Circles USA 2021 Conference Booklet

Leadership Conference April 19–23, 2021

CONFERENCE BOOKLET

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BREAKTHROUGH PURPOSE

Conference Welcome & Goals Jamie Haft

Circles USA’s executive director, Jamie Haft, will set the stage for our time together this week. Come hear more about our Breakthrough conference theme and the goals of the sessions we’ve curated for you.

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BREAKTHROUGH UNDERSTANDING

The Racial Wealth Gap Florence French Fagan

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BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP

Q&A with Circle USA’s Board Jamie Haft, Joan Kuriansky, Jim Masters, Scott Miller, Jennifer Pelling, Christy Vines

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How can we better understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth? Bread for the World’s Racial Wealth Gap learning simulation explores how federal policies, such as property ownership and education, have affected communities of color. (Since February 2020, this learning simulation has been facilitated at Circles USA’s quarterly Hands-On Training for new staff and volunteers.) As the Florida State Organizer with Bread for the World, Florence French Fagan will reflect on how the pandemic exposed the barriers that trap people in poverty and changed mindsets about why poverty exists. She will also address how nonprofit organizations like Circles can get involved in civic engagement and policy change.

Meet Circles USA’s Board of Directors to learn about each person’s passions, skills, and experiences. Hear about their aspirations for the organization. Please bring your questions.

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BREAKTHROUGH POLICY

The American Rescue Plan Act Jim Masters

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BREAKTHROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

Welcome Reception “Speed Dating”

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The American Rescue Plan Act coupled with the previous COVID legislation creates new policies and programs comparable to the number and scope of what took place in the War on Poverty in the 1960s. There are several new income support payments related to children, an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, payment in part of overdue rent, payment for water bills (like those for heating under LIHEAP), extended unemployment benefits, and additional support for obtaining health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Circles USA board member Jim Masters will summarize what’s known about how to benefit from these new policies and programs.

In this interactive session, we'll use Zoom Breakout Rooms to host numerous small group discussions. Please check to make sure that your camera and microphone are working.

Here are discussion prompts: •

In what way are you hoping to have a "breakthrough" this week?

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What are your goals for this conference?

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BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS

Working Past the Cliff Effect Dave Altig, Jamie Haft, Karen Schoellkopf

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BREAKTHROUGH PARTNERS

Career and Financial Coaching to Mitigate Benefits Cliffs: The CLIFF Planner Alex Ruder

Leap Fund's Benefits Cliffs with a User-Centered Lens Karen Schoellkopf

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This panel will feature Circles USA’s partnerships with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Leap Fund. The Cliff Effect occurs when a pay raise at work triggers a disproportionate loss of government assistance. This panel will provide an overview of the issue and the unique approach being pursued by each partner. The Atlanta Fed created an online planner for individuals to compare different jobs and create a long-term budget to overcome the Cliff Effect. Leap Fund created a calculator for recipients of public benefits to determine if they will hit a cliff, when it will happen, and how long it will take to recover.

This session will be a demonstration of the CLIFF Planner created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The CLIFF Planner is a career comparison and budgeting tool that shows how different career choices impact public assistance receipt over multiple years of a worker’s career. The CLIFF Planner customizes results for users by taking into account family composition, training duration, scholarships and grants, occupational choice, certain financial assets, and public assistance receipt. Career and financial coaches can use the CLIFF Planner to adjust clients’ budgets and include additional financial supports that mitigate benefits cliffs, improving clients’ financial path into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.

This session will be a discussion about Leap Fund’s Calculator Program: how the calculator is being used on the ground and why coaching is integral; how people most affected by the problem are incorporated in every part of the Leap Fund product cycle; and insights from both the pilot program and early learnings from our beta program.

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BREAKTHROUGH SYSTEMS

Poverty Alleviation Dion Banks, Scott Miller, Jen Nibley, Jen Schmohe

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BREAKTHROUGH TOOLS

Map Your Community’s Poverty Reduction System Julie Justice, Britanee Montano

Host a Poverty Symposium Jen Schmohe

Analyze Your Labor Workforce Dion Banks

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How do we create an entirely new system that is accountable to alleviating poverty in our communities? How does the money, accountability, and the community’s array of programming become aligned with the goal of supporting people through all five stages of becoming economically well? Circles USA’s founder, Scott Miller, will provide an overview and update on the development of CUSA’s poverty alleviation research projects. Through a panel discussion, we’ll highlight the pioneering work of four Circles communities: MD, NM, UT, and WI.

