Schedule
Program
Time
Session
8:00 AM
Lobby
Registration Opens
9:00 AM
Sky Conference
Welcome: The Moment We’re In
An opening session exploring the forces reshaping feminist philanthropy—from AI and capital to democracy and political change—and how WFN and its members can navigate emerging challenges, seize new opportunities, and shape what comes next. At the heart of the day is a fundamental question: How can feminist philanthropy shape the future of power, capital, and technology to build a more just, equitable, and democratic world?
Speaker:
Ada Williams Prince, Senior Philanthropy and Capital Advisor, Transformation Architects & WFN Board Co-Chair
9:10 AM
Sky Conference
The Great Power Debate: Will AI Shift Power or Concentrate It?
This fast-paced debate explores an urgent question for philanthropy and society: Will AI redistribute power or deepen existing concentrations of wealth and influence? Hear competing perspectives, form your own view, and cast your vote on a question that will shape our collective future.
Moderator: Stephanie Beasley, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Evaluator: Shruthi Jayaram
Team “AI Will Shift Power”
Alice Aguilar, Executive Director, Progressive Technology Project
Dewayne Martin, Senior Director of External Affairs, Men4Choice
Team “AI Will Concentrate Power”
Aaron Bos-Lun, Executive Director, Men4Choice
Keesha Gaskins-Nathan, Director for the Democratic Practice–United States Program and the Racial Justice Initiative, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
9:45 AM
Sky Conference
Morning Spark Talks
Through two fast-paced Spark Talks, participants will explore how AI, capital, labor, and political change are reshaping power, governance, and equity—and who gets to shape the future.
Introduction: Mitzie Hunter, President and CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation
Spark Talk 1: The Future Is Being Designed. Who Gets to Shape It?
Speaker: Sarita Gupta, Vice President of U.S. Programs, Ford Foundation
Spark Talk 2: AI Doesn’t Have a Gender. Its Data Does.
Speaker: Shubhi Rao, Founder & CEO, Uplevyl
10:15 AM
Pantry
Coffee & Connections
Reconnect with old friends, make new connections, share Bold Ideas for the future of feminist philanthropy, and participate in the Community Fund activity to imagine where resources can have the greatest impact. Grab a snack, tea, coffee, or other beverage while you connect.
10:45 AM
Concurrent Sessions
Collective Strategy Labs: From Shared Challenges to Collective Action
The Collective Strategy Labs will move from big questions to collective action. Participants will identify what is changing, explore what is needed, and develop concrete recommendations for how feminist philanthropy can respond. Guided by facilitators, each Lab will generate recommendations and strategies to inform WFN’s work beyond the Summit.
10:45 AM
Gather Room
Collective Strategy Lab 1: Advocacy in a Changing Political Landscape
How can feminist philanthropy build collective power to protect civic space, influence policy, and shape the rules in an increasingly polarized environment?
Political and civic environments are changing rapidly across the United States and globally. This Lab will explore how women’s funds can work together—and with movements, labor, civic institutions, and other allies—to defend democratic infrastructure, strengthen advocacy, shape narratives, and influence policy.
Facilitators:
Noreen Farrell, Executive Director, Equal Rights Advocates
Ada Williams Prince, Senior Philanthropy and Capital Advisor, Transformation Architects & WFN Board Co-Chair
10:45 AM
Sky Conference
Collective Strategy Lab 2: Building Resilient Movements
How do we build movements and institutions that can withstand disruption, adapt to change, and sustain leadership across generations?
Movements need more than strong organizations—they need durable leadership, healthy cultures, adaptable institutions, and the capacity to navigate moments of crisis and transition. This Lab will explore the leadership, infrastructure, and organizational practices needed to ensure feminist movements have the power and resilience to shape what comes next. WFN will also share its findings from its 2026 State of the Field Report.
Facilitators:
Abby El-Shafei, Research Partner, WFN
Jenice Fountain, Executive Director, Yellowhammer Fund
10:45 AM
Board Room
Collective Strategy Lab 3: From Data Centers to Algorithms: Community Governance of AI-Related Public Resources and Automated Systems
At what points do communities actually have power over whether and how AI and algorithmic decision-making enters public life?
Drawing on WFN’s InfraWatch Power work, this Lab explores how communities can identify and influence the adoption of algorithmic technologies in public institutions—often introduced through procurement, contracts, and data-sharing agreements long before they become visible. Participants will explore how to identify decision-makers, find opportunities for intervention, and build the information and organizing power needed for greater public oversight and accountability.
Facilitator:
Sara Keilholtz, Senior Director of Data & Insights, WFN
12:15 PM
Pantry
Lunch
Buffet lunch with no assigned seating or tables. Check out the menu.
1:00 PM
Sky Conference
From Narrative to Practice: Power, Equity, and AI (Panel)
Sponsored by W.K. Kellogg Foundation & Borealis Philanthropy
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes economic opportunity, labor, information, and institutional decision-making, feminist philanthropy faces urgent questions about who holds power, whose voices shape the future, and what it takes to ensure technological change advances rather than undermines equity.
This conversation will explore AI through economic justice, narrative power, and movement infrastructure. Bringing together perspectives from Borealis Philanthropy, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and NTEN, speakers will examine how the stories we tell about technology influence whose labor is valued, whose knowledge counts, and who gets to participate in shaping the systems that govern our lives.
Through practical considerations around technology, ethics, governance, and organizational readiness, the discussion will invite feminist funders to consider how their investments can strengthen the people, organizations, and infrastructure needed to build a more equitable future.
