Unity Summit 2023
Hosted By: CHANGE Philanthropy
Location: Los Angeles, California
Duration: October 16-19, 2023
Convening Toward Liberation collaborated with CHANGE Philanthropy to produce the 2023 Unity Summit, a three-and-a-half-day day conference held in Los Angeles, California in October 2023. At the Summit, 1,500 participants “gathered to deepen individual and institutional practice to advance equity with an intersectional lens, while keeping community at the center. We sought to create space for all attendees to participate as thought leaders and philanthropic activists. The experience fostered learning, networking, joy, and action.” The summit featured five main stage plenary sessions with speakers from California and across the country, all national leaders in liberatory funding and movement work. Beyond the main stage, there were more than 100 breakout sessions, held both in person and online, covering a wide range of topics at the intersection of social justice and philanthropy.
We worked closely with a committee of CHANGE Philanthropy partners to craft participatory engagement beyond the formal sessions. This included community learning exchanges, “unconferencing” space, dedicated networking areas, and a Block Party featuring local performance artists, vendor booths, and food trucks. We also took thoughtful care in designing the event space to include all-gender restrooms, a low-sensory room, and a “Play and Slay” room with coloring books, sensory toys, and space to step away from the bustle.
Our team designed for accessibility throughout the venue and program. We led logistics with the host hotel, created an inclusive menu plan, and curated floor plans for the main stage and all breakout rooms. We also managed the full Breakout Session process: launching the call for sessions, coordinating proposal intake and review, and guiding final selection, scheduling, and room assignments. Additionally, we curated and managed all external vendors, including furniture rentals, photography, and audio/visual teams, to shape a cohesive and distinctive event experience.
Access highlights:
Ensured all transportation for offsite programming was ADA-accessible by default, so no one had to ask.
Co-designed a community care agreement with stakeholders that included universal COVID-19 testing and standardized masking protocols.
Curated a performance and market lineup for the Block Party, featuring LA-based performance artists, food vendors, and artisan makers from Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latine, trans, queer, and disabled communities.