Explore the tool created by Arrive Utah and Circles Carbon County to crowdsource and catalogue services for families experiencing poverty.

What is the process for identifying key partners in the community and then bringing them together at one table to align the vision for poverty reduction across agencies and sectors? Join Jen Schmohe from Circles Green Bay, WI, to learn about their process to start connecting the silos and create a focus for county-wide impact.

How do you analyze your labor workforce and connect your chapter to employers? Join Dion Banks from Circles Dorchester, MD, to learn more about this process.

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BREAKTHROUGH JOBS

Greenville Entrepreneurial Program: Circle Leaders Starting Their Own Business as a Way to Exit Poverty Bruce Forbes, Diandra Pestana

Connecting with Employers through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Sherri Brown

Post-Pandemic Job Recovery Kim Godin

This strategy can be used in Circles to help households exit poverty and thrive. We will share lessons learned about how to best support your Circle Leaders who endeavor to be entrepreneurs.

The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit benefits employers who hire people who most need a job. Qualified employees include recipients of unemployment benefits, TANF, SSI and food stamps, as well as veterans who are short-term or longterm unemployed and formerly incarcerated people, among others. Employers can receive $2,400-$9,000 per qualified employee. This workshop will explain the WOTC as well as give you ideas on how to use it to connect with local employers.

Using Workforce Development information, Circles Canada is preparing Leaders for post-pandemic job recovery— addressing many challenges including the new virtual recruitment process and increased employer expectations.

Kim Godin, Circles Canada National Coordinator, will share helpful insights in preparing job-seeking Leaders.

BREAKTHROUGH ENGAGEMENT

Every Year Is an Election Year Sandi Wallace

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Many people dread voting because they aren’t empowered with the information they need to be an informed and confident voter. That is especially true for local elections.

Learn how your chapter can use this odd-numbered year— with no national elections—to empower your community and build a culture of civic engagement.

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Supporting Each Other as Agents of Change

In this interactive session, we'll use Zoom Breakout Rooms to host numerous small group discussions. Please check to make sure that your camera and microphone are working.

Here are discussion prompts:

“Speed Dating”

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What motivates you to continue seeking change?

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What changes do you want to see in your community?

BREAKTHROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

BREAKTHROUGH CHANGE

The Power of Empathy in Creating Systems-Level Change Christy Vines

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BREAKTHROUGH ORGANIZING

Introduction to the Big View Kamatara Johnson

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How can empathy help people navigate change, strengthen collaboration, promote innovation, and transform conflict?

How can people master the critical skill of empathic intelligence as a catalyst for human flourishing and social transformation? Circles USA board member Christy Vines will share frameworks and resources from her work at Ideos—a community of practice working to engage the norms of empathy and justice in areas of political, ideological, and social divisions and conflict. Ideos is the founder and sponsor of the January 5th National Day of Dialogue. We look forward to our Circles chapters participating in 2022.

How can Circles chapters use their Big View teams for issue-based organizing? Join us for an intro to the Big View before diving into this afternoon’s working sessions on particular issues affecting poverty.

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BREAKTHROUGH ISSUES

Big View Working Session on Quality Jobs Vicky Schwoeffermann

Big View Working Session on Health Care Lynette Fields, Adam Hartnett

Big View Working Session on Quality Housing Jen Nibley

Big View Canada Overview Kim Godin

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Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

Circles Canada will showcase the past 10 years of tackling systemic change through the Big View model. They will explore their work on food insecurity, transportation, microcredit loans, political engagement, and more.

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BREAKTHROUGH ISSUES

Big View Working Session on Transportation Bruce Forbes, Michael Hildebrand, Ame Sanders

Big View Working Session on Childcare TaRhonda Harvey, TaQuoya Scott Woodson

Big View Working Session on Credit and Lending Sherri Brown

Big View Canadian Working Session 2:00

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Kim Godin

Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

Join other chapters in this working session to learn more about this particular issue and experience a potential process for exploring the issue with your community.