Opening Remarks: Sarah Yates, VP/Head of Technology & Integrated Experiences, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Moderator: Dr. Kholi Murchison, Director of Narrative Strategy and Public Affairs, Borealis Philanthropy
Speakers:
Alicia Bell, Director of the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund, Borealis Philanthropy
Amy Sample Ward, Visiting Scholar on AI, Independent Sector
1:45 PM
Sky Conference
Afternoon Spark Talks
Through two fast-paced Spark Talks, participants will explore how AI, capital, labor, and political change are reshaping power, governance, and equity—and who gets to shape the future.
Introduction: Natanja Craig Oquendo, President & CEO, Boston Women’s Fund
Spark Talk 1: AI Is Changing the Rules. Who Gets the Power?
Speaker: Celina Stewart, CEO, League of Women Voters of the United States
Spark Talk 2: Shared Power, Prosperity, & Possibility
Speaker: Steph Speirs, Founder, CEO, Executive Producer, Future in Bloom
2:15 PM
Sky Conference
Strategy Harvest & Connecting the Dots
A forward-looking reflection drawing on insights from the morning’s Collective Strategy Labs and conversations to explore the future of feminist philanthropy, power, capital, and technology—and the possibilities for a more just, equitable, and democratic world.
Speaker: Natanja Craig Oquendo, Executive Director, Boston Women’s Fund
2:30 PM
Pantry
Break
Take a break and recharge. Enjoy a selection of snacks, tea, coffee, and other beverages and get ready to jump back in.
3:00 PM
Terrace
Peer Exchange
These informal, 45-minute small-group peer exchanges invite participants to share experiences, explore challenges and opportunities, and learn from one another. With two rounds of conversations, participants can join two groups, engaging in candid, practical dialogue and exchanging ideas with peers.
- Advocacy in a Conservative Moment
Facilitator: Jessica Stern, Co-Founder, Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice - AI & Health
Facilitator: Amy Merrill, President & Co-Founder, Eyes Open - AI, Power & Governance
Facilitator: Kim Carter-Tillman, Founder, Time for Change Foundation - Building the Next Generation of Feminist Leadership
Facilitator: Dr. Kholi Murchison, Director of Communications, Advancement Team, Borealis Philanthropy - Climate, Technology & Gender Justice
Facilitator: Bridget Burns, Executive Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization - Elevating Women to Drive AI’s Development & Safeguard Its Harm
Facilitator: Ana López van Balen, Vice President of Economic Security and Opportunity, Futures Without Violence - Funding Movements Differently: Trust, Infrastructure & New Models
Facilitator: Cynthia Reddrick, Lead Strategist, FRUITION Consulting for Nonprofits & WFN Development Peer Community Co-Chair - Global Partnerships: Connecting to the Global Movement
Facilitator: Cassandra Atlas, Chief Strategy Officer, Grantmaking & Global Partnerships, MADRE - Is AI Eroding the Evidence on Gender Equity?
Facilitator: Bama Athreya, Executive Director, ICRW Americas - Leadership Transitions & the Next Generation
Facilitator: Tiloma Jayasinghe, President & CEO, Community Resource Exchange - Media & Technology for Movements
Facilitator: Jensine Larsen, Founder, Unfurl Futures - Women Cannot Afford to Be Late to AI: Can Philanthropy Move at the Speed of Change?
Facilitators: Leslie Gill, President, Rung for Women, & Ali Hogan, Founder, Rung for Women
3:00 PM
Sky Conference
The Intelligence Philanthropy Is Missing: Why Community Wisdom May Be Our Most Important Asset (Interactive Workshop)
Philanthropy is racing to harness AI, data, and technology to know more, move faster, and make better decisions. But what if, in that race, we overlook one of our most valuable sources of intelligence: community itself? And what gets lost in the pursuit of optimization?
Communities know things our systems cannot fully capture: emerging shifts before they appear in the data, context and relationships that shape what is possible, and what people and movements actually need to thrive. Yet even in trust-based and participatory philanthropy, that knowledge can be gathered without meaningfully shaping decisions or resources.
This workshop asks us to move beyond “community voice” and consider community intelligence as a strategic asset. Participants will examine how knowledge and power move through their own work, identify where community intelligence enters — and where it gets lost — and explore how to bring it closer to the decisions that shape strategy and resources.
Facilitators:
Aditi Dholakia, Vice President of Program & Strategy, Boston Women’s Fund
Fatima Harvey, Vice President of Development, Boston Women’s Fund
3:00 PM
Gather Room
Executive Leaders Peer Community Meeting
Closed meeting for WFN Executive Leaders Peer Community
3:45 PM
Pantry
Break
Take a break and recharge. Enjoy a selection of snacks, tea, coffee, and other beverages and get ready to jump back in.
5:00 PM
Sky Conference
Closing Session
Honoring Legacy: Lighting the Way Together
Celebrating feminist leaders whose vision, leadership, and generosity have shaped WFN and the broader women’s movement—building movements, nurturing future leaders, and lighting the way for generations to come.
Introduction: Jo Giles, Executive Director, Women’s Fund of Omaha
Speaker: Ana Oliveira, President & CEO, New York Women’s Foundation
Closing Keynote: The Future We Choose
Looking ahead, the closing keynote will explore the future feminist philanthropy can help shape. How we can fund, build, and advance a more gender-equitable world amid rapid technological and economic change?
Speaker: Meredith Broussard, Associate Professor, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, New York University
What Are We Taking Forward?
A closing reflection inviting participants to consider the ideas, themes, and opportunities from the day they would like WFN to carry forward, helping shape the organization’s future priorities and work.
Speaker: Amalia Luxardo, PhD, Chief Executive Officer Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network & WFN Board Co-Chair
6:00 PM
Program Ends