Mid-Day Reflections from NationSwell Summit 2025

A clear autumn morning in New York set the stage for NationSwell Summit 2025, where more than 250 leaders gathered under this year’s theme: Together. Founder and CEO Greg Behrman opened with a charge drawn from Nike’s 1977 credo, “We are on offense… all the time.” He urged the community to move from defense to bold action, reminding us that lasting progress depends on partnership and shared purpose.

In conversation with Margot Brandenburg of the Ford Foundation, author Jonathan Haidt discussed his bestselling book The Anxious Generation and the urgent need to restore childhood in a digital age. As the recipient of this year’s NationSwell Book of the Year Award, Haidt called on parents, educators, and leaders to rebuild real-world connection through play, trust, and limits on screens. His message of collective responsibility and hope set the tone for the day.

Next, Aaron Hurst , founder of the US Chamber of Connection , challenged the audience to treat connection and trust as infrastructure for a healthy society, not as byproducts of it. He shared how cities like Seattle are designing local “onboarding” programs for new residents to strengthen belonging and civic trust.

After these opening sessions, participants leaned into NationSwell’s Signature Conversations, sharing stories of partnership and gratitude. Each table reflected on stories of transformational impact. More than 200 handwritten notes and texts of thanks were sent into the world as small acts of connection that mirrored the larger purpose of the day.

The morning then turned to what collective action looks like in practice. Amy Lee , NationSwell's Chief Strategy Officer, shared progress across NationSwell’s Collaboratives—from advancing community wealth and AI-era workforce strategies to expanding access to community-based health care and place-based investments.

In a powerful exchange, Tonya Allen of the McKnight Foundation and Kwame Owusu-Kesse of Harlem Children's Zone explored how lasting transformation happens in community. Allen called on leaders to wield power with purpose: “If we are in positions of power, our responsibility is to use that power to rewrite the rules so that it works for people who have not had access to power.” Owusu-Kesse echoed the need for excellence and accountability, describing “together” as a survival tactic for the work ahead.

Alix Guerrier , CEO of DonorsChoose , followed with a reminder of the transformative power of education. He shared how nearly 90 percent of U.S. public schools now use the platform to connect teachers and donors, unlocking more than $1.8 billion in classroom resources. “Teachers are magicians,” he said. “They transform potential into reality—but magicians need their props, and teachers need their tools.”

Nick Cericola , Vice President of Insights at NationSwell, introduced new research on the Five Archetypes of Collective Action, spotlighting proven models—from co-investment and public-private partnerships to learning networks and shared capacity platforms. He reminded the audience that every major social breakthrough has been collective in nature, noting that “collaboration is still our greatest technology.” He also highlighted examples of collective action already taking shape across the NationSwell community, including the Cisco Networking Academy and other initiatives that demonstrate how partnership and shared purpose can accelerate impact at scale.

The morning closed with stories from The Rockefeller Foundation Big Bets Fellows, each presenting bold, scalable ideas in motion. Jacob Hannah of Coalfield Development shared how West Virginia is turning post-coal communities into hubs for green jobs and local enterprise. Rey Faustino of One Degree unveiled new AI-powered tools to modernize the safety net and make public services work for families, not against them. And Catherine P. Wilson of United Way of Greater Newark described how micro-investments in local real estate are giving residents the chance to build wealth and ownership in their own neighborhoods.

As participants broke for lunch, the energy in the room was unmistakable—leaders connecting across sectors, ideas, and missions. The message was simple and urgent: in an age that often pulls us apart, our best hope for progress is to build bravely, intentionally, and relentlessly together.

Stay tuned for more moments and learnings from the second half of this impactful day. To learn more about NationSwell Summit, visit nationswell.com/summit.