Tuesday, July 22 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM Workshops
The Power of Inclusive Leadership: Bridging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Work-Life Balance for Collective Success • Jeannine Brown | Leadership Triangle, NC
This interactive workshop explores the powerful intersection of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and work-life balance, offering participants actionable strategies to create workplaces where inclusivity and well-being thrive. When leaders understand that equity and care are not competing priorities but interconnected drivers of success, they can build cultures that nurture both people and performance.
Through a blend of experiential learning - including mindfulness practices, light movement, and intentional goal planning - attendees will gain the tools and perspective needed to lead with empathy, clarity, and impact. Whether you're managing a team or shaping organizational culture, this session will help you deepen your capacity to foster environments where all individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Participants will:
- Reflect on how diversity, equity, inclusion, and work-life balance are interdependent and mutually reinforcing
- Practice mindfulness tools to reduce stress and enhance presence at work
- Learn how to model sustainable work habits and boundaries as a leader
- Identify organizational norms that may unintentionally exclude or burn out team members, and how to shift them
This session is designed to empower leaders at all levels to cultivate a workplace culture where equity, care, and collaboration are at the forefront, driving both individual and collective success.
About the Speaker:
Jeannine Brown is an experienced educator and nonprofit professional who views the world through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. She currently serves as the Fellowship Director at Leadership Triangle, which is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She takes pride in bringing compassion and empathy to building and sustaining relationships. Jeannine's skills include workshop facilitation, donor stewardship, engagement, and volunteer management.
She enjoys working with nonprofit organizations to create sustainable transformations to shift their organizational cultures and develop a climate of inclusion for ALL. Jeannine holds a Master's in Nonprofit Management through Drexel University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of N.C. at Greensboro. She is currently in the process of earning her Certified Community Leadership Practitioner designation through the Association of Leadership Programs. In her free time, Jeannine is working towards fluency in Spanish and hopes to travel to Spain in the near future.
Skill-Based Workshops Can Grow Your Revenue and Your Relevance • Cynthia Knapek | Leadership Louisville Center, KY
This workshop will explore how our organization successfully introduced skills-based workshops to our product line, creating a new revenue stream and enhancing the organization's value to clients. We'll present data supporting the increasing necessity for such services, delve into the development and success of our women's leadership program, and provide examples of the other skills workshops we offer. Attendees will gain insights into diversifying their program offerings to better serve their communities and ensure organizational sustainability.
By the end of this workshop, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the value of skills-based learning in leadership programs and practical strategies to implement these offerings within their organizations. We will cover:
- The Business Case for Skills-Based Workshops
- Recognizing the current market demand for skills-based training and its potential as a revenue source
- Showcase of Skills Workshops That Can Be Easily Introduced
- Case Study: Developing a Women's Leadership Program
- Implementation Strategies for Organizations
A
bout the Speaker:
In 2012, Cynthia Knapek was named President & CEO of LeadingBetter and the Leadership Louisville Center. In 2020, Cynthia was named one of the Most Admired CEO's by Business First. Cynthia is particularly proud that the work the Center has done to foster inclusivity was recognized with the 2016 Champion of Diversity Award from the Urban League. She previously served as the Chair of the Board for the Association of Leadership Programs.
Before joining Leadership Louisville, Cynthia's work included engagements with government, Fortune 500, and other social sector organizations. Cynthia serves on numerous community boards, including the Downtown Development Corporation, and co-chairs the Greater Louisville Inc. (Chamber of Commerce) Business Council to End Racism.
She has a master's degree from the University of Louisville, as well as several certifications in leadership training and organizational development.
Tech-Powered Leadership: Running a Program with Just Two Employees • John Meyer + Morgan Larson | Leadership South Dakota
After taking over a flagship program, entrepreneurs John Meyer and Morgan Larson transformed Leadership South Dakota into a tech-powered, nimble nonprofit. Running a leadership development program with a small team can be challenging, but with the right systems, technology, and strategy, it's possible to maximize impact while staying lean. This session will show how they manage and grow their program with just two part-time employees by leveraging automation, AI, low-code tools, and streamlined processes. Attendees will learn practical strategies to scale programs, including automating administrative tasks, enhancing participant engagement, and using AI for content creation and decision-making.
This session will also explore essential tools for managing workflows, tracking outcomes, and enhancing program delivery, all without needing a tech team. Through real-world examples and actionable insights, this session will provide program leaders with a roadmap to running an efficient, scalable leadership initiative.
Whether you're launching a new program or refining an existing one, you'll leave with actionable steps to improve efficiency, reduce burnout, and focus on what matters most - developing impactful leaders.
About the Speakers:
John T. Meyer is a passionate leader, entrepreneur, and coach committed to helping others reach their full potential. As the Executive Director of Leadership South Dakota, he designs transformative experiences that empower leaders across the state to discover, connect, and make a lasting impact. He also coaches founders and CEOs through his company, Leadmore, guiding them in scaling their businesses and refining their leadership.
