Theme: Rethinking Resilience

Our goal is to redefine the concept of resilience by shifting the focus from individual achievement to collective action. We aim to inspire a paradigm shift in the understanding of resilience, emphasizing its true power when cultivated within a supportive community.

Through our innovative speaker series, we seek to explore the intersection of community non-profits, resilience, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. By showcasing non-profit organizations and community leaders dedicated to dismantling racial and other inequities, we strive to foster a collective consciousness that champions inclusivity and empowers communities to support each other in the face of adversity.

Join us in reshaping the conversation on resilience, as we work together to build a more equitable and resilient future for all.

Black Box Theater
20310 68th Ave. W
Lynnwood, Washington, 98036
United States

Ahmad Hilal-Abid

Equity in education

Coming to the United States at 17, I encountered difficulties stemming from my experiences in Afghanistan. There, opportunities for education and growth were scarce because of my family's connection to the United States army. I couldn't even pursue my passion for soccer due to family obligations. Life in the United States presented its own set of hurdles: language barriers, social isolation, and a lack of community support. But within just five years, I managed to overcome them. I started by taking English as a Second Language classes at Edmonds College and, through hard work and dedication, I mastered the language in just a year and a half. As an immigrant youth, I realized that there weren't many resources available for immigrant and refugee students, as I myself lacked someone to assist me with my homework. I started the House of Wisdom to tackle those inequalities.

Alonda Williams

Mentoring youth

Alonda Williams is the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, the largest mentoring organization in the state of Washington. She is responsible for the strategic vision, advocacy, managing operations, program impact and community relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound serves over 3000 youth, families and mentors (Bigs) in the greater Seattle and Tacoma area. Alonda has over 20 years of leadership experience across technology, education, and the nonprofit industries. In addition to the Y, she has led teams for several companies including Microsoft, Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm as well as Bellevue College. While Alonda has deep subject matter expertise in Product Management, Mentoring, Marketing, Inclusive Communications, Fundraising and CRM, she is equally passionate about Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and people development.

Arra Rael

Intersecting identities and resilience

Arra Rael is currently the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Director for Center for Human Services, a Washington based behavioral health and family support non-profit. She has a passion for community work, and a DEIB approach that incorporates the concepts of anti-racism, cultural humility, and decolonizing behavioral health.

Blair Kaplan Venables

Resilience through grief

Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured in media outlets, including Forbes, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. In 2024, a new show that will be airing on Apple TV+ called 'MyStory' will showcase Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast, a motivational speaker and bestselling author. She specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project book became an international bestseller, and her third book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience, was released on March 1.

Cameron Kinley

The process of resilience rather than just the end result

Cameron Kinley is a visionary, decorated athlete, and motivational speaker. Cameron attended the United States Naval Academy, where he served as the president of his class and the captain of the varsity football team. After graduating with a B.S. in Political Science, Cameron had the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dream of playing in the NFL. Initially denied a delayed commission, Cameron received Presidential permission to sign as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Cameron was ultimately released, he turned this adversity into victory to continue on his life’s mission of service, fueling his passion for empowering others. Today, the Memphis native continues to serve as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy and is an active mentor throughout his community.

Casey Davis

Food insecurity

Casey began working at the Edmonds Food Bank in 2018. She uses her background in business and degrees from the College of William and Mary (BBA) and Johns Hopkins University (MAS) to support the journey toward food security in Edmonds. In 2022 she earned a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University. Married for twenty-seven years, Casey and her husband Steve have two grown children. She is a member of the Edmonds Lions Club, Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, and Edmonds Petanque Club.

Cathy Assata

Intersecting identities and resilience

Cathy Assata (she/her) is currently the Substance Use Disorder Department Director at the Center for Human Services. She has a BS in Healthcare Management, is a Substance Use Disorder Professional, and a certified trainer in several evidenced-based practices. Cathy has worked in the substance abuse treatment field since 1999, in correction-based treatment in both Wisconsin and Washington states in addition to both residential and outpatient non-profit settings. She is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE).

David Voetmann

Director The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

David, a lifelong designer and maker, spent his childhood in Africa. This formative experience instilled a conviction that it’s better to create your own solutions than to wait around hoping someone else will solve your problems. To this end, he earned a BFA in Industrial Design at the University of Washington. This study deepened an enduring conviction that solving problems and making things is deeply coded into our humanity. Over the last few years he has explored the transformation of our economy as new technologies begin to democratize opportunity. He now runs the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Edmonds College where ordinary people with extraordinary ideas gain access to an 11,000sf sandbox for innovation with all the tools, training, and community people need to turn thoughts into things.

Dr. Nekya Jenise Young

HBCU's and community resilience

By day, Dr. Nekya works as a Civil Rights and Environmental Justice Manager and is a three-time Historically Black College & University (HBCU) graduate who is passionate about sharing HBCU stories of hope, resilience, and community. During her 12-minute story she will share the journey of HBCUs who were denied the opportunity of applying for and receiving U.S. Housing and Urban Development grants until the late 1980s. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that HBCUs used policy, community, and advocacy to undo the devastating impacts of urban renewal in HBCU neighborhoods. I am confident the audience will be inspired by the resilient accomplishments of HBCUs and how they are working to transform neighborhoods surrounding HBCU campuses.

