In this ESA Inspire Session, we will bring together research topics and researchers that are often separated in conference settings because the scale of research questions or study environment differs. Presentations in this session will be organized around scaling processes, with the goal of encouraging a more holistic view of ecological processes. The proposed session will thus span multiple stages of complexity, from species interactions and nutrient dynamics all the way up to global scale patterns, ending with presentations on science communication and policy, bringing microbial biology into the same room as remote sensing and science communication to place research findings into actionable context. We hope to spark ideas of connectivity across ecological fields and scales and in doing so, push the boundaries towards integrative and innovative science. The presentations in this session share a number of commonalities, including 1) the use of cutting- edge approaches to address both classical and novel ecological questions; 2) research that goes beyond the norm and integrates across disciplines and scales; 3) results are placed in the contest of global change and finally, 4) research led by women and/or under-represented groups across career stages, from undergraduates to well established scientists. We recognize that there are many marginalized groups in ecology and we will use this session to promote and celebrate their work. To enact this, invited speakers include people of multiple ethnicities and backgrounds from early to late career stages.