SESSIONS
DAY 1: TUESDAY
October 1, 2024
OPENING PLENARY
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Keynote: Radical Community Connection
Welcome to the 11th Vital Village Networks National Community Leadership Summit! Connection is how we thrive and how we grow - join this powerful conversation with author and futurist, Mia Birdsong as we imagine a path to a future built on radical connection
COLLECTIVE REST, REFLECTION, & MOVEMENT
11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Take a moment to breathe, reflect on what we’ve heard, consider what it means to us, how we intend to take it back to our own communities, and move our bodies together.
DATA STORYTELLING LIGHTNING TALKS
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Part I - The Stories & Soul of Our Communities
Discover how data reveals the stories and soul of our communities. Join local leaders as they present powerful data-driven insights and share what’s happening on the ground in their neighborhoods.
CROSS-SECTOR PANEL
1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Nurturing Interdependence Prenatal and Beyond: Restoration and Connection for Liberated Childhoods
This session will explore the vital role of policies and practices that promote early childhood socio-emotional well-being and family wellness in achieving health equity. Participants will engage in a thoughtful and expansive intersectional discussion about how nurturing interdependence from the prenatal stage and beyond can foster restoration, connection, and liberation, contributing to the holistic well-being of individuals and communities alike.
Featured Panelists:
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Brenda Harden Jones
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Aditi Subramaniam
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Cecilia Polanco
COLLECTIVE REST, REFLECTION, & MOVEMENT
2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Through guided activities, we will reflect on the discussions, explore what they mean to us personally, and consider how to take these insights back to our own communities.
DATA STORYTELLING LIGHTNING TALKS
3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Part II - Purpose
Explore how communities are using data to drive meaningful change from within. In this session, local leaders will share innovative, community-driven measures that highlight the lived experiences and priorities of their neighborhoods.
CLOSING PLENARY
4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Renewal
In a powerful closing keynote, Chanel Portia-Albert, founder of Ancient Song Doula Services, will lead us in exploring the theme of renewal through the lens of birth justice, healing, and the transformative power of community care. Inspiring us to reimagine systems grounded in equity and liberation, offering a vision for collective renewal that emphasizes connection, resilience, and restorative justice.
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY
October 2, 2024
OPENING PLENARY
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Family Leadership as the Essential Catalyst for Building a Just Future Together
Our future and our liberation are inextricably bound. This conversation among leaders in food systems, policy, birth justice, and community advocacy will explore what it means to co-create a future where our collective liberation is achieved through radical connection. We will discuss how systems and policies that promote family leadership serve as essential catalysts for justice, emphasizing the transformative power of community-driven approaches in building a just and equitable future for all.
Featured Panelists:
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Magalis Troncoso
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Jessica Whitehawk
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Luz Zambrano
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Rivianna Zeller
COLLECTIVE REST, REFLECTION, & MOVEMENT
10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
This guided reflection offers a dedicated space for rest and contemplation.Through quiet introspection and thoughtful consideration, we will deepen our understanding and envision our next steps forward.
DATA STORYTELLING LIGHTNING TALKS
11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Part III - Power
We’ll learn how communities are reclaiming data as a tool for collective power, shaping narratives that reflect their own realities, and to advocate for equitable, sustainable solutions.
CROSS-SECTOR PANEL
1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Shifting Tides of Leadership: Building Systems for Collective Liberation
This catalytic, cross-sector dialogue will explore the pivotal role of grassroots leadership in transforming community systems. Together, we will envision strategies to ensure that housing, food, and health policies are rooted in connection, equity, and collective liberation.
Featured Panelists:
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Ben Echevarria
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K Melchor Hall
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Patina Park
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Tiffany Vassel
COLLECTIVE REST, REFLECTION, & MOVEMENT
2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to engage in collective rest and movement as a way to process what has been shared during the summit and prepare for collective action.
SUMMIT CLOSING
2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Collective Liberation
The 11th Annual National Community Leadership Summit will come to a close with words created by our time together crafted to nourish our hearts, and restore our collective energy.