CHANGEmakers Summit Forges Leaders of Tomorrow
By Lila Goldin, Marketing Student Intern
Anticipation and chatter (and the scent of Chick-fil-a Chicken Biscuits) filled the air as over 100 students from across Palm Beach County found their seats in the auditorium at Keiser University, preparing for the Philanthropy Tank Changemakers Summit to begin.
To kick off the day, motivational speaker Eugene Spann explained the importance of trust and teamwork to create change, including members of the crowd in the discussion. Students shared their opinions on why change is important, referring back to Spann’s recurring metaphor of how change is like a F1 racer’s pit stop: It takes practice and it requires teamwork and trust. One student said that change “pushes the world forward,” which I found particularly relevant because of Philanthropy Tank’s term “CHANGEmakers.” It was exciting for me to see so many other students, up early on a Saturday, that want to “push the world forward” and become CHANGEmakers themselves.
Luca Weisman, Dreyfoos School of the Arts junior and president of nonprofit organization Bridging The Gap, describes his experience: “My favorite parts of the Philanthropy Tank CHANGEmakers Summit were definitely meeting so many like minds, getting to interact with people who share my values and beliefs, and getting to collaborate with them on awesome brainstorming projects.”
After introductions of members of Leadership Palm Beach County who helped put together the event, breakout sessions began. The breakout session I was assigned to first was on finance with Bank of America representatives. They had a presentation on financial literacy and proper use of credit, along with a case study that let us apply what we learned. In groups, we brainstormed ways that we could make financial literacy more prominent in our community. When an open question was posed to the group, hands around the room shot up, and groans could even be heard when multiple students shared an answer and one was able to say it aloud first. That kind of active and engaged participation in and of itself is a sign that attendees were eager to learn.
After a short break, we had another breakout session, where I had the opportunity to learn about wellness from a United Healthcare representative. Weisman went to a technology breakout session where he designed an app to help homeless people. The other breakout sessions were led by representatives from NCCI and Manatee Lagoon.
After a lunch that let attendees choose if they wanted to be a part of discussions about Philanthropy Tank and leadership or just take a break and talk to their peers, we moved into the closing session of the summit. This included a mock finals event where CHANGEmakers Nate Goldin and Erica Frishberg presented a shortened version of their presentations as examples for audience members, as well as a panel where I, along with other current Philanthropy Tank students, discussed our experiences. When the audience had an opportunity to ask us questions, many were curious on how to apply or join one of our current organizations. It felt amazing to look out into a crowd of people my own age that care about our community and want to take initiative in making positive change.
At the summit, I learned that even leaders aren’t alone. It takes trust, practice, and a group to create change. It takes a Saturday morning with Philanthropy Tank to create CHANGEmakers.
Apply to become a CHANGEmaker now.
