Accelerate 2025 Program Schedule
Day One | Tuesday, April 8th
All sessions are held in the Redwood Auditorium unless noted otherwise.
1:30 - 3:00 PM | Registration & Refreshments
3:00 - 5:30 PM | Afternoon Plenary Sessions
3:00 - 3:15 | Opening Remarks
Mindful Philanthropy’s Chief Executive Officer, Alyson Niemann, will welcome guests to Accelerate 2025 and introduce the event emcee, Thuy Vu. Attendees will also hear from Luigi Califano, General Manager of 1440 Multiversity, who will share more about the Multiversity’s mission to ignite energy, discovery, and creativity to help individuals and communities flourish.
3:15 - 3:35 | Championing Change in Mental Health: Lessons from Kumi Naidoo on Movement Building
Kumi Naidoo will share insights from his decades of experience in social justice and environmental activism, focusing on lessons from movement-building and their relevance to addressing today’s mental health crisis. Drawing from personal experiences, he will explain how he and his family have prioritized mental health in their work, emphasizing its interconnectedness with global challenges like inequality, poverty, and climate change. Kumi will offer a vision for advancing mental health through collaborative, cross-sector solutions, urging philanthropy to adopt bold, equitable strategies for lasting community impact.
3:35 - 4:20 | Exploring Curiosities through Questions
Following a grounding practice led by Licia Sky, Natalie Gilbert will guide attendees in a structured reflection exercise designed to uncover the hidden assumptions shaping their approach to mental health philanthropy. By stepping outside familiar frameworks and focusing on curiosity rather than solutions, funders will gain fresh perspectives and actionable insights to reimagine their impact.
4:20 - 4:30 | Break
4:30 - 5:10 | Responding in a Shifting Funding Landscape
Representative Steve Eliason and Dr. Diana Ramos will join Tyler Norris to examine practical strategies for maintaining momentum and mobilizing resources, particularly in the face of funding uncertainties and evolving societal priorities. Speakers will reflect on what it means to enable all communities to flourish and how now is the time more than ever to fortify our commitments to mental health and well-being.
5:10 - 5:30 | Ideation to Action: Fostering Connection for Greater Well-Being
Scott Kriens, chairman and former CEO of Juniper Networks, will share how his personal and professional experiences led to the creation of the 1440 Multiversity, a space rooted in fostering authentic connections and promoting reflection and growth. He will explore how honest, open conversations can drive trust, innovation, and resilience in both personal and professional relationships, encouraging attendees to use the afternoon to deepen relationships and consider how philanthropy can serve as a powerful catalyst for connection and transformation.
5:30 - 6:30 | Break
6:30 - 8:00 | Cocktail Hour & Dinner
Location: Kitchen Table
Day Two | Wednesday, April 9th
All sessions are held in the Redwood Auditorium unless noted otherwise.
7:00 - 7:45 AM | Signature Wellness Classes
7:30 - 8:45 AM | Breakfast
Location: Kitchen Table
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Morning Plenary Sessions
9:00 - 9:20 | Grounding in Community, Tradition, & Action
Geneva Wiki will share insights rooted in her Indigenous heritage and family tradition, exploring the deep connections between people, place, and purpose. Drawing from her family’s history of fighting for Indigenous rights, Geneva will discuss the powerful role that community-driven solutions play in mental health and the collective well-being of society. Her talk will encourage philanthropy to embrace these values, considering how community-centered approaches can inform more impactful, sustainable strategies for supporting mental health and social justice.
9:20 - 10:00 | Investing in Community: Essential Components & Practical Approaches
In this discussion, Yemi Mobolade, Perri Rosheger, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk will join Thuy Vu to explore how philanthropy can move beyond surface-level support to invest strategically in the core components of community elements—relationships, service, and purpose. Drawing on real-world examples, panelists will offer practical insights into building trust, creating supportive networks, and fostering purpose-driven initiatives. By taking a systems-based approach, the discussion will emphasize how these elements work together to prevent mental health crises and strengthen social resilience, offering philanthropy actionable strategies for meaningful, sustainable investment in community.
