April 20, 2023
Clayton Hall, University of Delaware
100 David Hollowell Dr.
Newark DE, 19716
8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
DANA 2023 IMPACT Delaware Annual Conference:
Unleashing Our Imagination and Power to Solve Big Problems
The past few years have proven our strength, power, and resilience as a sector. We had to immediately shift the way we worked to ensure that our constituents continued to receive the services and support they needed… and we continue to adapt through economic forces, new viral strains, and social and political unrest. Whether a school, community health center, museum or shelter – whatever type of nonprofit – we have all been invited to change and adapt.
And what successes we saw! Nonprofit organizations and voluntary associations across Delaware worked together to serve children, families, and communities through the pandemic.
So now what? What can we learn from the last few years that will inform what we do in the future? How can we as individuals and as organizations prepare ourselves for what comes next?
We will explore these questions at the DANA IMPACT Delaware Annual Conference.
Additional Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for the IMPACT Delaware Annual Conference. Contact Melissa Hopkins to discuss the benefits and available options – [email protected].
Exhibitor Opportunities
Hosting a table at the DANA IMPACT Delaware Annual Conference is a fantastic way to engage with hundreds of attendees who join us at the event. Exhibitors enjoy premium space to display their company information, as well as recognition through event materials at the event. Additionally, DANA provides each conference attendee with an Exhibitor Passport to encourage visitors to your booth. Completed Exhibitor Passports are then entered for a chance to win a $250.00 Amazon Gift Card.
8:30 a.m. – Conference Registration, Exhibitors and Networking Opens
9:15 a.m. – Conference Welcome
Seth Goldenberg – Keynote Speaker
Designer & Author of “Radical Curiosity“
Curiosity as a Leadership Imperative in an Era of Dynamic Change
One of today’s most original thinkers, Seth Goldenberg, blends modern-day philosophy, business strategy, and design thinking to challenge: How can we revive the lost art of asking essential questions to envision and realize flourishing futures? In this timely and compelling presentation, Goldenberg delivers impassioned guidance to leaders on how to lead through questions, not answers, to think beyond the short-term, and retain talent. He shares insightful case studies in the cultural landscape and champions how to install curiosity within the very operating system of organizations and our personal lives.
10:30 a.m. – Networking/Exhibitors
11:00 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
75 minutes each
Interested in more than one of our sessions but can’t split in two? No worries, we will be recording the four breakout sessions and will make them available to registrants after the conference.
Opportunities to Learn from Delaware Nonprofit Leaders and Experts to ask new questions in the following areas:
Radical Results Through Advocacy
Rebecca Byrd, Partner and General Counsel, ByrdGomes
Over half of the nonprofit sector revenue is sourced from government grants and contracts. Policies can create opportunities and barriers for nonprofits to achieve their visions. Advocacy and lobbying efforts can help nonprofits inform the regulations and influence funding allocations. However, there is a myth that nonprofits should not lobby. In this breakout session, Rebecca will help nonprofit leaders understand the possibilities for nonprofits to lobby and advocate, the distinction between the two, and how they can work together to help nonprofits influence government policies that impact the clients they serve.
Sponsored by:
![](https://delawarenonprofit.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/icon-climate.png)
Be Prepared: Climate Change and Impacts to Nonprofits & Those They Serve (Panel)
• Susan Love, Administrator, DNREC (Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control) Climate and Sustainability Programs
• Jill MacKenzie, Executive Director, Hagley Museum and Library
• Rashmi Rangan, Executive Director, Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council
• Moderator: A.J. Schall Jr., Director, Delaware Emergency Management Agency
Whether it is ongoing levels of extreme heat, rising water, or unpredictable storms, extreme climate conditions are on the rise. These effects impact not only the nonprofit organization but those they serve. In 2021, Hurricane Ida left devastation of property and lives in Wilmington. Unfortunately, rising heat, extreme temperature shifts, and storm events will become more frequent. This breakout session will provide insights on future climate trends, what lessons were learned on protecting property and people in the wake of past climate events, and how to build a resilient nonprofit by exploring the impact of extreme climate for their organization and those they serve.
