Notes from JUPS Professor John Trybus

John Trybus (he/him) is a professor, researcher, and practitioner. He serves as the Academic Director and Assistant Professor of the Practice for Georgetown’s Center for Social Impact Communication and also teaches in the Justice and Peace Studies Program at Georgetown. He is originally from Chicago and attributes his upbringing to his beliefs on philosophy and practice of social change. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling, philanthropy, and social change, shaped in part by his time working alongside iconic scientist and UN Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall. He is also the creator of The Jane Goodall Oral History Project, a global effort to document and preserve the voices and legacy surrounding her life and work.

Professor Trybus is passionate about helping others understand how narrative shapes systems, institutions, and movements, with his work extending beyond just storytelling and into social impact strategy. He has spent nearly 20 years working with nonprofits, foundations, governments, and corporations to advance social change initiatives, building community engaged learning partnerships across Washington DC.

Trybus’ work in philanthropy and nonprofit strategy has taught him how storytelling is often undervalued or misunderstood, even though it is central to how organizations build trust and mobilize resources. This led to him studying storytelling more deeply through doctoral research on leadership within nonprofit organizations and creating courses like Storytelling for Social Change that position storytelling as a core leadership practice in developing social movements and other forms of social impact

Through his deeply collaborative work, Professor Trybus works with many students and nearly 100 organizations locally and globally. He advises others to listen intentionally to others, build a broad foundation in your work, and stay curious of the world around you. Storytelling is a responsibility that we must all uphold.

We thank Professor Trybus for sharing his unique perspectives with us, and welcome students to reach out to him at jt452@georgetown.edu with any questions or to learn more about his work!