November 18-20, 2025

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The solutions forward are in The Collective Sum.

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Introducing the cOLLECTIVE SUM

The first-ever Collective Summit is a premier gathering of leaders, organizations, and businesses committed to building community, making tangible impact, and shaping effective strategies for the times we are in. 

At The Collective Sum, we will tap into the regenerative spirit within our communities, get inspired by the genius of Black-led change, and focus on the possibilities before us.

In hard times and in good, community remains our greatest asset. The solutions forward are in The Collective Sum.

Join us in Minneapolis November 18–20, 2025 for an immersive experience exploring ideas and dreams at the intersection of culture, economic power, and civic engagement. Together, we’ll engage in conversations and tactics that are both responsive to and unyielding in the face of today’s challenges—all while caring for one another.

Registration has now closed.

For sponsorship opportunities, please check out our packet and reach out to Lulete Mola at Lulete@MNBlackCF.org.

Meet the speakers

MainStage SPEAKERS

  • Brandon Blackwood

    Founder, Creative Director and CEO, Brandon Blackwood New York

  • Tricia Hersey

    Founder, The Nap Ministry

    Presented in partnership with the African American Leadership Forum, as part of their Radical Black Futures series

  • Takema Robinson

    Executive Producer of The Perfect Neighbor and Co-Founder of Standing in the Gap Fund

  • Thomas A. Saenz

    President & General Counsel of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)

Best-in-Class Practitioners

  • Georgia Fort

    President, Center for Broadcast Journalism & BLCK Press

  • Shawntera Hardy

    CEO and Founder, Amethyst Advisory Group

  • Repa Mekha

    Founder & CEO, Nexus Community Partners, Co-Founder, Black Collective Foundation MN

  • Chanda Smith Baker

    President & CEO, St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation

  • JaNaé Bates

    Co-director, ISAIAH

  • Dara Beevas

    Chief Narrative Officer/Interim CEO, The African American Leadership Forum

  • Ray Hailey

    National Portfolio Manager, Amplify Lead, GreenLight Fund

  • Simone Hardeman-Jones

    Founding Executive Director, GreenLight Fund Twin Cities

  • Marlee James

    Founder, Reviving Roots Therapy & Wellness

  • Tish Johnson-Jones

    Executive Director, GreenLight Fund Greater Newark

  • Lulete Mola

    President and Co-founder, Black Collective Foundation MN

  • Adair Mosely

    CEO, Groundbreak Coalition

  • Bo Thao-Urabe

    Co-Founder and Chief Belief Officer, Rooted at Last

  • Camille A. Thomas

    Executive Coach and Strategist, Vision Investment

Experiential Curators

  • Charlesa Dixon

    Creative Director, Excellent Occasions

  • DJ Advance

  • Terresa Hardaway

    Black Garnet Books

  • Leesa Kelly

    Memorialize the Movement

  • Amira McLendon

    Memorialize the Movement

Summit Elements

  • Participants will join the Summit in delegations organized by shared experiences, sector, or geography. This model creates space for deeper relationship-building and continued community beyond
    the event.

  • Throughout the conference, you’ll navigate immersive experiences that engage the senses, spark joy, and nourish the spirit. This includes a community- rooted art exhibit, wellness stations for rest and care, performances, and interactive tools to explore our collective ecosystem and future.

  • Each track designed to provide practical, in-depth learning and insights aligned with the real challenges and opportunities facing leaders today including:

    • Infrastructure

    • Organizing & People

    • Emerging Frontiers

 why You Should Attend

  • Engage in advanced, beyond-the-basics learning opportunities led by best-in-class practitioners. Attendees will gain actionable insights and strategies to envision, protect and advance racial justice and community transformation.

  • Participate in a thoughtfully designed event that involves attendees in meaningful, transformative experiences. From guided learning tracks to shared cohort moments, every aspect is crafted for maximum impact. The event engages all five senses and nourishes the heart, body, and mind. Attendees will leave feeling inspired, joyful, connected, and re-energized for the work ahead.

  • Enjoy unstructured time to connect, reflect, and build relationships in a welcoming, communal atmosphere. The event fosters a sense of belonging, unity, and mutual care.

  • Be part of a "family reunion" and "homecoming" that centers and celebrates Black-led change. This is a space to honor the brilliance, resilience, and innovation of Black leaders and leaders of color while shaping a collective vision for the future.

agenda

agenda

DAY 1

Tuesday, November 18:
What Rest Really Is: Practicing Wellness, Renewal, and Collective Ease

12:00 p.m. - 6 p.m. CT

12 p.m. | Registration Open

1:00 p.m. | Delegation Meetup

2:00 p.m. | Opening Remarks

2:45 p.m. | Mainstage: “Rest is Resistance” with Tricia Hersey and Dara Beevas

4:00-6:00 p.m. | Welcome Reception

dAY 2

Wednesday, November 19:
Building the Blueprint: Culture, Strategy, and Collective Power

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT

8:30 a.m. | Doors Open - Breakfast + Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

9:35 - 10:30 a.m. | Mainstage: “National Legal Education & Defense” with Thomas A. Saenz

10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Learning Tracks With Best-in-Class Practitioners - Part 1:

  • Infrastructure

    • Shawntera Hardy - Ready, by Design: Strategies to Lead in Perpetual Change

  • Emerging Frontiers

    • Camille A. Thomas - Executive Coaching: The Cost of Capacity: Grief, Growth and Regenerative Leadership

  • Organizing & People

    • Thomas A. Saenz- MN LEAD Part 1: Laws, Executive Orders, & Questions Keeping Us Up at Night

12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Lunch + Immersive Experiences

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Learning Tracks With Best in Class Practitioners - Part 2:

  • Infrastructure

    • Shawntera Hardy - Ready, by Design: Strategies to Lead in Perpetual Change

  • Emerging Frontiers

    • Camille A. Thomas - The Cost of Capacity: Grief, Growth and Regenerative Leadership

  • Organizing & People

    • Repa Mekha and Bo Thao-Urabe - MN LEAD Part 2: How We Be— A Deep Dive with Repa and Bo

3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Mainstage:  “Storytelling Can Change Hearts, Minds, and Law” with Takema Robinson and Georgia Fort

DAY 3

Thursday, November 20:
Meeting the Future: Culture, Imagination, and Collective Possibility

8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT

8:30 a.m. | Doors Open & Breakfast

9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Learning Tracks with Best-in-Class Practitioners- Part 1: 

  • Infrastructure 

    • Simone Hardeman-Jones- Purposeful Scaling: Strategies to Expand and Sustain

  • Emerging Frontiers

    • Marlee James- Reviving Roots and the Call to Be Well

  • Organizing & People 

    • JaNaé Bates-The Science of Organizing: Building People, Power, and Possibility

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Learning Tracks with Best-in-Class Practitioners – Session 2: 

  • Infrastructure 

    • Simone Hardeman-Jones- Purposeful Scaling: Strategies to Expand and Sustain

  • Emerging Frontiers

    • Marlee James- Reviving Roots and the Call to Be Well

  • Organizing & People

    • JaNaé Bates-The Science of Organizing: Building People, Power, and Possibility

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Mainstage: The Culture Economy with Brandon Blackwood

2:00 p.m. | Portraits of Us: The Collective Send-Off — Music • Cocktails • Community

Accommodations

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