2026 Power+ Summit Agenda

This fireside chat explores what it means to hold hope as a practice in one of the most challenging eras for marginalized communities in recent history. Drawing on the wisdom of Black women past and present, the conversation will examine the power of bringing together people who share a commitment to gender justice but come at it from different angles, joy as an act of resistance against systems built to oppress us, and power reimagined on our own terms—boundless, shared, and rooted in community.

Speakers:
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Founder and Principal, Love & Power Works
Monique Garcia Rizer, Vice President, Social Impact Consulting Firm

When the Trump administration eliminated federal funding for Planned Parenthood in 2025, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and PPFA sprang into action, working together to ensure state and county governments filled the funding gaps. In this fireside chat, speakers will share how coordinating at the state and national levels enabled them to raise awareness, document impact, and strategize on what a proactive policy agenda looks like in the current environment.

Speakers:
Tenia Denard, Black Organizing Program Organizer, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
Stephanie Ogorzalek, Vice President of Research and Policy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America

In this session, three labor movement leaders will deliver TED-style talks examining what a good job with family-sustaining wages means, how good jobs build strong communities, and the tools available to help workers own their power, including unions, education and workforce training, the legal system, and even the Constitution itself.

Speakers:
Darrick Hamilton, University and Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, The New School
LaQuita Honeysucker, Director of Civil Rights and Community Action, UFCW
Sabrina Talukder, Senior Counsel, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

From gaps in health care delivery to overlooking their role as caregivers, many of our systems aren’t meeting the needs of people with disabilities—particularly women. In this TED-style talk, Maria Town—president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities—dives into what the intersection of care and disability looks like through a gender lens, and what needs to be done to ensure women with disabilities have what they need to take care of themselves and their families.

Speaker:
Maria Town, President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities

What does it take to turn evidence into policy change without losing sight of the people behind the data? This session explores the promise and challenges of using evidence to advance gender equity policy while centering lived experience. Participants will examine how data has informed policymaker education and advocacy campaigns, and consider what it means to use evidence responsibly as a tool for storytelling and change.

Speakers:
Cheryl Bergman, Executive Director of the Michigan Women’s Commission
Fran Linkin, MPH, Senior Director of Research, Reproductive Freedom and Health Equity at State Innovation Exchange
Carmen Jones Randolph, Founding President and CEO, Women’s Foundation of the South
Jesseca Boyer (moderator), Vice President, Policy and Strategic Initiatives, IWPR

Dr. Uché Blackstock—physician, thought leader, and bestselling author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine—joins IWPR President and CEO Dr. Jamila Taylor for a candid conversation on how racism and systemic inequality show up in health care settings for Black women and other women of color. They will explore topics including maternal health disparities, the challenges of managing perimenopause symptoms on the job, and the information gap driving people to social media and AI for answers the health care system hasn’t given them.

Speakers:
Uché Blackstock, MD, Founder and CEO, Advancing Health Equity
Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, President and CEO, IWPR

We’ll close out day one by coming together to recharge and reflect on what we’ve learned. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner will talk about ways to maintain the energy, focus, and hope we’ll need to keep pushing forward, no matter what’s ahead, as well as concrete strategies for turning ideas into action.

Speaker:
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director, MomsRising
Paula Sammons, National Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Join us for our evening reception!

In this fireside chat, former Senator Laphonza Butler joins Anne Mosle to discuss the moments that made her the leader she is today, how her years in the labor movement shaped these experiences, and what it truly means to pair purpose with power. Attendees will hear practical tools for stepping into their own leadership, particularly in these challenging times.

Speakers:
Senator Laphonza Butler (retired)
Anne Mosle, Vice President, Aspen Institute

How can organizers build a strong, sustainable movement while preparing for whatever comes next? In this TED-style talk, attendees will learn how researchers and organizers can work together, how to turn mobilization into tangible impact, and how to stay focused and avoid burnout for the long haul.

Speaker:
Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Executive Director, Women’s March

In an age of misinformation and emotionally driven political narratives, how can data be harnessed to shape public discourse and policy, particularly when it comes to the economy? In this fireside chat, celebrated sociologist and award-winning writer Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom will bring her signature blend of rigorous analysis and powerful storytelling to a conversation about how research can inform public understanding, advance equity, and drive meaningful change.

Speakers:
Dr. Kate Bahn, Chief Economist and SVP of Research, IWPR
Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill

Pay equity is integral to every part of achieving gender equity but, despite decades of advocacy, remains as elusive as ever. Drawing on years of leadership advancing economic justice and reproductive freedom for women facing the steepest barriers, Jocelyn Frye reflects on where this fight stands and what it will take from each of us to build something better together.

