Blurb about why Forefront rocks, caption for photo

Information

 

About

Speakers

Agenda

Sponsors

Hotel

Parking

Registration FAQs

Health & Safety

Registration Is Open

 

We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the Forefront Annual Summit 2025 on September 30, designed just for leaders like you!

We're gathering at a pivotal moment for our sector as we face real challenges that demand our united response. Now more than ever, Forefront is continuing to prioritize fostering a sense of belonging among our community.

This year the theme of the Annual Summit is Community of Care; strengthening connections across Illinois. The core principles of a community of care include building relationships, promoting social and emotional development, and fostering belonging. What better topic to focus on as we come together to celebrate and support the individuals who dedicate countless hours to build thriving communities. We will dive into topics around leadership, authenticity, collaboration and we’ll be centering joy all day long.

Joy Is Pivotal

We're gathering with an agenda that's designed to foster meaningful connections and spark joy. Our lunch panel will feature leading practitioners in the sector discussing what it takes to cultivate and sustain a community of care. Our breakout sessions will cover sector trends, and also provide space to experience joy as resilience.

Springfield Is Superb

Make it an experience! See all that Springfield has to offer.

Source: VisitSpringfieldIllinois.com

Back to top.

Speakers

 

The summit will include conversation with renowned scholars, experts, and visionaries about creating a united and thriving social sector. They’ll share their experiences of  practice in organizations, urban and rural communities, and across the sector. More details to come. 

Lunch Plenary

Shannon Bennett

Shannon Bennett – Biography Shannon Bennett is the Executive Director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), Chicago’s oldest Black-led grassroots community organization. With more than 30 years of experience, he has led organizing eƯorts in education, housing, youth employment, and public safety at local, national, and international levels. Under his leadership, KOCO is developing its first social enterprise, The Silver Fox Café—a $7 million community investment that will serve as a senior-focused restaurant and cultural hub featuring live jazz and blues music. The project promotes health, wellness, and economic development while strengthening community ties.

Mr. Bennett has revitalized KOCO’s grassroots agenda, building coalitions across communities of color to advance equity and justice. He played a key role in the Dyett High School Hunger Strike, a 34-day community-led campaign that successfully reopened a neighborhood school and became a national model of grassroots power. A lifelong Chicagoan, Bennett was born on the West Side and has lived in Bronzeville for over 30 years. He studied at Southern Illinois University and Columbia College and has represented the U.S. internationally through the United Nations World Conference Against Racism. Guided by the principle of “think globally, act locally,” Mr. Bennett remains dedicated to community empowerment and racial justice.

Ruth Rathblott

Ruth is a speaker and best-selling author with 25 years of experience leading nonprofit organizations. She has written two bestselling books: Singlehandedly. Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection and Unhide & Seek. Live Your Best Life. Do Your Best Work. And has a TEDx: When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom. She has a bachelor’s in psychology from Goucher College and a master’s of social work from Boston University. She was honored as the youngest alum ever awarded the Goucher College Excellence in Public Service Award.

Workshops

George Aye

George co-founded Greater Good Studio in 2011, where he serves as Co-Executive Director, using design to heal, be just, and be restorative. Previously the first human-centered designer at Chicago Transit Authority, he guides complex projects, speaks internationally, teaches at Northwestern University, and serves on nonprofit boards.

Talina Carter

Talina Carter, MSW, LSW, is a consultant and coach with more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education, mental health, and community development. She partners with organizations and leaders to strengthen leadership capacity, team cohesion, and workplace wellness through evidence-based strategies grounded in mindfulness, resilience, and reflective practice.

Kevin Cherep

Kevin, founder of Kup of Joy, is a nonprofit leader, coach, and organizational consultant with nearly 30 years’ experience guiding mission-driven organizations to greater impact. A certified HeartMath trainer, he integrates science-based tools with leadership expertise to help individuals and teams reduce stress, strengthen connections, and perform at their best.

Michelle Teresa García

Ms. García, Deputy Legal Director at the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc./ACLU of Illinois, leads civil rights impact litigation to reform the Chicago Police Department, challenge unlawful arrests of immigrants by DHS and ICE, and provide gender affirming care to prisoners. Before the ACLU, Ms. García was a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. She began her decades-long civil rights career as a bilingual legal services attorney at Legal Aid Chicago and was an Assistant Attorney General in Illinois.

Matt George

Matt is a Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Coach, C-Suite Business Coach, 3X #1 Bestselling Author, Consultant, Television Host and Public Speaker. As the Former CEO of the Children’s Home of Illinois, a non-profit leader facing some of the state’s most serious social ills, Matt draws from over 30 years of frontline experience to fearlessly act as an agent for change and defender of good against the gnawing grind of social decay, poverty, homelessness, and crime. From running a 35-million-dollar company with over 450 employees, to handling some of the toughest cases in business and social service, Matt is a trustworthy and confident leader who commands a room and loves to see others win. He uses his experience to assess businesses by dissecting financials and analyzing the work culture to find pain points within the business and then providing solutions quickly and efficiently.

Matt also is a popular TV Host, hosting his own weekly half-hour television show, “Business Forward”, and author of the #1 Amazon Bestselling Book Nonprofit Game Plan: The Proven Strategy for Nonprofit Success. Matt changes the narrative of poorly run 501c3 charities looking for handouts and uses his unorthodox style and proven results to solidify the case that nonprofits should run like businesses, not charities. His two most recent #1 Bestselling books, Nonprofit Prophet, and Starfish Among Us, are books that continue the narrative of taking care of people and the communities we live in.