10:00 - 10:30 | Innovation in Addressing Addiction
In this conversation, Dr. Joseph Lee will join Dr. Cynthia Ambres to explore a multi-faceted view on the drivers of addiction in today’s society, from the long-stressed concerns of substance use to the growing influence of online engagement and its impact on youth mental health. Drawing on successes and challenges in tackling addiction, from workforce limitations to societal stigma, speakers will highlight opportunities to double down on what’s working while innovating to address new challenges. Through this discussion, they share how philanthropy can address addiction, including prevention strategies, whole-person care, research on innovative treatment approaches, and advocacy efforts.
10:30 - 10:45 | Break
10:45 - 11:00 | Youth Mental Health in the Digital Age
Teens and young adults—particularly Black, Brown, and Queer youth—bring their unique lived experiences to social media, shaping how they engage with content and communities. Dr. Jaspal Sandhu will explore both the risks and the potential benefits of social media in supporting the mental health and well-being of young people, especially those from marginalized communities.
11:00 - 11:40 | Entry Points to Support Young People & their Support Systems
Together, Alexa Arnold, Sabrina Gracias, Matt Geschke, and Dr. Bryan King will explore key entry points for investing in youth mental health — across schools, communities, and the systems youth frequently interact with. Speakers will discuss the unique pressures and challenges impacting youth mental health, and how different sectors are responding through targeted investments and innovative strategies. With a focus on what’s working, they will share lessons learned and highlight the most effective avenues for supporting youth well-being.
11:40 - 12:00 | Impact in Action: Collaborative Strategies for Youth Mental Health
Alison Malmon and Erika Soto Lamb will delve into the power of cross-sector collaboration in driving meaningful change for youth mental health. They will showcase how uniting media, advocacy, and community engagement not only expands reach but also fosters effective strategies that empower young people to support one another and create lasting impact.
12:00 - 1:30 PM | Lunch
Location: Kitchen Table
1:30 - 3:30 PM | Afternoon Plenary Sessions
1:30 - 1:50 | Ideation to Action: Integrating Mental Health Across Portfolios
Drawing on his personal and familial connections to mental health, Nathan Romano will reflect on how these experiences have motivated his long-time commitment to mental health. He will share insights into how venture capital is driving innovation in the mental health space and activating entire portfolios by leveraging AI, digital transformation, and technology to create scalable, systemic change.
1:50 - 2:10 | Ethics and AI: Opportunities and Risks for Mental Health
Randima Fernando will examine the evolving landscape of AI, exploring its transformative potential and the complexities it presents. This session will delve into the dual nature of AI, from its powerful capabilities to the inherent risks, while unpacking the key drivers behind its rapid advancement and the challenges that persist. Randima will also analyze AI’s impact on the global economy, the competitive dynamics shaping innovation, and the incentives influencing its trajectory. By providing a systems-level perspective on what’s ahead, this discussion will equip decision-makers with the insights needed to anticipate trends and strategically allocate resources in an era of accelerating change.
2:10 - 2:35 | Enabling Lasting Change through Systemic Transformation
Jeffrey Walker, renowned philanthropist and systems change advocate, will join Alyson Niemann to level-set the concept of systems change and its critical role in driving lasting, transformative impact in mental health. He will explore how funders can move beyond isolated projects to embrace collaborative, long-term strategies that address root causes and promote sustainable solutions. Jeffrey will highlight the key elements of successful systems change, including stakeholder alignment, collective action, and continuous learning, encouraging attendees to rethink their approach to philanthropy and consider how they can be catalysts for systemic transformation.
2:35 - 3:30 | Charting the Path Forward Together
This interactive workshop will engage funders in shaping a bold, collective agenda for mental health philanthropy. Through dynamic discussion and collaboration, attendees will identify the critical investments, structural changes, and catalytic actions needed to accelerate progress and reimagine what the system of care looks like for mental health. By surfacing shared priorities and defining the most impactful pathways forward, this session will help build alignment on the key levers philanthropy must activate to drive systems change and achieve population level outcomes.