For members of Circles Canada, this working session will offer time for you to share insights, strategies, and solutions for Big View work in Canada. This is a closed session for Canadian chapters only.

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BREAKTHROUGH SUSTAINABILITY

Addressing Staff Burnout Through Mindset Shifts Franceria Moore

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This presentation will feature The Prosperity Agenda’s FamilyCentered Coaching. Audience members will be invited to interrogate the ways in which they view the families they serve in an effort to bring awareness to how their experience, bias, and organizational culture may be causing severe fatigue. For human service providers and their leaders, it offers important insights into the benefits of switching to a coaching mindset with a full family focus, as well as suggested methods for navigating the case management and coaching mindsets.

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNIQUES

Meditation for Personal Breakthroughs Lise Porter

Virtual Recruiting TaRhonda Harvey, TaQuoya Scott Woodson

Using mindfulness meditation techniques and guided imagery, this will be an experiential practice focused on transforming stress and limiting beliefs that hold us back. Join us for a thirtyminute process centering on personal breakthroughs and growth. No prior meditation experience is necessary.

This session will outline ways to recruit Circle Leaders and Circle Allies virtually, as we leverage all we have learned from connecting with people throughout the pandemic.

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP

Calling All Visionaries Scott Miller

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If you identify as a visionary, rather than a facilitator or practitioner as described in Circles training materials, then this session is for you. Circles USA’s founder, Scott Miller, will lead a discussion on the unique challenges of functioning in full visionary mode. Bring your passion as well as your angst in making the world a better place for everyone.

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BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS

Enhancing Virtual Meetings for Engaging Adult Learning Adam Hartnett, Bonita Thomas

LGBTQ2S+ Community: Creating Safe Spaces Martine Creasor

Creativity Fostering Transformation Lise Porter

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Join the staff of Circles Winter Garden to explore how to use virtual platforms to run successful, well-attended weekly meetings. Learn what the technology has to offer, some extra helpful tools, and how we recommend running some of the specific types of meetings in Circles.

LGBTQ2S+ people who are wanting to access your services are looking for an indication they are welcomed. People may believe that you are unsafe until proven otherwise.

Join Martine Creasor from Circles Lambton, Canada, for a story of lived experiences and tips to foster inclusivity.

The conference theme is breakthrough, but how do we transcend personal, professional, and systemic limitations?

This workshop centers on creativity as a fundamental tool for personal and organizational change and healing. Join us for a discussion on how creativity serves as a superpower and to tap into your own!

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BREAKTHROUGH EXPANSION

Regional Hubs and the Power of a Regional Community of Practice Lynette Fields, Kamatara Johnson, Jen Nibley

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Explore the concepts of expansion, regional hubs, and regional communities of practice with Jen Nibley, director of Arrive Utah, and Lynnette Fields, director of Poverty Solutions Group, who both have directed expansion efforts and organized regional hubs with Circles USA. Learn the benefits of expansion and the power of a region in this presentation and discussion.

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BREAKTHROUGH POLICIES

Gender Equitable Recovery Dr. C. Nicole Mason

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BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH

A University Partner Uses Statistics to Analyze Data from Circles USA Courtney Cowan, Justin Denny, Abia Sebaka

Evaluating the Impact of Family-Centered Coaching at GST Michigan Works!

Daan De Jong

BREAKTHROUGH RESILIENCY Inspiration from a Circles Family 10:30 11:30 12:30

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What is the impact of the economic crisis and recession on women, their families, and communities? What can we do to build toward a future of shared prosperity and equitable economic recovery? As president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), Dr. C. Nicole Mason will reflect on the challenges and opportunities of this present moment. Dr. Mason will share a blueprint for a gender-equitable recovery that is not only about meeting the immediate economic needs of women and families but lays out a long-term strategy for creating stronger systems and institutions that reflect the experiences and contributions of women in the workforce, in society, and to their families.

Nicole and Sophia Spencer

Abia Sebaka, Courtney Cowan, and Justin Denny summarize their findings from a secondary data analysis of the Circles USA Ending Poverty Program by the University of Western Australia. This analysis compares characteristics of Circles Leaders against gains in economic progress after the completion of the 12-week class in order to inform future strategic planning efforts by Circles USA. This presentation by The Prosperity Agenda will cover the evaluation of the integration of family-centered coaching (FCC) skills, tools, and mindset at GST Michigan Works! from the perspective of their coaches and program participants.