Sponsored by:
![](https://delawarenonprofit.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DCF-New-Logo-1024x333.jpg)
![](https://delawarenonprofit.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/icon-comms.png)
Communications in Uncertain Times (Panel)
• Patti Grimes, Executive Director, Joshua M. Freeman Foundation
• Vikram Krishnamurthy, Executive Director, Delaware Center for Horticulture
• Caitlyn Ridgley, Communications Manager, Delaware Center for Horticulture
• Chelsea Warren, Director of Marketing, Joshua M. Freeman Foundation/Freeman Arts Pavilion
• Moderator: Patricia V Rivera, Chief Executive Officer, Hook PR & Marketing
Nonprofits must consider many different elements when it comes to communication: the audiences they serve, their donors, staff and volunteers, and the general public. Since the pandemic, many organizations have had to learn new ways of communicating – not just with each other, but with their target audiences as well. How do we reach our audiences? And with an ever-changing world, what do we discuss? How do we talk about these more complex topics, like climate and social justice…and should we? Engaging nonprofit audiences continues to be an ever-evolving communications opportunity. In this session, panelists will unpack strategic considerations and innovative approaches to connecting with their diverse stakeholders and highlight trends and new strategies for 2023 and beyond.
Sponsored by:
![](https://delawarenonprofit.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/YPTC-Logo_STANDARD-NAVY_30-Years-1024x617.png)
Leadership & Governance Through Transformative Growth
Logan S. Herring, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, The WRK Group
It starts with a vision but takes discipline, courage, community engagement, and a lot of resources to transform a community center into a redevelopment collaborative. Logan Herring, CEO of The WRK Group, comprised of Kingswood Community Center, The Warehouse, and REACH Riverside will share the journey their organization took, and lessons learned in leadership and governance to achieve the $600 million initiative to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement.
Sponsored by:
12:15 p.m. – Lunch
1:15 p.m. Pay for Success (Panel) – 60 minutes
• Samantha Mignotte, Director, Advisory Services, Social Finance
• Kirsten Olson, CEO, Children & Families First
• Charuni Patibanda, Economic Development Director, New Castle County
• Jerry Penrose, Controller, Longwood Foundation
• Moderator: Sheila Bravo, MBA, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, DANA
In other parts of the country, the private sector has partnered with the government to create Pay for Success initiatives—outcomes-based financing programs that directly and measurably improve lives by driving resources toward results. In 2018, Delaware passed legislation that paved the way for these social investment vehicles to be used in Delaware. The first New Castle County Pay for Success initiative was launched in 2022 with a partnership between Children & Families First, the Longwood Foundation, and New Castle County to expand access to high-quality prenatal and postnatal health care to 120 first-time, Medicaid-eligible mothers living in the county. Social Finance, a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit provided guidance to structure the partnership. Learn about Pay for Success, how the three organizations structured the investment, and lessons learned for other similar funding opportunities in Delaware.
Wrap Up
DANA will offer an update on initiatives for 2023 and beyond, including its legislative agenda for the remainder of the 2023 session.
2:30 p.m. – Conference Ends
BIOS
Seth Goldenberg is a thought leader working at the intersection of design, business, and culture, Seth Goldenberg is the founder and CEO of Curiosity & Co., a design studio invoking cultural change. Seth Goldenberg blends his diverse practices of philosophy, experience design, and storytelling in his energizing and forward-thinking presentations. He encourages his audiences to challenge commonly held beliefs, rethink our social systems, and envision more innovative business models. Prior to founding Epic Decade: Curiosity & Co., Seth Goldenberg was Executive Director of Massive Change, the Vice President at Bruce Mau Design, the interim chief marketing officer of the state of Rhode Island, the interim Chief Design Officer of the highest funded biotech start-up in history Intarcia Therapeutics, and founder and curator of the civic engagement program for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Goldenberg is the author of Radical Curiosity (August 2022), an immersive experience that presents a bold framework for individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive during a time of significant reinvention. He shares his strategic inquiry-based methodology to answer some of our most complex challenges and argues that because we value knowing above learning and prioritize doing over thinking, curiosity has become an endangered species.
