Event Agenda
Wednesday, April 15
3:00 PM
Arrival & Check-in
Guest arrivals at Residence Inn – Clayton
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Affinity Group Connections
Catch up with your peers in your respective affinity groups.
Locations
Program: Discovery Ball Room
Development & Marketing: Clayton Ballroom
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Transportation by bus will be provided from the Residence Inn – Clayton
Hosted at Hope Ignites St. Louis with food, cocktails, and networking
Thursday, April 16
📸 Headshot Station Available All Day!
Look out for our professional headshot station throughout Thursday. Location:
Pre-Event Space
6:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Breakfast
Complimentary hot breakfast served at the Residence Inn – Clayton
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Leading the Next Chapter Together
Location: Clayton Ballroom
Kristin Ostby, President & CEO of Hope Ignites, will lead a state of the organization briefing followed by breakout discussions.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Program Innovation and Impact
Location: Clayton Ballroom
Introduced by Erin Beezley, Director of Experiential Learning & Youth Development, Hope Ignites
An interactive session led by Lauren Schwartze, Bellwether Education Partners, that will spotlight high quality affiliate programming as we solidify the essence of the distinctive and transformative Hope Ignites program model. All attendees to join this session.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch
Location: Discovery Ballroom
Group lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Leading Excellent Teams in a Shifting Landscape
Location: Clayton Ballroom
Mel Burden introduces attorney and Network Board Member Colette Kopon to lead this session for supervisors across the Network.
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Learning from Our Peers: Affiliate Best Practices
Three concurrent breakout sessions.
Programming: Discovery Ballroom
Preparing Scholars for Post-secondary Success led by James Williams and the Mission Effectiveness Team
Marketing & Advancement: Clayton Ballroom
Keep, Grow & Reconnect: Donor Engagement Strategies led by Bill Fronczak, VP of Advancement; Dana Nichols, Senior Director of Donor Engagement; and Jenny Starkey, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Network & Board Leadership: 1st Floor Library
Strengthening Our Connections: Network and Affiliate Board Members led by Kristin Ostby, President & CEO
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Excellence Awards
Reception, dinner, and awards celebration honoring outstanding leadership and impact across the Hope Ignites Network.
Cocktails from 5:30 to 6:30 at Hope on the Hill (Ste. 202), with awards dinner beginning at 6:30 in the D'Amici Room (Ste. 200)
Transportation will be provided to and from the Residence Inn – Clayton
Dress Code: Cocktail Attire
View Awards Details & Recipients →
9:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Excellence Awards: After Party
Location: Residence Inn – Clayton: The Clayton Ballroom
DJ spinning tunes while folks celebrate the evening's achievements
Friday, April 17
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Breakfast
Complimentary hot breakfast served at the Residence Inn – Clayton
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Prompt, Play, Reflect: AI in Our Daily Work
Location: Clayton Ballroom
Led by Pete Schweiss, Hope Ignites Director of Technology Services
Hands-on sessions led by Ashley Scoville, Gigi Burgos, Erin Beezley, and Xiá Simmons
AI is already part of the tools we use every day — and this session is about learning to make it actually work for us. Through hands-on scenarios using Microsoft Copilot, we'll work together in small groups to practice prompting, reflect on what we learned, and leave with the confidence to keep experimenting on our own.
Hands On Materials →
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
AI and the Future of Work
Location: Clayton Ballroom
A forward-looking session exploring the future of work and its implications for Hope Ignites and the scholars we serve, including emerging trends, skills, and opportunities shaping the years ahead.
Moderator: Laura Stevens, Senior Director of Organizational Impact, Hope Ignites
Panelists:
Misty Jones, President & CEO, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
Bob Olwig, VP, Global Partner Alliances at World Wide Technology, Inc.
Jonathan Solomon, Partnership Director, Mainstay
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch & Departures
Location: Clayton Ballroom
Grab-and-go lunch; conference concludes