For human service providers, it offers important insights into the benefits and challenges of FCC during an unprecedented time in the country.

Using skills honed in Circles, Circle Leader graduate Nicole encouraged her daughter Sophia to overcome bullying and pursue her passion. Come hear Sophia share her journey of writing an inspiring children’s book, The Bug Girl, based on her true story and featured on Good Morning America and The Steve Harvey Show.

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BREAKTHROUGH DATA

Turning Information Into Insight Britanee Montano Irvine

Collecting numbers and information can be an intimidating task, especially when numbers feel binding and information can be sensitive. In Circles, we do a lot of informationgathering! Through the use of reports and forms, testimonials and stories we are constantly sharing and exchanging information. During this session we will talk about: intentionally tracking information, interpreting information to create insights, using the insights to create actions, and how to share actions or insights in meaningful ways.

BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS

Boosting and Balancing Fundraising Efforts Kristin Blalock

Circles RVA’s Development Team had a breakthrough year in 2020, exceeding their fundraising goal by over 30%. They successfully integrated ongoing fundraising efforts with outreach and recruitment, allowing for consistent messaging that reached a wide range of audiences. This presentation is intended to be a working session. Circles RVA will share their lessons learned while holding space for you to generate and share ideas specific to your chapter’s fundraising needs.

BREAKTHROUGH PRACTICES

Implicit Bias: Introducing a New Mindset 12:00

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Maxine Thomas

This session will support you to identify implicit bias, increase your self-awareness, stay focused on desired positive outcomes, and champion relationship-building for families, in the workplace, in the community, and other networking areas.

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BREAKTHROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

Closing Connections “Speed Dating”

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BREAKTHROUGH CONFERENCE

Closing Reflections and Network Awards Jamie Haft, Kamatara Johnson

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In this interactive session, we'll use Zoom Breakout Rooms to host numerous small group discussions. Please check to make sure that your camera and microphone are working.

Here are discussion prompts: •

What are your key conference take-aways?

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What were your breakthroughs?

Join us for an interactive discussion about what we learned this past week, and let's consider how to put our "breakthroughs" into action. Plus, we’ll continue our conference tradition of celebrating network awards at the closing session.

FEATURED PRESENTERS DAVE ALTIG is the director of research and an executive vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Among his Bank responsibilities, he is an executive sponsor of the Bank’s strategic priority on economic mobility and resilience and oversees its Advancing Careers initiative.

Dave is also an adjunct professor of economics in the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and is currently the vice president of the National Association for Business Economics.

SHERRI BROWN has been executive director of Circles of Troup County in LaGrange, GA, since it began in 2012.

Previously, she was a reporter for 19 years.

DION BANKS, a lifetime member of the Dorchester County NAACP and graduate of Leadership Maryland, has served on the Cambridge, MD, Pine Street and Economic Steering Committees and the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board and also co-founded Cambridge's Eastern Shore Network for Change. He was a host of the White House Roundtable on Renewable Energy for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a diplomacy speaker with the U.S. Department of State's Speaker Program for the Bureau of International Information Programs. Dion is the program director for Circles Dorchester County.

MARTINE CREASOR works for social services in Canada, helping their most vulnerable populations. She is the proud mother of 22-year-old triplets. She has been living her truth since the age of 15, and she has learned many great things along her journey—parenting children in a same-sex relationship, inclusivity and equity, and the need for “safe space” for our LGBTQ+ friends.

KRISTIN BLALOCK is the community coordinator for Circles RVA. Kristin transitioned from a career in human resource consulting to the nonprofit world, bringing key project management and internal/external communication skills. Her focus at Circles RVA is outward, coordinating community-wide support for the Circles model.

DAAN DE JONG specializes in collaborating with human services organizations and system actors to improve their programs through design and evaluation methods; anchored in the wisdom of impacted families.

He is continuously refining The Prosperity Agenda’s design and evaluation processes to test program-related assumptions, include contrasting perspectives, and surface emergent insights in the face of ambiguity and complexity. He authored “Low-income Families Guide Innovation: Application of Human-Centered Design,” which was published in the Journal of Participatory Research Methods. Since joining TPA in 2017, Daan has worked extensively with public and private partners in seven states and over 30 communities across the Unites States. He has a background in human-centered design, qualitative and systems evaluation methods, and European studies.

