Programs
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Opening Session: Nonprofit 2.0: Navigating the Road Ahead
Today’s nonprofit leaders are navigating a landscape full of detours—AI, funding shifts, burnout, and declining trust. In this keynote, Suzanne Smith invites you to zoom out, re-center your mission, and rethink the map entirely. The road ahead won’t be paved with yesterday’s strategies—but with bold mindsets and adaptive systems designed for what’s next.
Suzanne Smith, Social Impact Architects
Suzanne Smith is a nationally recognized nonprofit strategist, speaker, and author who believes everyone can be a changemaker. As CEO of Social Impact Architects and adjunct professor, she has spent almost three decades advising nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and social entrepreneurs on how to design game-changing solutions for our most pressing social issues. Suzanne also authors Social TrendSpotter, one of the sector’s top blogs according to The Huffington Post. She is frequently interviewed by regional and national media and has published articles in Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, See Change, Nonprofit Business Advisor, and Upstart. For her outstanding work as a leading thinker, she was recognized with the Next Generation Social Entrepreneur Award by the Social Enterprise Alliance. A graduate of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, Suzanne is a sought-after keynote speaker and executive education instructor who has trained thousands of leaders nationwide.
Stay up to date with Suzanne and Social Impact Architects here:
LinkedIn: Suzanne Smith, Social Impact Architects
Luncheon Presentation: Lead with Emotional Intelligence, Live with Intention
In a world where time feels fleeting, emotional intelligence becomes your boldest power move. In this energizing keynote, Patrice Borders, The EI Amplifier™, shares her practice of Pause, Process, and Pick™ – helping you claim your most powerful response and showing that deeper connection is always possible, even in the moments that feel most rushed.
Patrice B. Borders, JD, Founder & CEO, AmplifyEI™
Board-Certified Executive Coach | TEDx & Keynote Speaker
Author Patrice B. Borders, Esq., widely known as The EI Amplifier™, is a transformational executive coach, TEDx and keynote speaker, attorney, and the visionary behind AmplifyEI™. As Founder and CEO, she’s led a 20+ year mission to cultivate emotionally intelligent leaders and thriving cultures where people feel seen, safe, and supported. With a foundation rooted in employment law and human capital consulting, Patrice delivers neuroscience-based tools that empower leaders to navigate stress, conflict, and complexity with clarity and confidence. She is the creator of the 7 Keys to Emotional Intelligence™—a practical, actionable model designed to elevate self-awareness, connection, and courageous leadership. Her approach guides teams and individuals from autopilot to intentional action using her signature Pause–Process–Pick framework. Her impact reaches from Fortune 100 giants like Disney and Kroger to Am Law 100 firms and national nonprofits. She is a Certified Search Inside Yourself Teacher, Board-Certified Executive Coach, and credentialed in multiple emotional intelligence assessments, including EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360. Her coaching is anchored in transformation, self-awareness, and authentic leadership presence. Patrice is a contributing author to the Amazon bestseller Micro Shift: Small Mindset Changes for Big Results. Her debut solo book, Amplify Emotional Intelligence, is currently in progress and scheduled for release in 2026. The book brings to life the themes explored in her bi-monthly LinkedIn newsletter of the same name, which has cultivated a loyal and growing global readership.
Stay up to date with Patrice and AmplifyEI™ here:
LinkedIn: Patrice Borders, AmplifyEI™