I brought my youthful enthusiasm and the strategies that had worked so well for me in that sector to the field of systems change, I ran into a wall. Many walls in fact. Over, and over again. See, what no one prepared me for is that resistance to change correlates with how deeply someone is invested in the status quo. This also means that resistance to the change you are working towards increases, the deeper the transformation you aim for.

Because I had pushed boundaries and expanded the field of the possible in my youth work (even when peers or mentors thought my visions ‘impossible’ or ‘unrealistic’), I expected systems change work to unfold in a similar way. I didn’t realise that whilst important and valuable, youth work is often seen as ‘cute’ and non-threatening (at a fundamental and immediate level) to the people benefitting from the status quo. Begin to work towards a regenerative economy, or an end to white supremacy, or a shift away from the patriarchy and oh boy, it’s a whole new world. 

Still, I kept going. Partially because no one prepared me for this (something I aim to change with my work, including this fellowship), but also because I am nothing if not determined. For years, I kept pushing. If there was resistance, or things were tough, I saw it as a sign to push harder. ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’ sort of thinking. But there I was, a little sisyphus of my own making. Not quite getting nowhere, but surely putting a lot of effort into limited progress. Eventually, I landed in a burn-out clinic.

a turtle with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers growing from its shell

The ingredients of the Parayma Fellowship

I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone, least of all you generous and heart-led people doing your best to advance systems change. So I am leveraging all the resources at my disposal to create what I wish I had when I got started in this field, or even years into it. The Parayma Fellowship is not the kind of fellowship where you join and get a year of pre-planned learning and some coaching. We’ll have some basic modules to make sure we are all on the same page, which is essential for collaboration, and if you need any support on the systems change strategy side, or a workshop to better fund your work, we’ll set it up. But I’m not coming into this assuming I know everything, you don’t, and have thousands of hours of teaching to do.

No, the key part of the Parayma Fellowship is the community. Being together with other people who get it, people who face the same struggles. It’s finding ways to help each other, to active synergies, and share our expertise as peers. Additionally, you will be supported to share your knowledge and story by a team of values-aligned pros who want to help bring more visibility to your work. We will tell your story on our channels. We will reach out to the media. If we can facilitate speeches or other opportunities for you, we will. If you need expertise we don’t have in-house, we will do our best to find and finance a specialised coach. And: not only does all of this come at no cost to you, but you will even receive a stipend upon completing the fellowship. The forces against a more regenerative and just future are well-organised and -resourced, the Parayma Fellowship is one step towards shifting the tide.

Introducing Parayma Fellowship

A fellowship for changeworkers focused on paradigm shifts that actually helps alleviate your load. 

Apply today for the Fall 2025 Cohort
illustrated yellow, pink, and red wildfowers and plants

Process Overview

 The fellowship starts in September 2025 and runs until June 2026. Each other week (with the exception of holidays), we will meet online for 1.5-2 hours, during which we will cover essential content, discuss the challenges each of us are facing and support each other in resolving or coping with them and further refine our systems change work. The sessions include ‘do time’ to take action on the different steps, the opportunity to ask questions, and times of connecting with the community. If you miss a live workshop, the recording will be posted within 1-2 weekdays. 

 

Here's the tentative timeline, subject to change based on feedback:

15/06/2025

Applications open

31/07/2025

Applications close

05-20/08/2025

Interviews

30/08/2025

Results announced

15/09/2025

Fellowship kicks off

15/10/2025

Focus on building a strong foundation

15/11/2025

Focus on knowledge sharing & support

15/12/2025

 Focus on storytelling & increasing your visibility

Q1 2026

In-person gathering or online assembly?

Q2 2026

Co-creation of the further journey

Nora, founder of Parayma, sits at a table smiling in front of her professional podcast micrphone.

What happens after the fellowship?

Once the official fellowship period ends, you can join our life-long community as a Parayma Fellow. You can stay in touch with peers via our digital platform and regular events. You can continue to collaborate with the Parayma team to share your insights and story. We will also continue to forward any opportunities we come across that would potentially fit you (think funding, board roles, awards, speeches and podia, etc.). Once the fellowship year ends, we transition into a more loose community that is also more self-organised, but our commitment to supporting your systems change journey remains.