Previously, he co-founded Lemonly, a design firm that has worked with global brands like Netflix, Marriott, Major League Baseball, and Google. As CEO, he built an amazing company culture earning national recognition as one of the "best places to work." John lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Paige, and their daughters, Margot and Liv.
Morgan Larson is a strategist and communicator dedicated to developing leaders and deepening connections across South Dakota. As the Program & Communications Manager for Leadership South Dakota, she designs transformative leadership experiences and leads communications efforts to strengthen engagement with participants, alumni, and stakeholders.
Morgan has built her career in communications, business development, and event management, working with Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and startups to foster growth and connection. A lifelong South Dakotan, she lives in rural Lake Preston with her husband, Eric, and their son, Porter.
Harness the Power of Alumni: Multiply Your Impact • Amie Morgan, MBA | Leadership Winter Park, FL
Community leadership programs create powerful experiences, but one common challenge remains: they end. Alumni want to stay connected, and your organization has a unique opportunity to meet that demand while reaping valuable benefits in return. In this workshop, attendees will explore how to transform alumni engagement into a mutually beneficial relationship that provides meaningful value for participants and tangible results for your program.
In this workshop, you will learn how to analyze the value transfer between alumni and your program, identify gaps, and implement impactful changes, all while improving efficiency and reducing staff workload. Through interactive discussions, real-world practical examples, and actionable takeaways, this workshop will equip you with the tools to:
- Strengthen alumni connections through value-driven engagement.
- Maximize organizational benefits like funding, marketing, and volunteer support
- Streamline processes to save time and amplify impact.
Whether you want to refresh your alumni programs, boost participation, or generate non-dues revenue, this session will inspire you to think differently and embrace bold ideas. Walk away with practical strategies and a renewed vision for alumni engagement that ensures your leadership program's influence does not end at graduation; it grows. Ready to turn alumni engagement into your program's greatest asset? Don't miss this session!
About the Speaker:
Amie Morgan is passionate about leading people, building community, and creating programs that help people learn, grow, connect, and belong. As Vice President of Programs for the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Amie has spent the past seven years strengthening the Leadership Winter Park program and innovating alumni engagement initiatives to not only drive a sense of belonging but also support the overall health of the program.
Prior to joining the nonprofit sector in 2018, Amie honed her strategic and analytical skills during a decade in Fortune 500 corporations, where she spent time selling, managing sales teams, and providing solution-based selling data.
A two-time graduate of the University of Florida, Amie holds a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing and an MBA. Recognized as one of Winter Park Magazine's 'People to Watch Under 40' in 2019, she is committed to sharing best practices and inspiring others in the field of alumni engagement.
Building Social Trust Across Difference • Malka Kopell + Lucy Lantis | Civity + Lura Hammond | ALP + Michelle Carr | NLN
Are you seeking practical, effective, and engaging ways to connect with your alumni? Civity, a national nonprofit organization, has been working with leaders for over ten years to strengthen ‘social muscle’—cultivating relationships of respect, empathy, and trust across difference. Come learn about “Leadership to Build Social Trust”-Civity’s partnership with ALP and the National Leadership Network (NLN) to offer leadership program alumni tools to foster meaningful relationships in their communities and to support the people they work with in engaging constructively across differences in background, identity, and perspective.
This session will provide you with an overview of actionable, research-backed trust-building strategies and provide information on how you can become a part of the national initiative.
About the Speakers:
Malka Ranjana Kopell, a graduate of Leadership San Francisco, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Civity. She has over 30 years of experience facilitating public policy conflict resolution and community engagement processes. Malka also served as a program officer for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, was the founding managing director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University, and is a senior associate with the Program on Consensus and Collaboration at California State University, Sacramento. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.A. from Stanford University.
Lucy Lantis is an entrepreneur, a Fulbright scholar, and an organizational facilitator. For over a decade, she worked in the world of international higher education. Today, she helps organizations create a culture of belonging through her work with Civity and beyond. She holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Dominican University and a B.A. from Creighton University.
Lura Hammond is the longtime Executive Director of the Association of Leadership Programs, bringing decades of experience in nonprofit, chamber, and leadership development to the role. A founding force behind ALP and several regional leadership networks in Texas, Lura has also led organizations like Camp Summit and the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce. She holds credentials in nonprofit management and event planning, and lives in Ponder, Texas, with her husband and their beloved farm animals.
Michelle Carr is the Co-Founder of the National Leadership Network. She also serves as the Executive Director of Leadership Rhode Island, where she leads strategic initiatives, talent development, and organizational excellence. A proud Cuban-American and first-generation college graduate, Michelle is known for creating inclusive, purpose-driven experiences that foster trust and build community. Her work has earned national recognition, including a White House invitation, and she was named one of Providence Business News’ 40 Under Forty. Michelle also teaches at Providence College and serves on multiple community advisory boards.