2025 Annual Conference Agenda
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025 | Microsoft Conference Center
*Agenda topics and times are subject to change. Please check back regularly as additional speakers and sessions are added.
TIME
SESSION
7:45am
Doors Open
8:00am – 8:55am
Breakfast & Networking
📍Hood Baker
8:55am – 9:15am
Conference Welcome
📍Hood Baker
Details
Video montage of GlobalWA members’ global reach, followed by opening remarks by GlobalWA’s Executive Director.
Speakers:
• Elizabeth Stokely, Executive Director, GlobalWA
9:15am – 10:00am
Washington’s Global Moment: Innovation, Responsibility, and the Future of Development
📍Hood Baker
Details
Opening panel bringing together leaders across Washington State’s global development ecosystem.
Speakers:
• TBC
10:15am – 12:00pm
Morning Breakout Sessions: What tools, partnerships, and policies will strengthen our work?
Breakout Options
10:15am – 11:45am
- Workshop: Leveraging Practical AI tools for Nonprofit Resilience
- World Cafe: From Insight to Action
10:15am – 11:00am
- Learning Lab: Justice Without Borders: Advocacy for Global Voices Locally
- Learning Lab: Strategies for Growth, Leadership, and Career Mobility in Global Development
11:15am – 12:00pm
- Roundtable: From Washington State to the World: Strengthening U.S. Leadership in Global Development
- Learning Lab: Sustaining Climate and Health Work in a Shifting Funding Landscape
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch & Networking
1:15pm – 3:00pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions: How do we shift systems and narratives for lasting change?
Breakout Options
1:15pm – 2:45pm
- Workshop: Storytelling that moves systems: making the case for global development locally and nationally
- World Cafe: From Insight to Action
1:15pm – 2:00pm
- Roundtable: CEO Roundtable
2:15pm – 3:00pm
- Learning Lab: Funding the Future: Innovative Models for Sustainable Impact
3:15pm – 3:45pm
New Voices
📍Hood Baker
Details
Rapid-fire, story-driven presentations from new GlobalWA members designed to spotlight how Washington-based organizations are driving local to global change.
Speakers:
• Arlene Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Childhood Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
• Javoen Byrd, Executive Director, Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture
• Dr. Pilar Fernandez, Assistant Professor, Washington State University Paul G. Allen School of Global Health
• Intentional Futures, TBC
• Rebecca Muston, Development Director, Ecologists Without Borders (EcoWB)
3:45pm – 4:15pm
Mobilizing Beyond the Conference
📍Hood Baker
Details
Closing discussion.
Speakers:
• Akhtar Badshah, Co-Founder, Purpose Mindset, Founder & Chief Catalyst, Catalytic Innovators Group
4:15pm – 4:20pm
Closing remarks
📍Hood Baker
Details
Speakers:
• Elizabeth Stokely, Executive Director, GlobalWA
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Reception
Details
Mingle with colleagues while enjoying food, drinks, and a live music performance.
Morning Breakout Sessions
Leveraging Practical AI tools for Nonprofit Resilience
10:15am – 11:45am
Details
Hands-on workshop introducing accessible AI tools, explores risks and policies, and offers practical strategies for nonprofits to strengthen their impact in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Speakers:
• Microsoft
From Insight to Action
10:15am – 11:45am
Details
Facilitated small-group reflection and ideation around participant-generated themes.
Speakers:
• TBC
Justice Without Borders: Advocacy for Global Voices Locally
10:15am – 11:00am
Details
Explore how Washington-based advocates are amplifying global perspectives to advance justice and human rights locally.
Speakers:
• Tylie Cramer Global Rights Advocacy
Strategies for Growth, Leadership, and Career Mobility in Global Development
10:15am – 11:00am
Details
A collaborative session exploring practical strategies and shared experiences to strengthen and elevate leadership capacity across the global development sector.
Speakers:
• Kim Rakow Bernier, Senior Faculty, Global Leadership Forum
• Linda Oseso, Chapter Co-Chair, Women in Global Health
• Melissa Merritt, Co-Founder & Managing Director, GoodCitizen
• Pallabi Deb, Chapter Co-Chair, Women in Global Health
From Washington State to the World: Strengthening U.S. Leadership in Global Development
11:15am – 12:00pm
Details
Washington State’s elected leaders, policymakers, and development experts will discuss how state-level innovation, global partnerships, and community-driven solutions can shape the future of U.S. engagement in global development.
Speakers:
• TBC
Sustaining Climate and Health Work in a Shifting Funding Landscape
11:15am – 12:00pm
Details
Examine how Washington-based researchers and practitioners are advancing integrated, community-grounded solutions at the intersection of climate, animal, and human health.
Speakers:
• Dr. Pilar Fernandez, Assistant Professor, Washington State University Paul G. Allen School for Global Health
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Storytelling that moves systems: making the case for global development locally and nationally
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Details
How organizations can reframe narratives to make the case for global development locally and nationally, sharing real-world examples of what works—and what doesn’t—in shifting systems and public opinion.
Speakers:
• TBC
From Insight to Action
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Details
Facilitated small-group reflection and ideation around participant-generated themes.
Speakers:
• TBC
CEO Roundtable
1:15pm – 2:00pm
Details
(*Invite-only*) A space where CEOs and Executives can come together and share challenges they are facing today
Funding the Future: Innovative Models for Sustainable Impact
2:15pm – 3:00pm
Details
Highlighting innovative financing strategies—from blended finance to revenue models—through case studies and design thinking, helping organizations reimagine funding beyond traditional grants.
Speakers:
• Greg Snyders, Partner, Dalberg
CONNECT.
LEARN.
