Trust, Meaning & Storytelling in a Skeptical Age

A B Corp Month Event

In an era saturated with content, storytelling has become easy. Trust, on the other hand, has not.

Audiences are more literate than ever - in persuasion, in branding, in the subtle choreography of “purposeful” language. Many can sense when a story is engineered to reassure rather than reveal. And increasingly, they are opting out.

As part of B Corp Month, this Melbourne gathering is an invitation to pause and interrogate what storytelling must become when attention is scarce, trust is fragile, and meaning cannot be manufactured.

Hosted by Humans of Purpose, the gathering opens with a short reflection from founder Mel Greblo - setting the frame for why storytelling is no longer just a creative act, but an ethical one. Why the stories organisations tell shape not only reputation, but behaviour, belief, and power.

From there, the evening moves into a live, in-conversation moderated by Bella Borello - bringing together Mel's and the following voices who sit at the intersection of data, impact and narrative:

Kristi Mansfield, Founder at Seer Data & Analytics, on what the data tells us about trust, attention and the growing gap between intention and perception
Sandy Blackburn, Founder at Impact Culture Australia, on theory of change, accountability, and why impact stories fail when they aren’t grounded in evidence
Jem Hecht, Co-founder & Community Lead at Brandkind, on turning big, purpose-led ideas into messages people actually feel

Together, the conversation will explore a quieter but more demanding proposition. That data, when paired with a clear theory of change, doesn't flatten story-telling. It deepens it.

That evidence can anchor meaning.

And that ethical storytelling requires both imagination and restraint.

Themes woven through the evening include:

the collapse of trust, and where leaders continue to misread the mood
the rise of purpose fatigue, and what it reveals about audiences’ unmet expectations
the ethics of persuasion in a world fluent in influence
the shift from branding to belonging
and the role of AI in reshaping how truth, meaning and responsibility are negotiated in 2026 and beyond

The evening concludes with facilitated conversation and shared reflection - followed by drinks and informal connection.

This is not a workshop.
It is not a performance.
It is not about perfect stories.

It is about honest ones - grounded in data, guided by values, and accountable to the world they help shape.

If you believe storytelling can still be a force for good - but only if we are willing to change how we practise it - this evening is for you.

Proudly presented as part of B Corp Month - a global celebration of businesses committed to using their influence as a force for good.

Contact the host of Stories: Wired For Impact | Melbourne