3:30 - 4:00 PM | Break
Attendees are invited to explore the 1440 Multiversity property — a space designed to inspire connection, reflection, and growth — offering time to process the day’s discussions, deepen relationships, and consider philanthropy’s role in driving meaningful change.
4:00 - 5:30 PM | Discussion Forums & Workshops
Through a mix of guided and informal activities, this afternoon time offers an opportunity to foster new insights and strengthen connections with peers who are committed to improving mental health and well-being. Workshops include:
Arts and Sports in Support of Mental Health;
Strengthening the Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce;
Youth in the Digital Space: Ethics and AI; and
Community-Driven Approaches to Mental Health.
5:30 - 6:30 PM | Break
6:30 - 8:00 PM | Cocktail Hour & Dinner
Location: Kitchen Table
7:45 - 8:45 PM | Musical Performance & Curated Conversation with O.N.E the Duo
Day Three | Thursday, April 10th
All sessions are held in the Redwood Auditorium unless noted otherwise.
7:00 - 7:45 AM | Signature Wellness Classes
7:30 - 8:45 AM | Breakfast
Location: Kitchen Table
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Morning Plenary Sessions
9:00 - 9:40 | Implementing What Works from Policy to Practice
Dr. Steve Adelsheim, Jay Chaudhary, and Karen Larsen will discuss the common barriers to implementing what works, including issues with care access, availability, and quality. They will also explore strategic opportunities for philanthropy to strengthen the systems that support mental health, such as addressing gaps in the mental health workforce, building a comprehensive crisis care continuum, and bridging the gap between research, policy change, and implementation.
9:40 - 10:05 | Advancing Systems Change in Pediatric Health Systems
Drawing on local case examples, Dr. John Constantino will present on efforts to transform how young people and their families access mental and behavioral health services in children’s hospitals, by focusing on essential care modalities and better deploying data to inform decision making. He will underscore the tension between advancing services that address immediate needs, while laying the groundwork for long-term systems change, highlighting the power of philanthropy to catalyze systems change by activating multiple levers for impact.
10:05 - 10:45 | Confronting the Mental Health Workforce Crisis
There’s no arguing that the behavioral health workforce is facing a crisis. But accurately determining its pain points and deploying informed strategies for improvement are challenged by flawed workforce data and misaligned policies that create fundamental barriers to utilizing existing practitioners effectively. In this discussion, Alex Briscoe, Michael Clark, and Dr. Brianna Lombardi will unpack these often-overlooked foundational challenges that impose significant limitations on the efforts of policymakers and philanthropists, while also exploring solutions that philanthropy can catalyze in partnership with diverse stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels.
10:45 - 11:00 | Break
11:00 - 11:20 | Impact in Action: Keys for Collaboration
Kevin Connors will share insights and guidance from efforts to collaborate with peer funders and other stakeholders, from group formation to strategy and execution. He will reflect on how funders can work together to apply creative solutions to our communities’ greatest challenges, leveraging each other’s experience, relationships, and other strengths.
11:20 - 12:00 | Closing Conversation: Leveraging Philanthropy for Greater Impact
In this closing conversation, Dr. Cecilia Conrad will join Alyson Niemann to explore how philanthropy can drive systems change by leveraging strategic influence, collaboration, and long-term investment strategies. Drawing from cross-sector insights, Dr. Conrad will discuss how funders can move beyond traditional grantmaking to shape and sustain large-scale transformation. She will reflect on lessons from other fields, the power of narrative in driving change, and the structural shifts needed to create a more cohesive, effective, and equitable mental health funding landscape.
12:00 - 1:30 PM | Lunch
Location: Kitchen Table
Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
Why Mental Health?
Over 20% of the population lives with a mental health or substance use disorder.
From academic achievement to economic mobility and overall equality, mental health and addiction play a central role in every major social issue.
Mindful Philanthropy envisions a world in which all funders are invested in solutions that integrate mental health and well-being so that all people have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to be well.
ABOUT
Mindful Philanthropy was founded in 2020 with the mission to catalyze impactful funding in mental health, addiction, and well-being.
We are building a community of funders invested in solutions that integrate mental health and well-being so that all people have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to be well.
