What the heck is a Spark Talk?
// By Jacqueline Brennan
A short amount of time to share a big bold idea. That’s a Spark Talk. Rather than a long-winded speech, a Spark Talk is a quick, ten-minute opportunity for a fellow changemaker to take the stage in Upswell’s Public Square to share a new way of thinking or a fresh approach. And what they say could ignite a curious audience and flip the switch on a new mindset that leads you to meet your mission — better and more effectively.
If you can’t seem to put your finger on the right response to a challenge confronting your community, a Spark Talk just might show you the light to the inspired moment you need.
Need a jump start on a new idea? Check out the Spark Talks on the Upswell Schedule below.
- How Can Leaders Move Organizations from Charity to Justice? (Monisha Kapila, ProInspire)
- Changing the Narrative Around our Food System (Loren Cardeli, A Growing Culture)
- Is School Choice False? Why Neighborhood Schools Still Matter. (Beatriz Ponce de Léon/Generation All)
- A Part of the Problem: Unleashing Talent by Dismantling Barriers to Social Change (Camila Pazos, Echoing Grenn)
- Sparking Prosperity for Everyone (Bob Friedman, Prosperity Now)
- Changing the World from the Inside Out (Matthew Emerzian, Every Monday Matters)
- Funders, What Does Power Have to Do with Equity? (Aaron Dorfman, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy)
- Beyond Representation: Creating a Space in Government Where Women of Color Have a Sense of Belonging (Stacy Stout/City of Grand Rapids)
- Becoming Big Bettable (William Foster, The Bridgespan Group)
- A F*ck-up Story (Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald/Taproot Foundation