Speaker:
Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families

While gridlock continues to stall progress in Congress, many state houses are where the real momentum is happening on women’s policy priorities, including progress on pay equity, paid leave, and maternal health. Hear from the leaders of two women’s advocacy groups on how they leveraged state-level data to drive change in Colorado and Hawai’i. You’ll also get a demonstration of IWPR’s State Policy Action Lab (State PAL) tool and learn how it can help advance gender equity in your state.

Speakers:
Llasmin Chaine, Executive Director, Hawai’i State Commission on the Status of Women
Renee Ferrufino, President and CEO, Women’s Foundation of Colorado
Emily Maistrellis, Director, Status of Women in the States, IWPR

What does it mean to be a leader, and how do the relationships you build shape that journey? During this interactive session, participants will explore how they define leadership, what barriers they’re experiencing in their careers, and what to do when traditional pathways feel out of reach.

Speaker:
Ghana Goodwin-Dye, University of Michigan Education Specialist and Retired UAW Local 909 President

What does it take for young women—especially women of color and student parents—to enter the workforce on equal footing and succeed in their careers? Panelists will share how they navigated their own early careers amid seismic events like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, how delayed retirement for older generations is limiting opportunities for career growth, and how the AI boom is shaping the future of work.

Speakers:
Pamela Alvarado, Research Assistant, IWPR
Richard Davis Jr., Policy Analyst, Higher Education, New America
Dr. Jennifer Turner, Senior Research Associate, IWPR
Haley Lickstein (moderator), Host, Haley on the Go & Haley on the Hill and Founder, Haley Lickstein Media

From managing menopause symptoms in the workplace to facing a retirement security gap shaped by a lifetime of lower earnings and time out of the workforce for unpaid caregiving, women face distinct challenges late in their careers. Panelists will dive into the key issues impacting older women workers and what supports they need from employers and policymakers.

Speakers:
Kathryn Anne Edwards, Economist
Courtney Polenick, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Social Work, University of Michigan
Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, President, Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race
Ariane Hegewisch (moderator), Senior Fellow, IWPR

What does it take to fund gender-equity work in a philanthropic landscape that’s rapidly changing? Legacy institutions are being asked to evolve while honoring decades of history, corporate funders are navigating a field with no shared rulebook, and grantees face rising expectations for transparency and evidence-based outcomes—even as qualitative impact proves just as vital. This fireside chat brings together two leaders representing the intersections of private, corporate, and intermediary philanthropy to explore how funders and grantees can build a sustainable, accountable gender-equity ecosystem together.

Speakers:
Adeline Azrack, Managing Director, Americas at Fondation CHANEL
Tracy Sturdivant, President and CEO, Ms. Foundation

Misogynoir doesn’t just harm individuals—it distorts the entire economy, sidelining skilled workers and visionary leaders and leaving enormous potential untapped. In this fireside chat, economist and author Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyemen will unpack the barriers facing women of color in advancement and leadership and make the case for why any real reimagining of our economy has to start with centering Black women.

Speakers:
Dr. Kate Bahn, Chief Economist and SVP of Research, IWPR
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, Economist, Speaker, Author of The Double Tax

In 2025, Michigan’s “Momnibus”—a series of bills designed to address racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes for Black mothers—advanced through the state Senate with rare bipartisan support. This session brings together three maternal health leaders in the state who will reflect on purpose and progress. Attendees will leave with insights on how to push forward the policy changes and take on the challenges facing maternal health advocates in Michigan and across the nation.

Speakers:
Danielle Atkinson, Founder and National Executive Director, Mothering Justice
Kristi James, Chief of Staff for Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony
Leseliey Welch, Founder, Birth Detroit and Birth Center Equity
Mariah Francis (moderator), State Maternal Health Policy Fellow at March of Dimes

AI is impacting every aspect of our lives—but what does that mean for women, and what power do we actually have to shape it? Grounded in the legacy of the civil rights movement, we’ll explore what a rights-based framework for AI regulation looks like, as well as the policy levers that exist at every level of government—and the research that is needed—to hold this technology accountable.

Speakers:
Sabrina Hersi Issa, CEO, Be Bold Media
Comfort Sampong, Research Associate, IWPR

After saving $100,000 at age 25, Tori Dunlap quit her corporate marketing job and founded Her First $100K to fight financial inequality by giving women actionable resources to build wealth. Her work has grown into a global movement for financial literacy and women’s economic power, reaching millions through her bestselling book, top-ranked podcast, and online community. She’ll share the strategies behind that movement—and how attendees can put them to work in their own financial lives.

Speakers:
Tori Dunlap, Founder of Her First $100K, NYT-bestselling author, podcast host, and internationally recognized money expert
Lee Christian Parker, Executive Director and Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

We’ll close our summit with a cocktail reception!