Nadeen Israel

Nadeen is currently Senior Vice President, Policy & Advocacy at AIDS Foundation Chicago. She has spent the last 15 years in the health policy and advocacy field, working closely with other advocate and activist leaders across the state on issues impacting the Medicaid program, Affordable Care Act, mental health and substance use system, housing, and state budget and tax policy.

 

Jacqualine Jarju

Jaqualine Jarju is the President of the National Association of Black Journalists – Regional Chapter of Central & Southern Illinois.

 

 

Julián Lazalde

Julián Lazalde is the Program Manager for Policy and Advocacy at Healthy Communities Foundation (HCF). He leads HCF’s health equity policy activities. Julián supports the individual, organizational, and community leadership of grantee partners in order to build movement and power towards greater health equity in the HCF region.

 

Beth Kenefick

Beth is a director of public policy with the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s policy and advocacy team. In the role she leads the development and advancement of policies and thought leadership to strengthen federal nutrition programs and end hunger and its root causes. Beth holds a master’s degree in public policy and a certificate in municipal finance from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and a bachelor of arts in political economy from Georgetown University.

 

Zindy Marquez

Zindy serves as Director of Communications at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. She brings over seven years of experience in nonprofit communications and fundraising, where she’s helped advocacy, legal, and development teams tell powerful stories and drive change.

 

Dr. Nicole Saulsberry

Dr. Nicole Saulsberry is a National Association of Black Journalists – Regional Chapter of Central & Southern Illinois Associate Member, Lobbyist and Governmental Affairs Specialist.

Maddy Wheelock

Maddy is the Coalition Coordinator of PEER Illinois, a statewide network advocating for reinvestment in public schools. A former high school English teacher in Boston and Chicago, she now works to ensure every child has access to a high-quality, equitable education.

 

Back to top.

 

Agenda

 

9:30 a.m. -  Registration, Networking Activity & Light Breakfast

10:30 a.m.  - Opening Plenary

11:05 a.m. - Break

11:15 a.m. - Concurrent Workshop Sessions:

12:15 p.m.  - Break

12:25 p.m. – Lunch Plenary: What does it take to care for our community as well as our staff?

Featuring: Ruth Rathblott, author of Unhide and Seek,  as well as Shannon Bennett (he/him), Executive Director of Kenwood Oakland Community Organization.

Moderated by: Monique B. Jones, Forefront President and CEO

*Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Mailee Walker will no longer be able to join us as a panelist for this year's Annual Summit.

1:45 p.m. - Break

2:00 p.m. - Concurrent Workshop Sessions: 

2:40 p.m. - Break

2:50 p.m. - Concurrent Workshop Sessions:

4:00 p.m. - Break

4:10 p.m. -  Closing Plenary

 

Back to top.

Sponsors

Hotel

 

Crowne Plaza Springfield - Convention CTR | See the venue.

Back to top.

Parking

 

The Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center offers complimentary, street-level public parking for its guests. This parking is available on-site and is free for guests, providing ample space.

 

Back to top.

Registration FAQs

 

Registration fees
Early bird / Regular
Forefront members with budgets under $2 million: $85 / $115
Forefront members with budgets over $2 million: $120 / $150
Non-members: $175 / $200
Students: $25 / $50

Early registration rates are available through August 23, 2025.

Who is eligible to attend?
Anyone working in the social impact sector, including operating nonprofits, foundations, corporations, government, and consultants serving the sector are welcome to attend.

What’s included in my registration fee?
Summit registration includes all plenaries and concurrent sessions as well as breakfast and lunch.

How can I cancel or transfer my registration?
Please contact us at [email protected] to cancel or transfer your registration to a colleague. Cancellations received before September 10 will receive a partial refund minus a $30 cancellation fee. Any cancellations received after that date will not be eligible for a refund but can still be transferred to another person.

How can I make an accessibility accommodation request?
Forefront aims to make our gatherings as accessible as possible. ASL interpretation will be provided during all plenary sessions. To request additional accommodations, please contact Emily Long at [email protected] by September 4.

Does this event have a non-solicitation policy?
Yes. Forefront is committed to creating an environment that fosters participation and will not tolerate harassment of any speakers, attendees, or staff. We also ask all participants to support the learning environment by refraining from soliciting funds or business during this, or any, Forefront event.

Back to top.

Health & Safety

 

One of our top priorities is to create a safe environment for our attendees, and we ask that each attendee 1) help us create a space where all participants will feel comfortable, and 2) understand that risk tolerances vary from person to person. We are relying on everyone to do their part to keep themselves and everyone else safe during the Summit.

At this time, these are the protocols we have in place to help ensure the safety of all participants. Forefront reserves the right to update these policies at any time. Please continue to refer back to this website to keep up to date. If there is a significant shift in policy, we will email all Summit registrants directly.

Duty of Care Agreement & Liability Waiver

By registering for and attending the Forefront Annual Summit:

Mask Guidance
At this time, masks will not be required at this year's Summit but are encouraged. Attendees choosing to wear a mask should provide their own for the event, though a limited supply will be available at the registration desk.

Social Distancing & Physical Contact
Color-coded social distance preference indicators will be available to all attendees during registration on-site. While we look forward to being in person, not everyone will have the same comfort with hugs or handshakes.

If You Feel Sick
No person may participate in the event if they become ill or exhibit any signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during the convening. Forefront reserves the right to refuse entry to any participant who exhibits any symptoms of illness.

Back to top.

X