Past Talks
have a closer look to our Past Speakers
Featured
Nicole “Nikki” Chen is the Business Partner for the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the City of Vancouver. Nikki previously spent 8 years working for Stanford Hospital, located in Palo Alto, CA. Nikki’s joyful and infectious presence is known to leave a lasting and meaningful impact, and you walk away from her feeling empowered. Nikki’s current goal is to follow in the footsteps of her mentors Alicia Sojourner and Mel Jones, in becoming a Director of Equity and Inclusion. Once she is done creating an inclusive and equitable space for all, Nikki hopes to retire and own a small farm on the shores of Puerto Viejo Costa Rica.
Diana Avalos Leos: Latino Leadership NW, Executive Director
How the Cycle of Colibri (Hummingbird) Impacts Latino Leadership NW
Come on a journey into the fascinating world of the hummingbird and explore the profound parallels it shares with effective leadership qualities. Through this exploration, you will hear how Latino Leadership NW has been instrumental in nurturing these qualities among youth and their families.
Jenny Thompson: Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, Executive Director
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Love, faith, and family are the three things that drive me the most, but it is the transformation these nouns can create that is more powerful.
Curtis Miller: Principal Belonging Instigator at Connect Ed
Building Belonging - Understanding the Value of Identity through Weakness
Building belonging from stories of loss and connection - a personal and practical journey toward generative purpose
Josh Townsley: Evergreen Habitat for Humanity CEO
Bridging Worlds with Human Connection
On a journey of unexpected connections from across borders, discover the power of shared stories in uniting hearts and humanity.
Jeff Angelo: Executive Director, Arc of SW Washington plus Taco Aficionado and Identifier of Objects
Much Fear and Loathing in Vancouver
Traversing the Urban Landscape while Overcoming Fear and Insecurities
Civil discourse or Civil Divide?
The Clark Neighbors Food Project has been building community and sharing food in Clark County since 2017. Created by neighbors to combat a growing divisiveness in the neighborhood and an erosion of a sense of community and civility, we focused on building connections between people. With a goal to make it easy for neighbors to connect to share food with those in need, the Food Project has grown community-wide from four volunteers to 125 independent neighborhood coordinators with 2000+ food donors who regularly supply high-quality food to food pantries and schools across the county. Recipient 2021 Clark County Neighborhood Leadership Award and 2022 Finalist National NUSA Neighborhood of the Year Multi-Neighborhood Partnership.
How to Change the World in 3 Steps: Being a visionary takes rigor. Changing the world takes work. Keep at it. And remember, no one has ever changed the world by staying in their comfort zone. Heidi Johnson Bixby shares her journey - and the steps she took along the way - to help us all feel empowered to change the world in our own ways.
What if we could create the fantasy football for economic mobility? How a new school concept is increasing upward mobility for youth.
Bio: Jonathan Johnson is the driving force behind the Rooted School Foundation. RSF is a non-profit network of four schools across four states and other projects focused on increasing upward mobility for youth faster than local projections. Since 2017, Rooted has been nationally recognized as one of the most innovative public school models in the U.S. Jonathan also spearheads "The $50 Study" in partnership with The Center for Guaranteed Incom Research which is the first and most extensive study exploring the impact of direct cash transfers to teens. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys skiing, winemaking, and cooking.
Climate Toothpaste combines art, design, activism and humor to educate new climate activists.
Bio: Heidi Cody is a passionate community engagement specialist who uses her art and design skills for the greater good. She is the Coalition Manager for Alliance for Community Engagement SW WA (ACE) and the Community Organizer for SW WA for Washington Conservation Action. She created Climate Toothpaste in 2016 to bring more volunteers into climate activism. In her spare time she enjoys hip-hop dance, gardening and reading science fiction.
Vancouver Free Fridge Project (VFF) makes it possible for community members to give and take good nutritious food for free, completely anonymously, 24/7, in multiple Vancouver neighborhoods.
