Culture of Collaboration Summit Schedule

8:00 AM - Registration Opens, Light Breakfast + Networking + Asset Mapping Activation

9:00 AM - Welcome from Brenda Coleman-Beattie + Susan McDowell, Austin Together Board Members

9:10 AM - Opening Remarks with Pam Benson-Owens and Karen LaShelle

9:25 AM - Keynote with President Dr. Melva Wallace, President & CEO of Huston-Tillotson University

10:10 - 11:10 AM - Sparking Connection and Collaboration Workshops

In this session, arts education facilitators will lead all event attendees in smaller groups of 50 through hands-on, interactive, multidisciplinary activities and games designed to spark connection, trust, collaboration, and synergy. This is a fun, safe, low-risk set of activities designed to prepare everyone for a day of collaboration and learning.

Stephanie Chavez Noell, Noah Martin, Noel Gaulin, Patrick Torres, Creative Action; Lynn Hoare, Center for Imagining and Performing Justice

11:10 - 11:30 AM - EXTENDED BREAK (including mid-morning snack in Upstairs Lobby)

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM - Learning Sessions

Embracing AI for Strategic Partnerships

Artificial Intelligence can be a mysterious and scary concept!  Join local nonprofit and technology leaders to engage in a discussion that demystifies AI and explores the potential AI has to foster sustained and strategic collaborative efforts–helping to facilitate identifying potential collaborators, conducting organizational needs assessments, and strategic market analysis. Walk away inspired and informed as to how you can leverage AI to help solve our community’s greatest challenges.

Sunjit Khamba, Data Analyst pro and Facilitator, Mission Capital
Zen (Loper) Van Loan, Vice President of Social Impact, Austin AI Alliance
Meme Styles, CEO Measure and Vice President of Responsible and Ethical AI, Austin AI Alliance, Just Tech Fellow
Llyas Salahud-din - Chief Development Officer, Texas Empowerment Academy, Tech Developer
Leya Simmons, CEO & Co-Founder, BetterUnite
Ray Cantu, Founder, ColdCALR

Exploring Legal Structures

There are many different ways to organize our efforts in the social sector–everything from Fiscal Sponsorships to 501c3’s to TUUNA’s and beyond, even sometimes dissolutions. Join this group of seasoned professionals who will walk the audience through a variety of structures and highlight the pros and cons of each and how groups can determine what legal structure works best to achieve desired goals and outcomes at different times in the lifecycle of your work. This session will be useful for people who are starting their journey in the sector as well as those who are already established and might seek new and evolved ways to approach their mission. Each participant will gain knowledge and information that can fuel plans to make positive change in the community.

Matt Glazer, Co-Founder/ Chief Strategy Officer, Blue Sky Partners BiNi Scoor, CEO, 212 Catalysts
Richard Tagle, President and Executive Director, E3 Alliance

Communities of Solutions: The Power of Community-Driven Coalitions

Methodist Health Ministries program Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together is a capacity-building program for communities in south and central Texas designed to substantially accelerate their equity journey. With the belief that communities hold the solutions to improve their health and well-being, this program equips coalitions with skills and resources to strategically advance health equity, using the Pathways to Population Health Equity framework as a guide. In this session, Program Director, Tim Barr, alongside a panel of coalition leaders from San Antonio, will share their journey towards community solutions and some of the tools they have implemented to support their work.

Tim Barr, Methodist Health Ministries
Anna Castañeda, Mission of Motherhood Coalition

A Story of Collaboration: Travis County Transformation Project

Over the past two years, with initial support from Austin Together, the Travis County DA Office, Amala Foundation, The Excellence Project, Lifeworks, UT, NYU, APD, and the Travis County court system have been developing an innovative, “never been done before” collaborative shared services model to transform the way youth and families interact with the criminal justice system and center restoration and healing. Join this group to hear their story, from initially developing their concept to implementing their program and all of the challenges and opportunities they have faced along the way.

MODERATOR: Laura Elmore LeBlanc, Austin Together Guide & CEO, The Sobering Center

Jose Garza, District Attorney, Travis County Channing Neary, Assistant Director of Youth Justice and Violence Prevention, Travis County DA Office
Dr. Courtney Robinson, CEO, Excellence Project
Kristina Garrison-Clark, Youth Advocate, Amala Foundation
Courtney Seals, Chief Program Officer, Lifeworks

1:00 - 2:15 PM - LUNCH

Enjoy a boxed lunch with optional networking opportunities organized by focus area and hosted by the event Steering Committee members.

2:30 - 3:45 PM - Learning Sessions

Creative Cross-Sector Collaborations

Are you ready to put all the passion you’ve garnered throughout the day into practice?! This interactive session will spark your creativity and ignite collaboration. Hear from champions of collaboration from a variety of sectors who will share their inspiring stories and cutting-edge strategies. Prepare to network, brainstorm, and co-create solutions with fellow changemakers through interactive activities. This is YOUR opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, exchange ideas, and develop actionable plans to make our city a shining example of a true culture of collaboration.

Dre Kaltz, Office of Innovation, City of Austin
Monique Parker, Founder, Little Bit of Good
Ebonie Trice, CEO and Founder, Mission Accomplished
Tatianna Cannon, Executive Director, Green Workforce Collaborative Clarena Tobon, Chief Development & Communications Officer, NAMI Central Texas Willie S. Anderson, The Grant Collective

Developing a Collaborative Leadership Program

Collaboration requires strong, visionary, purpose-driven leaders.  Austin Together plans to begin offering learning opportunities so that local leaders can access the support they need to grow and effectively lead collaborative efforts.  Come learn more about purpose-driven leadership, share your leadership journey, and tell us what resources, opportunities, and supports you believe leaders need to further develop the skills necessary to building collaborative solutions in our community.

Pam Benson-Owens, CEO, Six Square & Edge of Your Seat Consulting
Rich Smalling, Founder and Board Chair, Austin Together

Conversation Circles with Thought Leaders

Join inspiring leaders for intimate conversations on powerful topics.  10-12 people per table only!

Navigating Conflict in Collaboration with Nakeenya Wilson, Founder, Black Mamas Village

Giving Voice to Values with Becky Pastner, Executive & Leadership Coach, Pastner Leadership

The Role Boards Play in Collaboration with Heather Parsons, Owner and Founder, Heather Parsons Consulting

Storytelling for Success with Shuronda Robinson, CEO, Austin Woman Magazine

Scaling Impact through Collaboration with Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, CEO, El Buen Samaritano

A Story of Collaboration: Global Impact Initiative

In this interactive and engaging panel, leaders from various local, regional, national, and international organizations in the for-profit, nonprofit, and social sectors will discuss the creative partnerships they have crafted with the Global Impact Initiative, share success stories and lessons learned, and deliver practical insights. They will center their conversation on how collaboration has fueled innovation, transforming hundreds of lives in the underserved communities of Austin.

MODERATOR: Molly Mae Potter, Community Volunteer

Anjum Malik, Executive Director, Global Impact Initiative and Managing Partner Alhambra US Chamber
Samantha Baez, EVP Experience & Engagement, CapMetro
Susan Hay, Assistant Director of Engineering, Hyatt Hotels
Sean Doles, Public Affairs Officer, Greater Austin YMCA Krzysztof Szczęsny, President, Humanitarian Innovation Group Nicole Wells, The Nazarene Foundation

4:00-4:30 - Closing Remarks and Reflection with Pam Benson-Owens and Karen LaShelle

4:30-5:30 - Networking Happy Hour: Free Drinks + Appetizers with DJ Mira Mira