Fellowship experience

Onboarding & Goal Setting

Once you are selected, we will announce the Cohort. Then, you’ll go through a brief onboarding process (self-paced) so I can learn more about your starting point, your goals, and any other info that will help me support you in the best possible way. This is also a chance for you to reflect on your own goals for the fellowship.

Kickoff Call

We will co-initiate our journey together with a kickoff call, where everyone gets to meet and begin working together. In this call, we will also form pods of 3-5 fellows so that you have a smaller peer group that you can collaborate and exchange more closely with. Through an on-boarding form, you will also be able to express your wishes and needs to the fellowship year.

Bi-weekly Live Calls

We'll meet bi-weekly, most likely Thursdays from 4 to 5:30pm CEST, with the occasional break for holidays and such. These calls will be used to cover essential content to allow us all to have a shared language and orientation, which is essential for long-lasting collaboration, as well as time for connection, support and addressing any needs expressed by the fellows.

Community

We'll also have a community space where you can start discussions, celebrate wins, ask for help and share feedback with each other. If you complete the fellowship, you will retain free community access for life. Relationships with peers and the opportunity to reach out to them, as well as to experts in different fields, is often a key value in fellowships.

Storytelling & knowledge sharing

Our team will reach out to receive information, stories and footage from you, including one blogpost written about the complex challenge you work on (using the iceberg model) and your strategy to address it. Based on the information you provide, we will get to work and prepare multiple social media posts, pitch your work to relevant media outlets, suggest you for speeches and other opportunities.

Support from Nora

As the person behind Parayma, Nora is the main contact and support person during this fellowship year. We imagine that you may each have around one session of about an hour every other month with her. Based on your needs and the conversations we will have during the fellowship, we may involve additional experts, coaches or systems change leaders to support you.

Digital resources

You will have access to any online workshops, guides or tools shared during the fellowship journey as well as the community through our own digital portal. If you complete the fellowship, you will retain access to these resources beyond your fellowship year, and also enjoy any upgrades or future resources as the fellowship develops and grows over time.

Apply for the 2025 fellowship today:

Apply today

This is not just for anyone’s consumption

This fellowship is meant to be a two-way relationship, not a service to be consumed. For you and the other fellows to have the best possible experience, we need your active participation and commitment. Throughout this fellowship, we are practicing moving from a hyper-individualistic consumer and competition culture to reciprocity, being in true relationship and ecosystem leadership, a key paradigm shift we need for a more just and regenerative future.

What you give

&

What you get

Your time, to this community and supporting your peers. 

The time and support of other fellows, a sense of community and of being less alone. 

Your time, to tell your story and share your expertise.

The time and support of the Parayma team in telling your story and sharing your expertise with the world .

Your brilliance and wealth of experience, which will help other fellows and inspire a broader audience.

Advancing your mission through sharing your knowledge, inspiring others and bringing new angles to the work of other fellows.

Your openness to learning, including from other fellows who are working on topics that you may not have previously considered in your work and strategy. 

More powerful systems change strategies, including more holistic approaches thanks to the input from other fellows. 

Recommending thought leaders, experts, books and other resources from your field and area of expertise. 

Receiving the curated recommendations from other fellows and beyond. 

Your honest feedback and constructive showing up in co-creation and dialogue to support us in meeting your needs and to create the best possible fellowship experience for all. 

Openness to your inputs and feedback, and the opportunity to co-create what this fellowship experience entails. 

A commitment to doing what is best for the community and the systems change movement as a whole, rather than just thinking from a short-term or ego-centered perspective. 

A rich experience in finding synergies, making the most out of an experience and available resources, not just for us in the short-term but for a larger whole (and the benefits of this that you might reap). 

Asking for what you need and being open to input and collaboration from different people.

The hands-on support of Nora, your peers and other experts, for instance for your strategy, for how to deal with the resistance of stakeholders, how to set up a Social Innovation Lab, how to fund your work
 (approx. one session of one hour per month).