FEATURED PRESENTERS Associate Professor JUSTIN DENNY is based within the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia and continues and continues to maintain his appointment in the United States with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) as the Kathryn Robertson Professor of Global Health. Through both roles he brings a connection for his students to global health partners in Southeast Asia from his prior engagements with the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

LYNETTE FIELDS comes to Poverty Solutions Group (PSG) with over 30 years of cross-community work experience.

She has a bachelor’s in pre-theology from the University of Evansville and a master’s of social work from the University of Michigan. She is excited about being a part of an emerging movement across the country that is shifting the conversation and work from poverty management to poverty reduction.

BRUCE FORBES is special projects coordinator with SHARE, a nonprofit Community Action Agency serving low-income households in four counties in upstate South Carolina. He oversees their Circles Greenville County program, which has operated since 2015 because of their great partnership with Buncombe Street United Methodist Church.

FLORENCE FRENCH FAGAN is the Florida state organizer with Bread for the World, a non-partisan, faith-based advocacy organization focused on ending hunger. French Fagan mobilizes people across Florida to advance equitable policies for reducing hunger. As a member of Circles Central Florida’s Big View Team, she recently brought Circle Leaders to a virtual town hall to share their experiences with local policy makers. She is passionate about helping people change their understanding of why poverty exists and discover ways to make a positive difference.

KIM GODIN is the national coordinator for Circles Canada and local coordinator for Lambton Circles within the County of Lambton, Ontario. Kim brings over 30 years of experience in social services, community development and engagement—having worked to serve the most vulnerable families, children, and youth. Over her career, Kim has served as manager of employment strategies for the Social Services Department within the City of London, past director of Programs and Community Development for Youth Opportunities Unlimited; and past director of a residential young offender’s facility. Kim is thrilled to be a part of the dynamic Circles team.

As executive director for Circles USA, JAMIE HAFT directs the strategic planning and operational functions of the organization and leads key programs. She began at Circles USA as deputy director, guiding high-impact strategies related to fundraising and research. She came to Circles USA with more than ten years of professional experience building national coalitions for social justice, community organizing, and multimedia storytelling.

ADAM HARTNETT holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Florida State University with a focus on social policy and program administration. Adam has ten years of experience in human services and development specifically with a focus on homelessness, youth development, family violence, LGBTQ+ inclusion, community development, poverty reduction, and social equity and inclusivity. Seven of those ten years have been spent supporting or leading Circles Central Florida, a multilocation chapter and regional training hub that supports Circles chapters across the southeastern United States.

FEATURED PRESENTERS As the director of the Upstate Mobility Alliance, MICHAEL HILDEBRAND’s role is to lead the Alliance in achieving the vision of making the 10-county Upstate South Carolina region “a vibrant and connected region, where transportation policy and investments promote innovation, sustainable development, and economic prosperity for all residents and businesses.” Michael is a graduate of Columbia Southern University, where he received a bachelor’s degree and an MBA in international management.

TaRHONDA HARVEY is a Circles Palm Beach County Coach for Pathways to Prosperity in Boynton Beach, FL. Aside from working as a part-time Circles Coach, she is a full-time entrepreneur. Owner of Kolmio Global Inc. and creator of Bosses In Power®, TaRhonda Harvey is passionate about ensuring that business owners at every stage have access to the resources and tools needed to create the business of their dreams.

As chief learning officer for Circles USA, KAMATARA JOHNSON is responsible for communications, curriculum, coaching, and training for the national network. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and has 25 years of experience teaching inner-city high school English.

She is happy to continue her efforts in supporting families out of poverty through education and community building.

JULIE JUSTICE’s career in family services began over twenty years ago as a volunteer at Head Start while earning her bachelor’s degree in social work. She is employed with Rural Utah Child Development (RUCD) in southeastern Utah. RUCD has provided her with a broad range of training and experience doing what she enjoys most— helping people identify and build on their strengths. She became a certified trainer in family development in 2005. In her current role as comprehensive services coordinator, Julie loves working with her team to develop and monitor systems to remove barriers and improve family outcomes that lead to child success.