Seth Goldenberg graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and has a Master’s degree from the Maine College of Art.
Sheila Bravo joined DANA as President and CEO in August 2015. She is the former Executive Director of the Rehoboth Art League in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Her professional experience spans nonprofit, for-profit, and academia. She began her career in advertising, then in brand leadership positions launching new products, expanding businesses internationally, and developing strategic growth plans for brands such as Vlasic Pickles, Godiva Chocolatier, Corelle Dinnerware, Corningware Ovenware and Pyrex bakeware. She transitioned to provide strategic planning, new product and leadership consulting services to mid-size companies and nonprofit organizations in a variety of industries. Her work led her to pursue a doctorate in leadership, specializing in non-profit governance. Bravo has a PhD in Organizational Leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a BS in Business and Languages from Millersville University. Sheila lives in Lewes.
Rebecca Byrd knows government, policy, and politics with the inside knowledge that comes from the broad experience of all three branches of government, and she combines it with the perspective of a lawyer.
Rebecca is a third-generation practitioner. Her grandmother was an aide to Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt, her father is Bob Byrd, and here she is to carry on the family tradition.
Rebecca was the deputy legal counsel to Governor Ruth Ann Minner and a deputy attorney general in the state Justice Department under Attorney General Beau Biden. She also clerked on the Delaware Supreme Court for Justices Carolyn Berger, Jack Jacobs, and Henry DuPont Ridgely and served as a liaison for the court to the General Assembly.
Rebecca is a member of the Delaware State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, where she is a member of the Business Law Section and its Government Affairs Committee. She is a graduate of the George Washington University and the Catholic University of America School of Law.
Patti Grimes is the Executive Director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. Based in Selbyville, DE, Patti leads the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation (JMFF) with a passion for arts, people and service. The Foundation serves communities all over Delmarva and beyond, focused intently on their purpose: creating opportunities to elevate the human spirit. Patti is a fierce advocate for the arts and passionately believes in the impact that the arts can make on quality of life for residents and visitors, in addition to being a source of hope and joy for the community. The organization has had an economic impact of more than $100 million for the local community since its first performing season in 2008. Since inception, the organization has impacted more than 700,000 people, including almost 200,000 students through the Arts in Education program. That success is made possible by the help of a strong Volunteer Corp who have served over 120,000 hours since 2008.
Patti’s service to others extends far beyond her day-to-day roles as Executive Director. Her leadership vision is to be a leader who inspires herself and others to make a greater impact beyond what is believed to be possible. She puts her vision into action in leadership roles for several organizations across the state, including Vice Chair for Delaware Technical Community College and serving on the Board of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement and the Board of Leadership Delaware.
Logan S. Herring, Sr. is the CEO of The WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center). Raised in Wilmington’s West Center City neighborhood, Logan knows that other people helped guide him to success, and his goal is to now, pay-it forward. Logan started his work in the Riverside neighborhood of Wilmington in 2016 as the Executive Director for Kingswood Community Center (KCC), which serves the young and old alike, including an early learning academy, before and after care, and senior center.
REACH Riverside (Redevelopment Education and Community Health) is a non-profit community development corporation created to lead the $575 million revitalization of the Riverside neighborhood under the nationally acclaimed, and Warren Buffett-funded, Purpose-Built Communities model, to include 700 units of mixed-income housing and a new state of the art KCC; REACH has been officially named as the nineteenth of twenty-eight network affiliates of Purpose-Built Communities.
Logan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Goucher College and a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Boston College.