Emmanuel Williams

Future Frequency: Reshaping Community Narratives

Emmanuel Williams serves as the Director of Community Justice & Equity at the Black United Fund of Oregon in Portland. He is also the founder and principal trainer of YPD Equity Consulting, an organization committed to advancing conflict management through a racial equity lens. After a decade in corporate sales, Emmanuel pivoted to podcasting, discovering a passion for exploring new ideas and creating impactful, enjoyable content. This shift allowed him to merge his interests in making a difference and serving his community with his professional pursuits.

Erica Walters

Embracing Collectivism

Erica is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health Counseling Associate. She earned her Master of Arts degree from Antioch University Seattle, a CACREP-accredited institution. Erica currently lives in Washington State where she works as a full time Mental Health Counselor at Edmonds College. In addition to serving a diverse student population, Erica’s counseling work includes facilitating workshops and presentations on the college campus to create outreach opportunities, and increase student body access to resources. Erica is also a researcher and one of the primary members of the International Resilience Research Team for the last three years.

J-Anne Carlson

From Stigma to Strength: Resilience in Education with Inattentive ADHD

J-Anne is a mental health specialist and nurses assistant in intensive care who is transitioning into engineering. Her passion lies in creating efficient healthcare and aerospace systems and plans to major in systems engineering. At Edmonds College she is the vice president of Edmonds College Rocketry and she is studying Mechatronics, Robotics and Ai. Beyond her dedication to academics, she is a visual artist and storyteller who has been featured in Zee Zee Theater for Virtual Humanity (Human Library) with her story "Man of the House as told by a Woman". Her artistry combines both digital and physical elements in mixed and multimedia artistry.

Josh Epstein

REconomy: How a new Economy is Shifting Capitalism

Josh Epstein is the director of Seattle REconomy, a nonprofit creating an economy of reuse, and manager at their Shoreline and NE Seattle tool libraries where they lend free tools like a book library lends free books. He loves playing guitar and banjo, eating curry and cookies, and walking up steep mountains. He cares for 5 chickens, a dog named Eleanor, and a 4 year old named Cedar. In truly resilient communities, there are no marginalized groups of people, and everyone has the tools they need to take care of themselves. This is why we created the nonprofit Seattle REconomy and grew two community tool lending libraries, to strengthen our community by sharing abundance. We offer over 10,000 tools which are often otherwise inaccessible to underserved communities, either because of price, space, or in some cases such as gender, cultural norms.

Mira Kraft

More than Tolerating: Resilience as a Path to Growth

Embarking on a journey of creativity and innovation, Mira Kraft is the visionary force behind MKPR—a dynamic events and creative direction company established in 2017. With a multifaceted background spanning marketing, artist management, and event production, Mira has etched her mark in the entertainment world. Kraft has also served on the BASE board with the Cultural Space Agency, Co-founded nonprofit CNTR, is a member of the Recording Academy PNW Chapter, and serves as the Events Programs Director for Music For Everybody; a nonprofit founded by Marshall Law Band. In her thought-provoking talk Mira dives into the complex layers of resilience, reframing it not as mere endurance but as an evolving process of growth, healing, and self-discovery. She explores the neuroscience of resilience, and challenges societal norms around strength, inviting us to embrace our most vulnerable moments as catalysts for transformation.

Sarah Koski

Care in Crisis: Helping the Homeless Using what3words

Sarah A. Koski is a homeless advocate and Community Resource Liaison for Lane Transit District (LTD), residing in Eugene, Oregon. In 2022, Sarah left her position as Executive Director of a regional nonprofit to work in the trenches of homelessness as a case manager for one of Oregon’s largest low-barrier shelters. Now, Sarah is building new programs at LTD, navigating the intersection of transit, infrastructure, and those experiencing homelessness. Sarah received her bachelor's from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon and found her passion for humanitarian activism through statewide disaster response. Her leadership as chair of the Lane County COAD during one of Oregon’s most devastating wildfires launched her work advocating for those displaced and without a home. Recently, Sarah's community efforts garnered her a 2022 Vital Voices Visionary fellowship and the 2024 Oregon Women's Commission Woman of the Year award.

Xenia Dolovova

Furniture repair bank

Xenia Dolovova, Founder and Director of the Furniture Repair Bank, is a visionary leader dedicated to tackling furniture waste and promoting equitable access. After a decade in business and marketing across Europe and the Middle East, she pivoted her career in 2019 to address waste issues at Zero Waste Washington, where Xenia's commitment to sustainability shone through as she spearheaded research, community, and innovation initiatives before founding the first-in-the-nation Furniture Repair Bank, fostering a community of mighty, courageous, and empathic individuals.