7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Registration and Poster Viewing | Lobby

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. | Opening Plenary Session | Main Conference Room

Welcome, Land Acknowledgement and Housekeeping
Humaira Falak, United Way of Calgary and Area

Welcome Remarks
Karen Young, United Way of Calgary and Area

Opening Keynote: The Power of Us: Grassroots Leadership, Inclusion, and the Promise of a Pluralistic City
Professor Malinda Smith, University of Calgary

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Panel Discussion | Main Conference Room

Systems Change: Grassroots Wisdom – Missing Piece in Policy and Program Design
Panelists:
Jeff Loomis, Momentum
Francis Boakye, ActionDignity
Michelle Kristinson, Cerebral Palsy Alberta
Cesar Cala, FRIENDS

Moderator:
Rhonda Roth, United Way of Calgary and Area

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Coffee Break and Transition to Breakouts

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions | Various Rooms

Session 1 (Room 330) | Digital Future – Access and Equity: Creating Pathways for Achieving Digital Equity Among Equity Deserving Communities
Speaker:
James Ellis, Technology Helps

Session 2 (Main Conference Room) | Reimagining Mental Health and Well-Being Among Diverse Communities
Speakers:
Andrew Szeto, University of Calgary
Anne Sureshkumar, The City of Calgary

Session 3 (Room 430) | Meals That Last: A Grassroots Model for Men’s Wellbeing and Violence Prevention
Speakers:
Danial Jamal, Meals That Last, University of Calgary
Adham Bahy, Meals That Last, University of Calgary
Abdelrahman Alramahi, Meals That Last, University of Calgary
Nourelden Alsafadi, Meals That Last, University of Calgary
Youssef Elsabban, Meals That Last, University of Calgary

Session 4 (Room 432) | Rooted In Dignity – Systems Change for Basic Needs
Speaker:
Darrel Howard, The Alex

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Presentation | Main Conference Room

Report Presentation: Grassroots within the Social Sector
Presenters:
Gayatri Moorthi, Habitus
Humaira Falak, United Way of Calgary and Area

GAIN Team Presentation
Presenters:
Susan McGuire
Shawn Cornett
Ashley Popkos

1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | GEM Capacity Building Sessions | Various Breakout Rooms

Session 1 (Room 330) | Social Innovation (Decolonization of SI)
Facilitators:
Marichu Antonio, FRIENDS
Cesar Cala, FRIENDS
Edwin Chavez, FRIENDS

Session 2 (Room 430) | Power of Collaboration
Facilitators:
Humaira Falak and Karen King, United Way of Calgary and Area

Session 3 (Room 432) | Narrative of Change and Evaluation 
Facilitators:
Bethany White, United Way of Calgary and Area
Louise Adongo, Caprivian Strip
Yonatan Gheybray, NABC

Session 4 (Room 132) | Social Enterprise/Social Movements: Exploring Governance, Strategic Planning and Resource Mobilization
Facilitators:
Professor Derek Cook, Canadian Poverty Institute, Ambrose University
Professor Kanwal Bokhari, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary

Agency Capacity Building Session (UW Funded Agencies By Invitation)
Designing for Racial Equity: Progress Not Comfort
Speaker:
Bina M. Patel, Author of Say the Quiet Part Out Loud

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Bhayana Awards | Lobby Main Conference Room

Light Reception, Program Begins at 5:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Registration | Lobby

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Opening Plenary Session Day 2 | Main Conference Room

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
Humaira Falak, United Way of Calgary and Area

Welcome Remarks and Recap of Day 1
Susan Brooke, United Way of Calgary and Area

Keynote: Pluralism and Inclusive Governance
Presenter:
Aleem Bharwani, University of Calgary

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Coffee Break | Lobby

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Concurrent Session by GEM Partners | Various Rooms

Session 1 (Room 432) | Seeds of Resilience: Community Leadership in Times of Fast and Slow-Moving Crises
Presenters:
Cesar Cala, FRIENDS
Edwin Chavez, FRIENDS
Alma Mae Singson, FRIENDS

Session 2 (Room 430) | Domestic Abuse Knowledge and Insights Within African Communities in Canada: A Quantitative Survey
Presenter:
Dee Adekugbe, Ruth’s House Society

Session 3 (Room 330) | Community Research as Advocacy Tool – Learnings from Queer Calgary’s Community Needs Assessment
Presenter:
Alia Azimi, Former ED Queer Calgary

Session 4 (Main Conference Room) | Sustaining People’s Empowerment in Cities and Towns in Rural Alberta (SPECTRA) – Innovations in Grassroots Organizing
Presenters:
Jun Cacayuran, AFCLA Founding President
Emeline Lamboson, AFCLA Coordinator
Bernard Calipano, AFCLA Founding Treasurer

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Conversation Café & Lunch | Main Conference Room

Digital Equity and Impact of AI at the Grassroots Level
Panelists:
Luis Moira, The City of Calgary
Charles Buchanan, Technology Helps
Francis Boakye, Action Dignity

Moderator:
Simon Palamar, United Way of Calgary and Area

1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Capacity Building Session: Futures Literacy | Main Conference Room

Speaker:
Jeny Mathews-Thusoo, The City of Calgary

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Closing Session & Certificates Distributed | Main Conference Room and Lobby