Bio: Ashley Blose helped create, and continues to help manage, the Vancouver Free Fridge Project. After spending her adulthood struggling at jobs where sufficient accommodations for her autistic needs were almost non-existent, Ashley has found that she thrives in volunteer activism and
mutual aid work, both of which she's been very active in for about three years. Her sense of organization, attention to detail, and great communication skills make her a natural leader in helping people come together to facilitate positive change. She's also a proud cat mom, and loves her partner, Ember.
Empowering communities for equality and growth. This approach leverages privilege for collective benefit, champions inclusive leadership, and welcomes discomfort as a catalyst for transformative change in community development.
Bio: Program Director at Partners in Careers, Operations at Soul River, 2023 recipient of the General Marshall Leadership Award, and a 2022 Graduate of Leadership Clark County. Chairman for Washougal School District’s Career & Technical Education General Advisory Committee, serves on the Board of Directors for Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, and Leadership Clark County’s Engagement Committee. Josh also volunteers with the Community Military Appreciation Committee, coaches Flag Football in Clark County Youth Football, and most importantly, is a Father and spouse.
In a world as diverse as ours, it's time for Vancouver, WA to shine! Let's come together, celebrate our unique cultures, NOT JUST ONE, and create events, training, and programs that reflect the voices in our community. Dunia will be sharing her vision for the future of a culturally connected Vancouver.
Bio: Meet DUNIA, a 26-year-old single mom and thriving business owner. As the daughter of an immigrant, her Latina heritage infuses passion and determination into everything she does. She's not just making change for herself but for her kids' brighter tomorrow and your kids.
The Ultimate Retirement Escape Plan: A Revolutionary Retirement Blueprint to Travel the Globe, Crush Debt, and Safeguard Your Golden Years
What would it take for your deepest wounds and ingrained survival patterns - your inner "mess" - to show up at a meeting, on a date, or in your parenting? How much sorrow or chaos could you bear before the other parts of you start to fade or shrink? Delena will share how her own devastating pain, messy resilience, and deviant compassion collide in the middle of passion and purpose, how cringe-worthy extra-ness makes room for healing and wisdom - and how relationships change everything.
We are guided to focus on a specific career. We then let that define who we are. But the paths of our lives are not that simple. Rahim will inspire you to forget what you were told, explore the world, experience the good and the bad, and apply what you learn back home.
Jedi Teacher-Librarian Paul Warner embraced his passion for Sci-Fi Fantasy, turned it into purpose, and shares how we are all on a Hero’s Journey to discover ourselves and help others.
Dissatisfied with her factory job Pamela made the leap of faith into being a full-time artist. That decision evolved from creative passion into a purpose to inspire and empower others.
What “should” we do when life hands us a steaming pile of terrible? Leslie’s talk will examine the good, the bad, and the ugly of our very human need to achieve after loss.
Anjela shared her story of how she discovered her true STRENGTH to not just survive but truly HEAL her Complex-PTSD and raise awareness of Family Sex-Trafficking. She invites you to LISTEN to her Journey of Surviving her trauma and be INSPIRED by her Ongoing Healing.
Whether it’s changing diapers or closing deals, the light you have to offer the world may surprise you. Hear the story of how one diaper-slinging mom set out to make a difference at one child welfare office, and how her light of Mothering leant itself to illuminate the darkened world of child welfare. Be inspired to find the one thing about YOU that cannot and should not be hidden. The world NEEDS the light that only you can offer.
Utilizing the experiences of the past to get uncomfortably safe for the future. Why doing this in workplace not only helps us achieve better success at work, but translates to better success in the rest of life. Why therapy is one of many tools that helps us discover who we really are and what we can really achieve in life.
It took years to break my mindset bondage. We must move from our past experiences that cripple our confidence, to allow those adverse challenges to catapult our actions and engage in the process of change.
It’s critical we not only achieve a clean energy future, but one that is reliable and affordable. The path is narrow. Here’s how to do it in a smart way.
A man’s search for significance through the modern social ideology leads him down a road of pain and destruction. In times of him being broken down to where he believes he is nothing, convinced that he has no value, he then finds what he was truly looking for, Himself.