JOAN KURIANSKY, Circles USA board chair, served as executive director of Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), working nationally to achieve economic independence for women and girls throughout their lifetime. Between 1987 and 1994, Joan was executive director of the Older Women’s League (OWL), a national advocacy and membership organization that addresses issues facing women as they age. Long involved in the battered women’s movement on the local, national, and international levels, Joan served on President Clinton’s Advisory Council on Violence Against Women between 1995 and 2001. She is a recipient of the Ms. Foundation’s “Women of Vision” Award. Joan holds a JD and MA in urban affairs.

Dr. C. NICOLE MASON is the president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), a leading voice on pay equity, economic policies, and research impacting women. For the past two decades, Dr. Mason has spearheaded research on issues relating to economic security, poverty, women’s issues, and entitlement reforms; policy formation and political participation among women, communities of color, and youth; and racial equity. Dr. Mason is the author of Born Bright: A Young Girl’s Journey from Nothing to Something in America (St. Martin’s Press).

JIM MASTERS has been a friend of Circles since its inception. He has worked with over 500 Community Action Agencies and Head Start programs since 1966. He has provided strategic planning and administrative oversight support as a board member for the past several years.

FEATURED PRESENTERS Since the late 1970s, SCOTT MILLER has initiated numerous projects in North America to help families and communities more effectively address poverty. As the founder of Circles USA, he has spent decades developing tools and best practices for helping low-income people navigate their way out of poverty for good. Scott is the author of several books about poverty reduction.

BRITANEE MONTANO IRVINE received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Utah in 2015.

She’s been working in the social services field for ten years.

In her undergraduate practicum with Utah Foster Care she recruited and trained families interested in becoming foster parents. She helped start the Circles Salt Lake Chapter and was the Coach for the first year of its operation before joining the Arrive Utah team. Britanee’s background in the social services field helps her interpret the data she finds and better support the Circles chapters by understanding the barriers they have directly working with families in poverty, as well as the barriers they may encounter advocating for change at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels.

As the Learning Manager at The Prosperity Agenda, FRANCERIA MOORE specializes in designing and facilitating learning experiences for partitions across many sectors in human services. Since joining TPA in 2019, she has focused on intensifying the lens of racial equity in service deliver programs that serving families experiencing poverty, as well as leading the design of online, interactive, training experiences that support organizations in the actualization of establishing a whole-family, twogenerational approach by working with organizations from conception to the development of a professional community of practice. She has a background in experiential learning, strategic organizational leadership, family-centered coaching, and equitable organizational training design and facilitation.

JEN NIBLEY has worked in regional and statewide nonprofits for more than 20 years, most of her career focusing on poverty alleviation strategies. She is director of Arrive Utah and is a Circles USA regional trainer. Jen is also a certified trainer/facilitator in related topics, such as Bridges Out of Poverty, Workplace Stability, Job Lingo, Outward Mindset, Outward Leadership, and more. She is especially excited about her recent teacher certification in Breathwork, which she teaches for her own personal enjoyment outside of work hours. Jen has a BA in public relations from Brigham Young University and has studied in Gonzaga University's combined master’s program in communications and leadership.

JENNIFER PELLING is a director with the Tsuha Foundation. Her work experience includes consulting for several large corporations, teaching at a public charter school, and projects in theatrical arts. She is inspired by people's stories and how relationships help people make significant, positive changes in their lives. She also serves on the Circles USA board, actively leading many projects that have enhanced our curriculum and marketing.

LISE PORTER is a licensed marriage and family therapist, drama therapist, actor, and author. Her book, Own Your Life: How Our Wounds Become Our Gifts, was published in 2017, and her website is liseporter.com.

FEATURED PRESENTERS ALEX RUDER is a principal adviser in community and economic development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. His work focuses on workforce development, economic development, and higher education.

AME SANDERS is founder of Circles Greenville County, SC, and president of State of Inclusion, Inc., a start-up focused on building more inclusive and equitable communities. Previously she worked as a digital and marketing executive with Michelin NA. Her volunteer roles focus on helping families, children, and communities succeed, including roles as an Ally and Big View volunteer in Circles Greenville County.

