“Navigating the Unknown” Webinar: Addressing Poverty and Hunger in the Coronavirus Era

The Sullivan Foundation returns with two new episodes of its innovative webinar series, “Navigating the Unknown,” during the week of March 30-April 3, 2020. Hosted by Spud Marshall, the Sullivan Foundation’s director of student engagement, each episode features two social entrepreneurs discussing how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their work and how we can all help guide our communities through this challenging health crisis. Participants are invited to join in on the conversation via Zoom or follow the discussion on Facebook Live.

Episode 3 focuses on the theme of poverty and hunger in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Episode 4 will explore the role social enterprises and social leaders can play in helping communities survive and emerge stronger from the crisis. Here’s a closer look at each episode:

Episode 3: 12-1 p.m. (ET), Wednesday, April 1
Poverty and Hunger in the Coronavirus Era

Josh Nadzam, On the Move Art Studio: Josh knows poverty and hunger first-hand. Raised by a single mother who worked tough jobs and terrible hours to eke out a meager living, he grew up coping with his father’s alcoholism and suicidal tendencies and the tragic death of his best friend in a car wreck. But the scholar-athlete overcame it all to win a full track and field scholarship—and the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award—at the University of Kentucky. Today, as co-founder and director of On the Move Art Studio, Josh leads free art classes for at-risk youth in underserved neighborhoods, hoping to show them a path to success through the power of their own creativity.

Related: How Josh Nadzam outran poverty and uses art to change kids’ lives

Abhinav Khanal, Bean Voyage: Abhinav is co-founder and executive director of Bean Voyage, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides training and market access to smallholder women coffee producers in Costa Rica. Women own 25 percent of the world’s coffee farms and form 70 percent of the coffee supply chain workforce, yet they earn 39 percent less than their male counterparts and tend to produce lower-quality yields. Khanal and Bean Voyage works with these women to dramatically increase their income by cutting middlemen from the supply chain, improving product quality, providing e-commerce opportunities and connecting them to markets in the U.S.

Episode 4, 5-6 p.m. (ET), Friday, April 3
Social Entrepreneurship, Leadership and the Coronavirus Pandemic

Reagan Pugh, Assemble: As co-founder of Assemble, Reagan delivers workshops and keynote speeches on personal effectiveness and leadership development around the country. Assemble designs workshops to help teams better collaborate, from strategy meetings and yearly reviews to weekend retreats or brainstorming sessions. Pugh was formerly chief storyteller for the innovation consulting firm Kalypso and guided initiatives on storytelling, culture and leadership at companies like Nike, Pepsico and Kimberly Clark.

Related: Reagan Pugh builds connections through storytelling

Dustin Betz, Founder Institute: Dustin manages community and content for the Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Founder Institute has helped launch more than 4,000 companies in 180-plus cities, and its portfolio companies exceed $20 billion in estimated value. Founder Institute helps pre-seed entrepreneurs and teams get traction and funding by establishing a critical support network of local startup experts that are invested in their success.

You can learn more about how to take part in the “Navigating the Unknown” webinars at our Facebook Event Page or simply join the Zoom call at https://zoom.us/j/399894174 at the appropriate time. Anyone is welcome to participate or to simply listen in!