Speakers and Facilitators

Exploring Innovation offered the chance to learn from provocative thought leaders and innovators in community development. Highlights included representatives from One Economy Corp., Opportunity Finance Network, The New America Foundation, the Ford Foundation, CFED and Innovation Labs. A special treat was an inspiring message of hope from Bill Strickland, founder of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Youth Program, which has helped countless youth in a tough urban neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Following is full listing of the conference's speakers and facilitators. Click here or on the individual names for expanded biographical and contact information.

Keynote Speakers and Moderators

Alan Berube, The Brookings Institution

Ray Boshara, New America Foundation

James Bullard, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Mark Pinsky, Opportunity Finance Network

Robert J. Schenk, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Bill Strickland, Manchester Bidwell Corp.

Kathie Thomas, Fleishman-Hillard

Michael Torrens, CFED

Nicol Turner-Lee, One Economy Corp.

Glenda Wilson, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Julia Young, Faciliate.com

Innovation Workshop Leader

Langdon Morris, Innovation Lab

Discussion Group Facilitators

Lawrence Anderson, NeighborWorks America

Karen Dabson, Rural Policy Research Institute

Bill Emmons, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Allen Fishbein, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

David Luckes, Greater St. Louis Community Foundation

Debra Moore, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department

Yvonne Sparks, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Henry S. Webber, Washington University in St. Louis

Breakout Session Presenters

Tk Buchanan, Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action, University of Memphis

Lisa Harper Chang, Pulitzer Foundation for Arts

Brian Dabson, Rural Policy Research Institute

Jan DeYoung, St. Patrick Center

Terry Donohue, Habitat for Neighborhood Business

Matt Dozier, EAST Initiative

Steve Dubb, Democracy Collaborative

Wayne Fawbush, Ford Foundation

John Gruidl, Community Development Institute - Midwest

Mark Lange, Edward Lowe Foundation

Jill Levine, IFF

John Logue, Ohio Employee Ownership Center

Ed Morrison, Purdue Center for Regional Development

Kelly Hunt Lyon, University of Central Arkansas

Joseph Neri, IFF

Lisa Nitze, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

Nebahat Noyan, Social Compact Inc.

Kimberly Pate, CFED

Robert Pittman, Janus Economics

Shanna Ratner, Yellow Wood Associates, Inc.

Craig C. Reigel, Nonprofit Finance Fund Capital Partners

Amy Shaw, KETC/Channel 9

Bethany Spaulding, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Margery Spinney, Cornerstone Corporation for Shared Equity

Ben Steinberg, Southern Financial Partners

John Talmage, Social Compact

Michael Torrens, CFED

Matthias Waschek, Pulitzer Foundation for Arts

exploring: searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery

innovation: to add value by applying a new idea or method to something established