Ignite Social Impact Summit
8:30 – 9:30 AM | Registration & Community Coffee
9:30 – 9:45 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks by Amanda Morrall
Amanda Morrall, Co-founder & CEO of Ignite Social Impact; CEO of Morrall Strategy Group
9:45 – 10:15 AM | Opening Fireside Chat: Who Leads Next: Activating the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
Kyle Lierman, CEO, Civic Nation & Amanda Morrall, Co-founder & CEO of Ignite Social Impact; CEO of Morrall Strategy Group
The future depends on who shows up and who is equipped to lead. Across the country, a new generation is stepping into civic life with urgency, creativity, and a deep commitment to their communities. Yet many emerging leaders still face barriers to access, mentorship, and clear pathways to engagement. This fireside chat explores how organizations like Civic Nation are activating the next generation of civic leaders by connecting grassroots organizing, culture, institutions, and opportunity. Throughout the conversation, Kyle will share stories from the field that bring this work to life. We will examine what it takes to move from interest to action and how to better support and elevate the leaders shaping what comes next.
10:15 – 11:10 AM | Breakout Sessions – Round I (Choose One)
Option A: Panel
Refugee entrepreneurship and economic inclusion across borders
As global displacement is projected to reach up to 1 billion people by 2050, driven by climate change, conflict, and other factors, how can entrepreneurship forge pathways for economic prosperity, inclusion, and labor generation?
This panel explores refugee entrepreneurship as a strategy for economic empowerment, resilience, and long term integration across regions, bringing together policymakers, ecosystem builders, and the private sector. The discussion will examine practical pathways to inclusion, including regulatory reform, access to finance, market linkages, and innovation platforms. The objective is to move beyond survival entrepreneurship toward scalable and sustainable enterprises that generate opportunity for displaced communities and host societies alike.
Intervenants :
- Lauren Post Thomas, Senior Advocacy Officer, Refugees and Safe Water, Conrad Hilton Foundation
- Dr. Yvonne Su, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Rights and Equity Studies at York University, Visiting Scientist at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Research Fellow at Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS).
- Valentina Primo, Obama Scholar at Columbia University, Founder & CEO of Startups Without Borders
Modérateur : Tsion Ghedamu, Deputy Director of Fellowships for the Aspen Global Innovators Group at the Aspen Institute
Option B: Panel
By Her Design: Women and Girls Shaping the World They Deserve
Women and girls are not waiting to be saved -they are building, leading, and transforming their communities from the ground up. Yet the systems, policies, and investments meant to serve them are still too often designed without them.
This panel brings together practitioners and advocates working at the intersection of women’s rights, grassroots leadership, and social change to ask a simple but urgent question: what becomes possible when women are the architects of their own futures? Panelists will share what it looks like to put women and girls at the centre of solution design – from food systems and community ownership to education, health, and economic opportunity and what it takes to build movements that last. The conversation will challenge the audience to examine who holds power in the spaces that shape women’s lives, and what it means to shift it.
Intervenants :
- Cassia Herron- Founder, Louisville Community Grocery and Consultant, Herron Inc & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellowship
- Kulsoom Khan – Senior Regional Co-Director, Asia, Global Fund for Children
- Marcella Juarez- Co-founder and Farm Manager, Palo Blanco Farm & Ranch & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellowship
- Tubi Retta – Girls Opportunity Alliance, Obama Foundation
Modérateur : Soumya Dabriwal– Obama Scholar and co-founder, Baala
11: 15 – 12:15 PM | Breakout Sessions – Round II (Choose One)
Option A: Panel
Leading Through Divides: Bridging Hope in Turbulent Times
As polarization and geopolitical tensions rise, the need for adaptive and inclusive leadership is more urgent than ever. This panel will delve into the leadership competencies required to navigate these volatile landscapes—emphasizing skills such as bridging polarized communities, fostering civil dialogue, and addressing economic disparities. By sharing real-world examples, the panel will highlight how leaders can build trust and strengthen social fabrics even during times of division.
Our panelists bring diverse perspectives from public policy, scholarship, and community-building. They will offer tangible insights on fostering inclusive leadership, weaving social cohesion, and understanding the economic undercurrents of polarization.
Intervenants :
- Attica Scott, Director of Special Projects, Forward Justice Action Network & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellowship
- Dr. William Riddell, historian of Capitalism and Political economy at the Munk School at University of Toronto
- Frederick J. Riley, Executive Director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project, Aspen Institute
Modérateur : Victoria Kuketz, 2026 Obama Foundation Scholar and CEO of TIIDE: The Institute for Innovation, Democracy, and the Economy
Option B: Panel
Building a Healthy Information Environment: A Whole-of-Society Approach
In a time marked by distrust, polarization, and misinformation, social impact leaders must think not only about what they do, but also about how communities encounter, interpret, and act on information.
