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Elevating Impact Summit: Think business can be so much more? We agree.

Friday, June 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave, Portland OR
Register by May 21st for $75 (goes up to $100)

Social entrepreneurs are found in businesses, non-profits, public offices, schools and everywhere in between. Meet them at the Elevating Impact Summit. 

The Elevating Impact Summit will inspire you and give you new ideas for working with purpose. Join hundreds of bold, creative thinkers bound not by age, status or title who are daring to make a difference and have the scars to prove it. 

  • Learn about Eric Dawson’s national efforts to eradicate youth violence through the revolutionary Peace First Prize can be used here to create better futures for our children. 
  • Talk with groundbreaking intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs about the tough knocks of starting up and their resilience to overcome
  • Meet the media reporters who uncover the stories we care about
  • Discover innovative solutions to recidivism and education from cutting leaders in our region.
  • Watch the live Pitch Fest and cheer on your favorite future social entrepreneurs pitching their new ideas 
  • Celebrate up and coming and leading changemakers chosen to win this year's Impact Awards.
  • Enjoy lunch and a hosted networking reception for more speaker Q&A and networking.
Click to Get Your Ticket
Price goes up May 21st.
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Keynote Speaker

Eric Dawson, Co-founder and President, Peace First

Peace First is a national nonprofit organization that exists to create the next generation of peacemakers. Founded by Eric Dawson in 1992, Peace First has grown to be a national leader in violence prevention education and has provided peacemaker skills training to more than 40,000 elementary and middle school students. Mr. Dawson has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Youth Service America’s Fund for Social Entrepreneurs, the Echoing Green Fellowship for Public Service, the Ashoka Fellowship for leading social entrepreneurs, and Pop!Tech’s Social Innovation Fellowship. Mr. Dawson is a captivating speaker who appears regularly on national radio and television programs, as well as in front of live audiences as a keynote speaker, trainer, and lecturer in the area of peace and justice education and child development.

Featured Speakers

MASTER OF CEREMONIES: David Sawyer

Sona K. Andrews, Provost, Portland State University

Ed Blackburn, Executive Director, Central City Concern

Phil Busse, Executive Director, Media Institute for Social Change

Doug Cooper, Assistant Director, Mercy Corps Northwest

Gun Denhart, Co-founder, Hanna Andersson

Carolynn Duncan, Founder, NW Social Venture Fund

Melissa Durham, Director of Strategic Projects, Oregon Community Foundation

Andy Giegerich, Editor, Sustainable Business Oregon

Mark Holloway, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Portland

Kazi Huque, CEO, Grameen Intel

Angela Jackson, Managing Director, Portland Seed Fund, Director, Portland State Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Business Accelerator

Dwayne Johnson, President and CEO, IDEAL Portland

Franklin Jones, Founder/CEO, B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery

Scott Marshall, Associate Dean, Portland State University School of Business Administration

Lindsey Newkirk, Owner and Chief Instigator, Junk to Funk Trashion Collective

Scott Onder, Sr. Manager of Lending and Capitalization Strategy, Mercy Corps NW

Cassandra Profita, Ecotrope Journalist Blogger, Oregon Public Broadcasting

John Shepherd, Co-founder and President, M25 Ventures

Jacob Sherman, Undergraduate Research, Engagement, and Creative Activities Coordinator, Portland State University

Erin Tochen, Program Officer, The Lemelson Foundation  

Rick Turoczy, Co-founder, PIE (Portland Incubator Experiment) and Editor, Silicon Florist  

Christina Williams, Director of Communications, Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University