This is a powerful moment to be advancing social and environmental health in the United States, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the health inequities exacerbated by coronavirus and the significant economic hardships facing Americans. As powerful as this moment is, if we are not careful in how we make the case for our work and how we shift the narratives that constrain public support, we can miss the opportunity to mobilize new supporters and catalyze much needed resources. Or worse, we can have our efforts to engage people in our work backfire. In this session, Dr. Tiffany Manuel will introduce us to the principles of Strategic CaseMaking™ and help us understand how to leverage this moment to build the broader public and political will we need to move forward.

We are living in a powerful moment in history. Leaders across our country are being challenged to embrace equity and inclusion in new and meaningful ways. Some are new to this journey, while others have been using an equity lens for some time and are excited to use this opportunity to reinforce their commitment to that work. Wherever you are on this journey, advancing racial equity and inclusion in the places where we work has the power to transform the future of our country. At the same time, and the work to advance racial equity and inclusion will move faster with a stronger groundswell of support. In this keynote presentation, DrT will share proven strategies for advancing equity in all aspects of our work.

Justice is a journey, not a destination. In this presentation that has gotten thousands of changemakers excited to reimagine how justice wins, DrT outlines her 10 Powerful Leadership Principles. Together, the principles represent DrT’s unique approach to making deep, systemic change: Strategic CaseMaking™, an evidence-based approach that strengthens your call-to-action, brings new champions forward, and aligns your stakeholders around your systems change strategy. DrT shows leaders how to pull others forward to see their stake in a better future and inspire change. You’ll leave this presentation ready to roll!

Home is where the heart is, and housing is a foundational need in every community. But advocates and allies in communities across the nation are struggling to build public support for the deep investment in housing needed to meet the needs of teachers and firefighters, business owners and workers, young families, and grandparents. In this popular and rousing keynote, DrT lays out proven strategies used successfully in hundreds of housing campaigns across the country. She starts by explaining how public audiences think about housing; how and why traditional messages about the need for more housing backfire; and what language works to change the narrative. And she gives tried-and-true pointers on how to counter the thorny challenges of community opposition to affordable housing.

Across the country, efforts to end homelessness and supply abundant and affordable housing are gaining traction. The sheer scale of the challenges facing average Americans in finding decent housing is pushing these issues onto the national and local political agendas. Yet messages meant to advance homelessness often backfire and the deals being brokered to address affordable housing often leave unsheltered populations out in the cold. Building public and political will to move transformative solutions forward – especially those that have an equity lens – remains tough. In this keynote, DrT, will talk about 10 powerful leadership principles that will help justice seekers foster stronger community engagement and multi-sector alignment in ways that allow us to take advantage of building momentum and American’s deep-seated desire to see an end to homelessness.

We all want every child to have a good healthy start in life that leads to thriving adulthood. And early childhood professionals and educators know firsthand the need for more public investment to support equitable access to high-quality services and supports for families with infants and toddlers. Sharing experiences with policymakers, educators and community leaders can be an important catalyst for change. DrT shares her expertise in powerfully and intentionally making the case to improve systems. With a strong focus on racial equity and inclusion, Dr. T will share 10 powerful leadership principles that can help you to effectively advocate for what infants, toddlers, and families in your community need.

CaseMaking—narrative that builds the collective will for social change by tapping into people’s aspirations and hopes for the future—has won big gains on racial, gender, and economic justice issues in the past. But today, in a changed cultural environment, many gains have been challenged and, to varying extents, undone. In this unique and inspiring presentation, based on her Nonprofit Quarterly article, DrT shares what one of her favorite novels, Octavia Butler’s classic time-travel story Kindred, teaches us about how to make the case for justice during times of conservative retrenchment. She’ll share five ways to strengthen our narratives and tell more durable stories—so we don’t have to repeat the past so often when it comes to the many important ways our country must move forward.

DrT and her team at TheCaseMade offer leadership and professional development workshops for a variety of industries including housing, health care, education, the environment, gun violence prevention, and other justice issues.