Blurb about why Forefront rocks, caption for photo

 

Join community leaders, social impact colleagues, and other changemakers for Forefront’s Annual Summit. This all-day event will include a contemporary spectrum of in-person and virtual sessions meant to EDUCATE, MOBILIZE, AND UNIFY Illinois’ social impact sector.

The Annual Summit will include:

First 75 registrants receive a free copy of When Everyone Leads! 

An orange button that says "register". That image links to the registration of the Annual Summit.

Location

The Forefront team looks forward to welcoming the community in person at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel & Conference Center in uptown Normal, Illinois, located within walking distance of the Bloomington-Normal Amtrak station. Onsite parking is also available. 

Book your hotel stay at the Forefront group rate here.

Tickets are also available for a live-stream of the Summit plenary session.

Keynote Speakers

 

The plenary event will include conversation with two renowned scholars, experts, and visionaries, Julia Fabris McBride and Dr. Eve L. Ewing, about redefining leadership as an activity that doesn’t require a  particular job title. They’ll share their experiences of  practicing equitable leadership in organizations, urban and rural communities, and across the sector. 

Julia Fabris McBride is Chief Civic Leadership Development Officer at the Kansas Leadership Center, where more than 15,000 people around the world have attended programs since 2007. A certified coach, former actor and co-author of Teaching Leadership, Julia splits her time between Wichita and Matfield Green, Kansas.

Connect with Julia Fabris McBride:

Dr. Eve L. Ewing is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer from Chicago. She is the award-winning author of four books: the poetry collections Electric Arches and 1919, the nonfiction work Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side, and a novel for young readers, Maya and the Robot. She is the co-author (with Nate Marshall) of the play No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. She has written several projects for Marvel Comics, most notably the Ironheart series, and is currently at the helm of Black Panther. Ewing is an associate professor in the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity at the University of Chicago. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other venues. Currently she is working on her next book, Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, which will be published by One World.

Connect with Dr. Ewing:

 

Attendees may pre-order books authored by current and previous Annual Summit keynote speakers from our independent bookstore partner, Bobz Bay. Pre-ordered books will be available for pick-up at Bobz Bay booth during the Summit.

Schedule

 

9:00 AM – Registration Opens

10:00 AM – Welcome and Call to Action – In-person and livestream

First look at the Illinois Database of Racial Equity Asset Map (iDREAM) and Forefront’s new report on Building People-Centered Capacity. 

11:00 AM – Book Talk: When Everyone Leads – In-person and livestream

Julia Fabris McBride will share a framework for redefining leadership as an activity everyone can practice. 

11:30 AM – Lunch & Table Discussions – In-person only

12:00 PM – Keynote: Practicing Equitable Leadership – In-person and livestream

Dr. Eve L. Ewing and Julia Fabris McBride in conversation about what it takes to make progress on our toughest challenges and what changes when everyone leads. 

12:45 PM – Break

1:00 PM – Breakout Sessions (In-person only):

Unifying Illinois to Advance Racial Equity: Get an in-depth view of racial equity efforts across Illinois using the Illinois Database of Racial Equity Map and learn how Forefront is working to empower and mobilize our partners to work together to advance racial equity in Illinois.

Speakers:  

Eduardo Salinas, NORC at University of Chicago 

Sharmin Shajahan, Forefront 

Building People-Centered Capacity:Go deeper with a look at results from state and federal research related to benefits, professional development, wages and more. Attendees will understand the landscape and gather tools to advocate for staff development, competitive wages, and trust-based philanthropy practices.

Speakers:  

Suzy Lee, Forefront 

Sharing Leadership & Expanding Impact: Join a discussion with members of cross-sector funders collaboratives about shared leadership models, organizational collaboration, and innovations in funding mechanisms. Explore how pooled funds and funders collectives can help us identify and reach expanded opportunities. 

Speakers: 

Tameeka Christian, JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation 

Jane Kimondo, Crossroads Fund 

Tina Ramirez Moon, Healthy Communities Foundation 

Moderator: Kate Piatt-Eckert, Forefront 

2:15 PM – Break

2:45 PM – Breakout Sessions (In-person only):

Statewide Equitable Philanthropy: A conversation with funders and fundraisers about their experiences practicing the principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy and Community-Centric Fundraising.

Speakers:  

Theodia Gillespie, Quad County Urban League, Inc. 

Julio Rodriguez, Illinois Department of Commerce 

John Stremsterfer, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln 

Moderator: Carlos Garcia Leon, Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Policy & Advocacy as a Catalyst for Cultivating More Trust in the Nonprofit Sector: Join a discussion between public officials and the public sector about how we can cultivate trust, including barriers to trust and appropriate oversight.

Speakers: 

Ariel Hampton, Illinois Environmental Council 

Representative Theresa Mah, Illinois House of Representatives 

Tony Martinez, Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation 

Representative Ryan Spain, Illinois House of Representatives 

Erick Deshaun Dorris, Arts Alliance Illinois 

Moderator: Holly Ambuehl, Forefront  

4:00 PM – Closing 

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