NationSwell

The countdown is over! NationSwell Summit 2025 kicks off this week. Get ready to hear from bold voices shaping the future of impact, from CEOs and foundation leaders to activists and innovators, all coming together to accelerate change. Meet the speakers: Jonathan Haidt, Tonya Allen, Nathan Friedman, DeRay McKesson, Alix Guerrier, Lisa Lawson, Nicole Johnson, Kwame Owusu-Kesse, Margot Brandenburg, David Gelles, Carrie Varoquiers, Utaukwa Allen, Michael Kubzansky, Claire Casey, Dale Strange, Miriam Vogel, Barb S., Denise Octavia Smith MBA, BS, CHW, PN, SFC, Megan Bartlett, Aaron Hurst, Jacob Hannah, Catherine P. Wilson, Rey Faustino, Amy Lee, and more! A special thank you to our sponsors: Omidyar Network, YourCause from Blackbaud, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Cisco, Nike, Google Data Centers, Workday, Sanofi, Cadence Giving Foundation, Understood.org, Chobani, La Colombe Coffee Workshop, Daily Harvest, The Rockefeller Foundation

At Nasdaq’s recent Economic Opportunity Summit, leaders came together to explore how business can advance inclusive growth and shared prosperity. NationSwell was honored to be in the room to capture the ideas shaping this next chapter of economic opportunity. Read more about the insights and energy behind the conversation: https://lnkd.in/eFaqYByp

Rounding out our Impact Spotlight speakers for the #NationSwellSummit, these leaders are strengthening public health through community health workers, advancing neurodiversity and the future of business, and unlocking the power of corporate philanthropy to drive lasting change. Together, their stories will illuminate what’s possible when purpose and innovation come together for impact. Featuring: Denise Octavia Smith MBA, BS, CHW, PN, SFC Barb S., Sanofi Nathan Friedman, Understood.org Dale Strange, Blackbaud

PRI President and CEO Dreama Gentry comes from a rural community that, like many across America, has often been left out of national conversations. In NationSwell’s Impact Next series, she shares her journey from her Appalachian roots to leading a rural movement powered by communities, ensuring rural places nationwide are engines of opportunity. Through her work, Dreama has shown that collaboration creates real paths for rural youth to thrive. Driving change in rural America requires place-based partnerships and leaders focused on aligning partners, driving results, and improving outcomes for young people. Read the full interview and hear more about a movement built on partnership, community, and the belief that demographics should not determine destiny:

At #NationSwellSummit, bold voices will come together to explore how leadership, innovation, and accountability will shape a more equitable future. Through a series of dynamic panel discussions, we’ll examine the ideas and collaborations driving meaningful change across sectors. The Power of Place will highlight how community-rooted leadership and long-term investment can transform neighborhoods and cities — featuring Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation and Kwame Owusu-Kesse, Harlem Children's Zone; Moderated by Amy Lee AI and the Public Good will examine the frameworks and values that will guide the next era of technological governance — featuring Michael Kubzansky, Omidyar Network and Miriam Vogel, EqualAI; moderated by David Gelles Building a Workforce and Workplace Where All Can Thrive will showcase new collaborations that will redefine opportunity, equity, and the future of work —featuring Carrie Varoquiers, Workday; Lisa Lawson, Annie E. Casey Foundation; and Claire Casey, AARP Foundation; moderated by Utaukwa Allen, Google Together, these conversations will chart what’s next for impact. Stay tuned for more announcements.

Technology opens doors, but skills turn them into opportunity. That understanding led Cisco to create the Networking Academy, a program equipping learners and educators worldwide with the training and pathways needed to build careers in a digital economy. Their story is part of our case study series on how companies are leveraging core capabilities to drive lasting social impact. https://lnkd.in/e5mbGchh

This World Mental Health Day, we’re showcasing Find Your Anchor — a movement that turns hope into something you can hold. Read to learn more.

These visionary leaders are taking the stage at the #NationSwellSummit to showcase their transformative work through Impact Spotlights. From neurodiversity to AI access, belief-driven change to connection as cause — these conversations will inspire what’s possible next. Featuring: Alix Guerrier, DonorsChoose Nicole Johnson, Cadence DeRay McKesson, Campaign Zero Nathan Friedman, Understood.org Aaron Hurst, US Chamber of Connection And more to be announced!

Food insecurity often worsens after climate-driven disasters — and shelf-stable milk is one of the hardest items for food banks to source. Chobani applied its expertise in dairy science and supply chain innovation to create Chobani Super Milk, a nutrient-dense, shelf-stable product designed to support hunger relief and disaster response. Their story is part of our new case study series on how companies are leveraging core capabilities to drive lasting social impact. https://lnkd.in/eFp3a3BT

For anyone looking to get involved in the youth #MentalHealth space, organizations like The Jed Foundation (JED), NAMI, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are great places to start. But more broadly, it really does take a village. Each of us can be a mental health champion in our own communities. That begins with vulnerability — showing through your own example that it’s OK not to be OK, and creating space for open conversations. Thank you to NationSwell for featuring me in their Impact Next series. We discussed how my personal experiences shaped my commitment to protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults nationwide, the urgent need to shield young people from exploitative, emerging technology, building environments where this population feels connected, supported, and equipped to seek help, and some of my top resources, podcasts, and music recommendations that have influenced my thinking. Visit https://bit.ly/4nW9WZK