Vikram Krishnamurthy has served as Delaware Center for Horticulture’s (DCH) executive director since September 2015, after having previously served as DCH’s tree program manager from 2002-2005. His current priorities for the organization include launching the new Delaware River Climate Corps program, continued development and strengthening of DCH’s Branches to Chances Return to Work program, and initiating a diversity, equity, and inclusion self-assessment process. Vikram serves on numerous boards and work groups, including the Delaware Recycling Public Advisory Council, Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, and Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank. Vikram holds an A.A.S. in Horticulture Technology from J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College, B.S. in Anthropology from James Madison University, and a Professional Certificate in Medicinal Plants from Cornell University.
Susan Love is the Administrator of the Climate and Sustainability Section of the Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy in the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. She directs programs to adapt to climate change, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable development policies throughout the state. Recently this work included the completion of the state’s first comprehensive Climate Action Plan and programs to facilitate electric vehicle deployment. Previously, she worked for the Delaware Coastal Programs, where she led the development of the state’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan.
Susan has worked in the public sector for 24 years and has significant experience conducting collaborative initiatives to solve emerging public policy issues.
Susan holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, both from the University of Delaware. She also holds an AICP accreditation from the American Planning Association.
Jill MacKenzie is the Executive Director of Hagley Museum and Library. Ms. MacKenzie holds a BA and MA in Communication from the University of Delaware and completed studies at the Getty Leadership Institute.
During her 40+ year tenure at Hagley, she managed several successful multi-million-dollar capital campaigns that provided for upgraded collections storage, a new Visitor Center entrance, and preservation efforts for the Eleutherian Mills residence and barn. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, and the water damage from flooding, she oversaw efforts to repair and enhance Hagley’s facilities to better withstand future weather events.
She has led exhibition development such as the recently opened Nation of Inventors exhibition and strategic planning that will take Hagley through 2026 with a refined mission to “inspire people to be innovative in their own lives.” In 2020, she was a “Delaware Women in Business” honoree.
Samantha Mignotte is a Director of Advisory Services at Social Finance, where she works with governments, non-profits, and investors to explore outcomes-based financing opportunities. At Social Finance, her work has been concentrated on programs that support health, homelessness, and early childhood development.
Before Social Finance, Samantha served as a Manager in Deloitte’s public sector strategy practice where she worked with U.S. government agencies and NGOs on enterprise strategy, performance management, and program evaluation. Through her work, she has guided senior-level officials in the development of strategic plans and the adoption of data-driven methods of program design and evaluation.
Samantha earned a master’s in public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College.
Kirsten Olson became CEO at Children and Families First in 2020 after holding several roles in the organization including grant writer, chief development officer, and chief strategy officer. Her organization is leading the Nurse Family Partnership Model designed to help first-time mothers access quality healthcare.
Ms. Olson is an appointed member of the Delaware Early Childhood Council and serves on Delaware’s Community Advisory Board for Home Visiting, and the Board of the Children’s Home Society of America. She has a B.A. in sociology from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, an Executive Leadership Certification from Social Current, and was a National School Justice Partnership Fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
As a native Delawarean, Charuni Patibanda’s passion is to serve her community and her state. As New Castle County Economic Development Director, Charuni prioritizes the development of an innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem and the health of NCC’s small business community. Specific focus is given to new job creation through supporting entrepreneurship, startup companies, expansion of existing small businesses, and revitalization of commercial corridors.
She currently oversees several New Castle County economic development initiatives in progress, including ARPA programs to benefit small businesses recovering after the pandemic, and was instrumental in negotiating New Castle County’s first-ever “Pay for Success” contracting to expand home visiting to first-time mothers.
Charuni received her law degree from Emory University and a BA/MA in Economics from the University of Southern California.