JEN SCHMOHE has been a leader in the social service sector since 2005. Green Bay Community Church joined Circles USA in 2016, launching their first cohort in 2017. As the program director of Circles Green Bay, WI, Jen truly enjoys the adventure of attracting volunteers and Circle Leaders to a path of restoration and prosperity. Jen has also begun pioneering work across her county, as she brings key community partners together to foster prosperity for all of Brown County, WI.

KAREN SCHOELLKOPF is the founder of Leap Fund, and an end-to-end product lead, with experience on projects for Samsung, Target, Verizon, Meetup, Spotify, the American Medical Association, Harvest, Justworks, and more. She received an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and a BA from Binghamton University. She is a fellow at Sterling Network, whose mission is to enhance economic mobility across NYC. She has spoken about benefits cliffs and fintech solutions to policy failures at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; NYS CDFI Conference; Episcopal Community Services Forum on Justice and Opportunity; and the Ideas42 Behavioral Summit.

Born and raised in Boston, MA, VICKY SCHWOEFFERMANN earned her BA in criminal justice and master’s in human services from Northeastern University. She believes her purpose in life is to be a voice for the community and advocate for those who need critical support to overcome cultural, educational, and economic barriers. Vicky is passionate about bringing people together to share resources and create transformative change in our community. She brings experience in supporting leadership training programs, relationship-building efforts, and fundraising strategy.

TAQUOYA SCOTT-WOODSON is the Circles Palm Beach County coordinator for Pathways to Prosperity in Boynton Beach, FL. With over 17 years of experience, TaQuoya has been in the role of working with children and families in the community.. In 2015, TaQuoya was a Circle Leader in the Circles Palm Beach County program and, as a result of Circles, her life took a pivotal turn for good. Her passion in life is to help others and have an impact on people’s lives.

FEATURED PRESENTERS ABIA SEBAKA is a public health professional with strong interest in global and population health. Abia is an experienced food science and nutrition graduate of the University of South Australia with a demonstrated history of working in research and public policy. After completion of master’s of public health practice in 2020, he developed an interest in health inequalities for low SES communities, especially the connections between poverty and social disadvantage with health status, and how to find practical solutions for sustainable behavioral change. Abia is currently a public health officer with the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Botswana.

NICOLE SPENCER is a Circle Leader graduate and now an Ally of Lambton Circles. Nicole and her daughter SOPHIA’s story is an incredible one of strength, perseverance, and courage. Sophia had been bullied for being a girl who loved bugs and all living things. Her mom, using her advocacy skills, reached out for support to encourage Sophia not to give up on what she loved.

The support and encouragement came pouring in!

Sophia went on to become a published author when she co-authored The Bug Girl (A true story) with Margaret McNamara and was featured on Good Morning America and The Steve Harvey Show.

BONITA THOMAS MOSS has journeyed from a Circle Leader to a Bridging Ally and training facilitator, and is now the coach for Circles Winter Garden, FL, where she continues to inspire her community through her living example.

MAXINE THOMAS, member of the board of RESULTS, Inc., a nonprofit, grassroots, 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, exemplifies the true definition of a servant leader in the community. She believes that no one should live in poverty and families must take an active role in changing their communities. Maxine is improving access to education, health, and economic opportunity by sharing her personal story of triumph. Many media pieces have been written about Maxine’s efforts to support her community, one of which is her great success in having her own op-ed published in The Hill. She is passionate and committed and uses her voice to influence political change. Through the work of RESULTS, she maintains ongoing efforts with members of Congress and other elected officials.

CHRISTY VINES is the president and CEO of Ideos and a California-based expert on issues at the intersection of faith and social/cultural polarization and conflict transformation.

Prior to Ideos, Christy founded and led the Center for Women, Faith & Leadership and served as senior vice president of Global Initiatives and Strategy at the Institute for Global Engagement. She also held several roles with the RAND Corporation, including serving as interim director of the African First Ladies Initiative and with the RAND Centers for Middle East Public Policy, Asia Pacific Policy, and Global Risk and Security. Christy earned her master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

SANDI WALLACE is an Ally with Circles Winter Garden in Central Florida. As a communications professional, she has a passion for setting others up for success by connecting them with the information they need. Within her Circles community, she channels that passion into civic engagement efforts, ensuring that her Circles community understands how to participate in the election process and has access to information that can help them decide which candidates and issues most closely align with their personal beliefs and priorities.