This panel will examine how human factors such as fear, trauma, and trust shape behavior in an information environment increasingly influenced by AI. Speakers will draw on experience across technology, digital policy, journalism, mental health, and media literacy to share practical lessons on strengthening trust and whole-of-society resilience in a deeply contested information landscape.
Intervenants :
- Emily Brown- Director of Journalism, Microsoft (brownemily@microsoft.com)
- David Salvo- Managing Director for Transatlantic Policy and Programming, Institute for Strategic Dialogue
- Imran Ahmed- Founder and CEO, Center for Countering Digital Hate
- Konstanze Frischen- Managing Director, Aspen Digital
- Lauren Muir- Co-Owner, Martin and Muir Counseling & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellow
Modérateur : Valeria Kovtun- 2025 Obama Foundation Scholar; Founder of Ukraine’s national media literacy institution, Filter
12:15 – 1:15 PM | Lunch
1:15 – 2:10 PM | Beyond Borders: The Future of Global Leadership Programs
Leadership today requires more than local expertise. It requires a global mindset. Leadership Development and Fellowship programs play a critical role in supporting leaders who are working on many of the most pressing issues of our time and are seeking meaningful relationships, new mindsets, and skills to expand their strategies and impact. This panel brings together leaders who have experienced these programs first hand to explore how these experiences expand perspectives, strengthen global networks, and unlock new pathways for impact. The conversation will highlight how leadership programs serve as catalysts for connection, learning, and long-term collaboration. Speakers will share how their experiences have shaped the way they lead, and why continued investment in programs supporting leaders is essential to building a more connected and collaborative world. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to leverage fellowships to grow as leaders, build global relationships, and contribute to impact that spans communities, countries, and sectors.
Intervenants :
- Hong Hoang- Obama Scholar, Founder, Impact Beyond LLC
- Mohit Raj- Obama Scholar, Co-Founder @ Fundable, USA
- Moises Arjona- Collective Impact Director, Unidos Contra La Diabetes & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellow
- Sandra de la Cruz- Executive Director, Holy Family Services Birth Center & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellow
Moderator: Emily Custhman- Vice President, Global Leadership Programs, Obama Foundation
2:10 – 3:10 PM | Breakout Sessions – Round III (Choose One)
Option A: Panel
Building peace is everyone’s responsibility: from the local to the global
Today’s conflicts and escalating tensions, both at the national and international levels, require us to think violence and peacebuilding as something that goes beyond political talks and processes, but rather as complex, ongoing, everyday cultural behaviors and relationships, where a broad array of stakeholders play a role.
This panel will bring together two practitioners who have participated in peacebuilding, conflict resolution or democracy building processes and initiatives in different capacities across the globe. Leslie, who supported Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement between the Government and the FARC guerilla group to put an end to over five decades of internal armed confrontation; and Kasha, who oversaw Ukrainian Parliamentary elections and led international grassroots initiatives in support of civilian population caught amid the armed confrontation in the country.
Intervenants :
- Kasha Huk- Chief of Staff at GIIN
- Leslie Wingender- Senior Portfolio Director, Peacebuilding at Humanity United
Modérateur : Michelle Cartier- Obama Scholar at Columbia University 2025-2026, Former advisor at Colombia’s Truth Commission
Option B: Panel
From Local Action to Global Impact in Public Health
The promise of innovation in public health has never been greater, yet the communities that stand to benefit most are often the last to be reached. Whether through technology, community-based care, or policy solutions, the gap between what is possible and what is accessible remains one of the defining challenges of our time.
This panel brings together leaders working across community health, innovation, advocacy, and systems change to explore what it truly takes to build equitable health solutions. From designing with communities and strengthening trust to addressing systemic barriers such as access, infrastructure, and power, panelists will reflect on how we move from intention to impact.
By centering people, not just tools or technology, this conversation invites the audience to consider their role in shaping a more equitable future in public health, whether as practitioners, advocates, policymakers, or community leaders.
Speakers:
- Dr. Zainab Okolo- Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, JED Foundation
- ElsaMarie D’Silva- Founder, Red Dot Foundation (Safecity); AGI New Voices Alumni
- Khalid Hashi– Obama Scholar at Columbia University and Founder of Ogow Health
- Kinjal Dave- Consultant at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
- Ray Sanchez- Co-founder and Executive Director, Smiles From Heaven & 2026 Healthy Communities Fellow
Modérateur : Kassaga Arinaitwe- Senior Director, Emerging Leaders and Public Engagement, Teach for All
3:10 – 3:30 PM | Closing Reflections by Peggy Clark
Peggy Clark, Founder and Executive Director, Aspen Global Innovators Group, Aspen Institute
