We need to work together like never before. This was the overwhelming consensus of more than 280 community, faith, education and business leaders who attended the recent two-day Believe in Our City summit. The goal of this event was to bring people together to reflect on the essential principles and partnerships that are needed to unlock opportunity for more people in our great city. Thrive + Prosper was proud to partner alongside the Arts Marketplace, Stand Together, National Constitution Center and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation to make this event a success.
The event provided various entry points to engage, inspire and challenge attendees. This included:
- Local artists and musicians performing songs aligning with the event's message adding a layer of local culture and creativity.
- A session featuring outside speakers covering topics on the American Idea, The Founder's “Pursuit of Happiness,” and a perspective on Martin Luther King, Jr.
- A robust local panel representing diverse backgrounds that focused on issues and solutions for right here in Grand Rapids.
The event was a testament to our collective commitment to community development. This work requires intentional planning, but it also allows outcomes to happen organically. It asks us to show up with an experimental mindset. It invites us to be okay with not agreeing on everything.
Change happens at the pace of deep relationships. It’s a core tenet of the work we do. Deep relationships require building trust. Often, when we disagree politically or religiously, or there are power dynamics, it’s hard to trust someone or some group directly.
The question we need to ask is: Do we trust that the people in the room have a shared care and concern for our city and those who are vulnerable? If we can get to a yes we can begin to move forward.
The summit closed out with a personal appeal to all attendees, and we include it here because it highlights the importance of continued personal connection: Will you reach out to some of the people you met at this conference, especially people you might not usually connect with? We started our time together around the table. Maybe grab a coffee or a meal with them to further the discussion.
Highlights + Key Takeaways
When we come together as a community, the ideas begin to flow. Actionable items that surfaced on the local panel included:
- Prioritize areas of our city that have historically lacked investment, and do so in a way that uplifts those communities.
- Close the disparity gap by getting the right capital, resources, and expertise needed to spark business growth for smaller businesses positioned to scale.
- Proactively engage local organizations and the faith community as support agents in community transformation. The churches are often a source of support when people are in crisis, but can play a more significant role if proactively engaged.
- Foster more collaboration among the nonprofit community to better address our community's challenges.
We’re inspired by the attendance, participation and follow-up opportunities that Believe in our City generated. The partners are already exploring what future convenings of Believe in our City could look like - and we encourage you to continue sharing your ideas as well.
Artist + Speaker Spotlight
We couldn’t build the relationships needed to transform our city without the participation of many. A big thanks to the artists and speakers who lent their time, talent and expertise helping to make this event a success. Please give the artists a follow and consider leveraging their amazing talents for any of your organizations needs.
Thank you to all of the Local Artists:
Thank you to all of the Speakers:
- Daron Babcock
- Rev. Jerry Bishop
- Jamelle Bouie
- Charles Cooke
- Jonathan Eig
- Evelyn Esparza-Gonzalez
- Evan Feinberg
- David French
- Joe Jones
- Attah Obande
- Kelsey Perdue
- Jeffrey Rosen
- Gleaves Whitney
Check out some Engagement Opportunities with the National Constitution Center (NCC):
- Attendees heard from National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and others about the rights and principles outlined in our founding documents and how we can strengthen our democracy by engaging in civil dialogue. Check out more of the NCC’s resources on constitutioncenter.org, including the series of virtual America’s Town Hall programs featuring thought leaders from across the philosophical spectrum; Jeff’s weekly We the People podcast to hear the best arguments on all sides of constitutional issues in the news; and the NCC’s Constitution 101—a core curriculum on the Constitution’s text, history, structure, and caselaw.
- Do you know an educator who would benefit from the NCC’s teaching tools? Check out their free, nonpartisan classroom resources.
- You can sign up for their email newsletters to stay connected to the NCC.
Check out some Engagement Opportunities with Stand Together Foundation:
- Belieive in our City attendees heard from Evan Feinberg, Senior Vice President, Stand Together and Chairman, Stand Together Foundation. Evan spoke on the Empowerment Paradigm, empowering every individual to live out their full potential. He was joined by Daron Babcock, Director of Community Transformation at Stand Together and Founder of Bonton Farms.
- Check out The Catalyst Program, a selective six-month management and leadership development experience designed to unlock the potential of America’s highest-performing nonprofits.
- Check out America250, a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States.