Jerry Penrose currently serves as the Controller for the Longwood Foundation Inc. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight of the accounting, financial, and investment activities of the Foundation. In addition to these duties, Jerry also supports the grantmaking team at the Foundation through a review of the financial documents provided with grant applications. Jerry was a key member of the planning team in setting up this pay-for-success program.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jerry spent seven years in the Asset & Wealth Management assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Jerry is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Pennsylvania and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Rashmi Rangan joined the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Inc. (DCRAC) in 1994 as its executive director. Her first exposure to economic disparity and gender inequity was as a child growing up in India. She learned the foundations of money management from her mother, who saved every extra rupee she could. When she immigrated to Delaware in 1988 (along with her husband and four-year-old daughter), she had $1,000 in savings and learned firsthand what it means to be poor in America. Those lessons have informed her advocacy and leadership at DCRAC which has grown from a pure advocacy organization to one that serves Delawareans through Money School, Law Firm, and Credit Union.
As Communications Manager, Caitlyn Ridgley uses her talent of the written and visual word to promote Delaware Center for Horticulture’s programs, events, and campus across print and digital channels. She is a graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in Advertising Art Direction and brings over 8 years of marketing and public relations experience representing multi-million-dollar brands. She joins DCH with her love of plants, the outdoors, and helping others.
Patricia V Rivera, a multicultural brand storyteller, excels at helping organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic build their brands with strategic messaging and content across multiple channels and in multiple languages. She founded Hook PR & Marketing in 2007 after an award-winning career in journalism, working for The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, and The News Journal. Recognitions include the 2018 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year Award from New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and the 2019 Delaware Minority-Owned Business of the Year Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Patricia, a native of Bolivia, fervently supports entrepreneurship among immigrants. She has served on boards of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, La Plaza Delaware, La Esperanza, Local Journalism Initiative and the Delaware Hispanic Commission.
A.J. Schall Jr. became the Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) in 2015 and in 2020 was also named the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor. Schall brings a background in public safety to the agency, complementing it with emergency management and corporate experience. Since becoming Director, DEMA has facilitated multiple State of Emergencies, FEMA Graded Exercises, and launched a UAV program. Notable accomplishments of 2019 are the revitalization of the Mitigation Program and the Agency’s first Accreditation through the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). In 2020 Director Schall has been instrumental in the Covid Pandemic; managing the testing, vaccination, and recovery programs. Director Schall graduated from Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois, and then attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He was Student Government President and in 1998 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.
Delaware native Chelsea Warren brings a decade of experience in marketing, with an in-depth specialization in social and digital media. Prior to returning home to DE, she worked for a social and digital media marketing agency in Nashville that partnered with nonprofits across the US to increase brand awareness and drive ticket sales to events, including concerts, rodeos, and music festivals.
As the Marketing Director for Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, Chelsea builds strategic marketing plans, including highly detailed communications, high-return advertising buys, and effective digital organic campaigns to best support the needs of the 3rd largest arts organization in the state. She is an advocate for arts access and focuses on driving awareness of the impact the arts have on individuals, communities, and the greater Mid-Atlantic region.
SPONSORS
Underwriting Sponsor
IMPACT Sponsor
Keynote Sponsor
Technology Sponsor
Lunch Sponsor
Breakout Sponsors
Media Sponsor
Showcase Exhibitors
Exhibitors
- AFP Brandywine Chapter
- Barbacane, Thornton & Company
- Belfint Lyons & Schuman
- Blackwell HR Solutions
- Breakwater Accounting & Advisory
- CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc.
- CBM Insurance
- Cover and Rossiter
- DE Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce
- Delaware Business Times
- Delaware Division of Libraries
- Delaware Nurses Association
- Delaware Public Media
- Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility – Energize Delaware
- Eventive Productions
- First Ascent Design
- Freedom Center for Independent Living
- Hook PR & Marketing
- Humane Animal Partners Delaware
- IFS Benefits
- JP Morgan Chase
- Mallard Financial Partners, Inc.
- Shoestring Solutions for Nonprofits
- Social Finance
- Strategic Tax Planning
- The Fund Coach, LLC
- Whisman Giordano & Associates LLC
- Wilmington University
- Your Part-Time Controller
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