Your full participation in this fellowship, estimated at 12 hours per month, in the ways described above

Minimum expected output to support your work are 2 blogposts, 4 social media posts, 1 instagram live, 1 reach out to international media, 6x 1h 1-1 calls, € 1’000 stipend upon completion of the fellowship.

Nora, founder of Parayma, sits at a table smiling in front of her professional podcast micrphone.

Becoming a founding fellow is a great fit for you if


  • You have time to invest in this fellowship, including taking part in most of the live sessions, and catch up on the recordings if you miss one
  • You are willing to enjoy our immediate support, being a pioneer and co-shaping the future of this fellowship, in exchange for your patience as we test new things, and your time for co-creation, feedback and testimonials
  • Don’t want to wait until we run this fellowship again in a year or so!

General eligibility requirements

In order to fulfill the minimum requirements, through the application a candidate must demonstrate: 

  • Proven track record in changework (i.e. addressing complex social and environmental challenges), specifically in systems change work (meaning changework focused on addressing root causes, shifting paradigms, etc.)
  • Fluency in written and spoken English 
  • Current on-going systems change work, or well-articulated plans for soon to begin systems change work
  • In-depth knowledge of the social or environmental challenge you are addressing or will address, as well as of the community and ecosystem of the context within which you are or are planning  to address it
  • Interest in advancing knowledge in systems thinking and related fields, as well as other social and environmental challenges, and in engaging in specific practices to this end throughout the fellowship year
  • Commitment to participating in all dimensions of this fellowship, including group calls, 1-1 calls, pod calls, online learning platform, other gatherings, writing blogposts, doing interviews etc. We estimate that full participation in the fellowship requires about 12 hours per month on average)
a collage of two hands, one above dropping seeds down into the other while both are wrapped in a leafy vine

Your questions

“Nora has been an inspiring role model and source of support throughout my journey as a young activist. Her guidance is not only encouraging but also grounded in concrete strategies that have empowered me to make real contributions to systemic change. Nora’s generosity in sharing opportunities with young changemakers, whether it’s nominating us for Forbes 30 Under 30 or recommending us as speakers, reflects her commitment to lifting others as she rises. Working with Nora has given me a platform to raise my voice and strengthened my capacity to keep pushing for systemic transformation."

Bea Albermann, planetary health activist & medical doctor

“Nora has really transformed my understanding of systems thinking and social innovation. Through her ability to hold spaces for learning and co-creation, she has helped me embrace the complexities and uncertainties of working in the systems change context.

Nora introduced me to valuable tools that have taught me to focus on addressing root causes rather than merely fighting symptoms. She is very generous with her resources, offering not only her vast network but also deep insights and practical skills. Her work on funding systems change will likely enable many systemic change initiatives in the future.

Working with her and learning from her has left me feeling empowered, hopeful, and inspired. I wholeheartedly recommend that both current and aspiring change-makers connect with Nora. As a great listener with a wealth of experience, she has the ability to ask powerful, thought-provoking questions that have made a real difference in both my personal development and my work.”

Lukas Aeschlimann, social entrepreneur & food systems catalyst

Next Steps

To recap, the Parayma Fellowship is a new supportive infrastructure where we’ll help people who are working towards shifting paradigms do their work with more ease. 

The call for the first ever edition of this fellowship is now open.

If becoming a Founding Fellow sounds like a fit for you, it would be a joy to read your application!

Nora wilhelm, systems change coach, sitting on a lake dock smiling at the camera.

If you are selected, in exchange for your active participation as detailed above and at no financial cost, you’ll receive


  • Lifetime access to the portal, including future resources
  • Live community calls & peer support
  • Topic expert & storytelling support
  • A 1’000€ stipend upon completion of the fellowship

Plus these exclusive Founding Fellows’ bonuses:

  • Bonus #1: multiple free 60-minute 1-1 calls with Nora and other experts
  • Bonus #2: the opportunity to co-shape the future of this fellowship
Apply now