November 18-20, 2025

The solutions forward are in The Collective Sum.

Join Us.

About the cOLLECTIVE SUM

The first-ever Collective Summit, held November 18-20, 2025 in Minneapolis, was a 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.

The Collective Sum was our love letter to all the leaders holding our communities up. Over the three days of The Sum, nearly 400 of us came together to explore tangible ideas, tools, and connections. We tapped into the regenerative spirit within our communities, got inspired by the genius of Black-led change, and focused on the possibilities before us.

Attendees engaged in conversations and tactics at the intersection of culture, economic power, and civic engagement that are both responsive to and unyielding in the face of today’s challenges—all while caring for one another.

We look forward to having more Collective Sum gatherings in the future, so please check back for updates and ways to get involved. In the meantime, follow us on our socials (Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook) and check out the hashtag #TheCollectiveSum to see more highlights from the event.

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

“The Collective Sum has allowed me to feel vulnerable and open. This conference has helped me to replenish my heart, mind, body and spirit. Providing me the will that restored my ability to lead.”

— Attendee

TESTIMONIALS

“Having been in Minnesota a long time I know this kind of space is unprecedented in a way. But what the Collective Sum demonstrates is the hard work of Black Minnesotans, and Black led change here and how the work has helped Minnesota bloom into a space where we can be together and we can create something beautiful.”

— Attendee

“The rooms were filled with change-makers who are action-oriented. Witnessing that alone was timely, empowering, and shows community activators are in full swing to breakthrough.”

— Attendee

Relive the memories

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.

2025 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