Earlier this year, Public Welfare launched its inaugural NationSwell Council cohort of 11 reformers who are working tirelessly to advance a new vision of justice in America. The NationSwell Council is a membership community of service-minded leaders working on solutions to national challenges.
This cohort is part of Public Welfare’s commitment to create opportunities for collaboration and growth for our partner organizations. Last month, select members of the group attended the NationSwell Summit in New York. The Summit featured speakers including Black Futures Lab and Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza, New York Times Columnist David Brooks, Mike Masserman of Lyft, and many others. Public Welfare partner and cohort member Danielle Sered, Executive Director of Common Justice, also shared about her organization’s groundbreaking work from the Summit’s main stage.
The following are select reflections from cohort members as they process key takeaways from the Summit.
There are so many good people in different industries doing great work who would be great to bring into the conversations happening around the country around closing youth prisons. This includes, in particular, folks from the business, philanthropic, education, and health communities. As conversations around closing youth prisons continue, it will be important to speak with members of these different industries to create new partnerships and offer more opportunities for communities that have been impacted by incarceration.
– Hernán Carvente Martinez, National Youth Partnership Strategist, Youth First Initiative
My greatest takeaway reinforces the importance of being able to really see each other by caring for one another. It was great networking with like-minded individuals from so many different industries in a way that allowed us to not only learn from one another but also grow with each other in how we approach our work. The concept of actually listening to people and communities – rather than always telling people what they need – is a basic idea that is critical right now.
– Jessica Rhau, Special Assistant to the President, Public Welfare Foundation
Second Chance Center has assisted several thousands of men and women with transitioning from incarceration into successful lives. The NationSwell Summit was an amazing experience for me because it allowed me to network and team up with like-minded men and women who have the knowledge and experience to teach each other how to better serve the populations that we serve. I learned that even though we may become fatigued, we have to remain properly fueled to continue helping and assisting.
– Sean Ahshee Taylor, Deputy Executive Director, Second Chance Center, Colorado
Public Welfare believes that increased collaboration and expanding the network of reformers through convenings like this one will further advance the movement to transform our nation’s justice systems.
