Executive Director Caryl M. Stern delivers the opening keynote at Learning & Leading Together: The Next Five Years

2020 was a year like no other. Before we can plan for the future, we must understand the present. Raj Chetty, Lonnie G. Bunch III, Jennifer Morris and David Brooks offer perspectives on the state of our nation as it relates to the most important topics of today.

2020 marked the anniversary of two historically seismic and unprecedented disasters that forever changed the city of New Orleans - Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill.

Northwest Arkansas has earned a deserved reputation as one of the best places to live in the country. But not everyone can benefit from all Northwest Arkansas has to offer. A commitment to ensuring growth, and the opportunities it offers, is inclusive, will help the region through a recovery period and build a vibrant economy.

How are environmental reporters thinking about this moment, when there is so much at stake but also so much potential? What do they predict will be this year’s biggest headlines? Our panel of reporters answers all of this and more.

Sanford Johnson, Mississippi Executive Director of Teach Plus, delivers a keynote address at Learning & Leading Together: The Next Five Years.

Collaboration isn't always easy, but it's always worth it. At the Walton Family Foundation, we are committed to developing innovative approaches and building new partnerships that bring people, resources and ideas together.

Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson unveils new research findings, and Millennials and Gen Zers talk about their plans to make the change they want to see.

Lasting progress and meaningful change require solutions that are community-developed and community-championed. Author Arthur Brooks will offer ideas for how to work together across lines of difference. Conversations with two leaders will discuss how they led community-driven change.

The next five years will be guided by immense determination and optimism about what’s possible. Speakers will shine a spotlight on the issues and perspectives that will be confronted and elevated - racial equity, economic mobility, innovation, collaboration - over the next five years and beyond.

Strong coalitions can empower social change across all sectors through shared purpose and resources. Community leaders share their unique experiences working with coalitions that leverage existing assets and public momentum to drive solutions and build cohesive communities.

We’re in one of the most consequential moments in history but one that also allows us to break from the past and innovate for the future. What does this mean for the conservation movement, and what lessons apply to other challenges?

The most innovative approaches require new partnerships that bring people, resources and ideas together - across government, communities and the private sector. Panelists share what it will take to build coalitions and networks of collaborators over the next five years.

Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. Groundbreaking research from Echoing Green and Bridgespan Group reveals race remains a defining factor when looking at which organizations get funded and how much they receive.

Executive Director Caryl M. Stern delivers closing remarks at Learning & Leading Together: The Next Five Years

With an enduring commitment to continual improvement, we are given a fresh opportunity to learn from our grantees in the field and multiply our collective impact through bold and collaborative work.