Soul Gen

15/04/2026

Place Matters - From Participation to Shared Leadership

For those working in community development, place, youth, environment and social impact.
Join us this June for a hands-on, capacity-building experience focused on activating people, place and relationships - and moving beyond consultation toward meaningful participation and shared leadership.

This is not a conference. It’s a live, facilitated experience designed to build practical skills, deepen thinking, and connect you with others doing this work across the sector.

Facilitated by Dimitrios Papalexis (Soulgen), alongside guest Joanne Taranto (Good for the Hood), bringing deep experience in place-based practice, community activation and environmental stewardship.

Learn more and register:

An experiential professional development session exploring how participation grows into shared leadership in place. Designed for council and community practitio

12/03/2026

Some weeks remind us why we love this work.
A busy few weeks ahead working with communities and councils across NSW.
Next week I’ll be in Morrisset working with Lake Macquarie Council teams and community leaders around strengths-based and place-based approaches:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/morisset-working-together-a-community-building-follow-up-event-tickets-1981681075442⁠
Then heading to Deniliquin to work with one of our favourite organisations, Yarkuwa, reconnect with community partners, and support reflective practice and conversations around their community of practice and youth centre activation.
Different places, different contexts - but the same principle: starting with what’s strong, not what’s wrong, in people and communities.
Looking forward to the conversations, connections and community activation ahead.

06/03/2026

We’ve been a bit quiet on here… but very busy on the ground.
This photo is from a recent keynote by our founder and Chief Impact Officer, Dimitrios Papalexis, on “Uncovering the Strengths in Our Communities” at the Lake Macquarie–Newcastle interagency gathering.
The journey continues across the Central Coast, Waverley, Woollahra, Morisset, and now regionally in Deniliquin.
If you’d like to spark new energy, connections, and possibilities in your community, get in touch to bring Dimitrios to your next event.

05/12/2025

Here it is trying to put into words what I see in real community builders every day - the heart, the presence, the practice. Hope it resonates.
👉 https://soul-gen.com.au/2025/12/05/%f0%9f%8c%bf-the-heart-of-a-community-builder/”

People often ask me what it takes to be a good community builder.I usually answer: a lot of heart. 😄Community builders (yes, youth workers too – though this piece is speaking mainly to the co…

04/09/2025

Shift from what’s wrong to what’s strong
Join Dimitrios (Soulgen, AU) and Cissy Rock (Community Think, NZ) for a half-day ABCD training on authentic engagement & participation.

📅 Friday 21 Nov 2025
📍 Crows Nest Centre, Sydney
👉 Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/lens-on-strengths-special-edition-authentic-engagement-and-participation

Together we’ll explore how ABCD can:
✨ Amplify voices
✨ Build trust & connection
✨ Spark participation through tools like asset mapping, Circle Dialogue, World Café & even Camp Venture — our hands-on board game.

Perfect for councils, NGOs, facilitators, youth & community leaders, and anyone passionate about stronger community connections. 🌱

Lens on Strengths: Special Edition – Authentic Engagement & Participation is a half-day professional development training designed for councils and NGOs.

17/08/2025

✨ A message from our founder, Dimitrios Papalexis ✨

At Soulgen, we believe every community holds hidden strengths and untapped imagination. Our role is to help uncover these gifts, build connections, and co-create change that is youth-led, community-led, and people-powered.

We work alongside people, organisations, councils, and universities to turn invisible treasures into visible impact.

🌿 If this vision resonates with you, let’s connect and explore what we can create together.

28/07/2025

“I love it and I hate it at the same time.”
That lyric stayed with me — because this work? It’s beautiful and brutal.

We give so much.
And not all of it gets seen, measured, or recognised.
But it matters.

Every late-night message.
Every quiet seed planted.
Every moment we hold space when no one else can.

I started Soulgen with a big vision — and I’ve held it through storms, side jobs, and sleepless nights.

I’ve failed. I’ve learned. I’ve grown.
And still — I show up.
Because I believe in people. In place. In community. In possibility.

This isn’t a hustle post.
It’s a heart post.

To every youth worker, community builder, and systems-changer still showing up —
I see you.
You matter.
And your best work might still be ahead.

27/07/2025

14/06/2025

ABCD training at Wingecarribee Shire Council!!!

31/03/2025

Busy day ahead presenting on Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) with the Liverpool Youth Workers Network! Excited to use Camp Venture, the community board game I co-created, to make it interactive and fun. Big thanks to Derek from Liverpool Council for the invite and the great chat about potential collaborations. Always a pleasure to be back in Liverpool! 😊