Before the Movement Exists: Founder Psychology and the Welcoming Bet with David Lubell

On this episode, I sit down with movement builder and social entrepreneur David Lubell to unpack the origins of Welcoming America, the national initiative that helped bring the idea of “welcoming communities” into the mainstream. What began as a local project in Nashville eventually spread across the United States and inspired a global network through Welcoming International. David reflects on how the early movement took shape, why its strategy focused on building local alliances instead of chasing federal political power, and how pivotal moments transformed welcoming work from a loose set of community initiatives into a national movement.

We also go deeper into the ideas and mindset behind building something that lasts. David shares how early gatherings of practitioners evolved from passive learning spaces into an active network demanding infrastructure, why listening to communities became central to the model, and how initiatives like Welcoming Week and local dialogue efforts emerged organically from the network itself. Along the way, he reflects on the founder psychology required to pursue a vision before it has proof, the gradual process of building legitimacy as a leader, and how welcoming initiatives have adapted to shifting political climates. For builders, organizers, and anyone interested in how ideas scale from one community to a global network, this episode offers a rare inside look at how durable social infrastructure is built.