Bring the Conversation to Your Community
From the funding cliff to the Glass Box — a message built to move rooms and leave leaders with a written record, not a committee.
A Speaker Who Has Done the Work
With 18 years at State Farm — including a decade in management — and 12+ years leading United Way of McLean County, this is not a theoretical framework. It is a message forged in the real friction between the business world and the social sector. Audiences leave knowing where they are and what they would do next.
How We Show Up
Keynote Address
A high-impact keynote designed for annual conferences, chamber events, and community leadership gatherings. Challenges conventional thinking about charity and leaves audiences with a clear, actionable framework for change.
Best for: Annual conferences, chamber events, leadership summits, foundation convenings
Workshop Session
An interactive session that goes deeper than a keynote — combining presentation with facilitated discussion and group exercises. Ideal for board retreats, staff development days, and strategic planning kickoffs.
Best for: Board retreats, staff development, strategic planning sessions
Panel & Moderation
Available to participate in or moderate panels on community development, business-sector philanthropy, nonprofit effectiveness, and social sector reform.
Best for: Community forums, civic convenings, multi-sector summits
Core Topics
From Charity to a Market for Results
Black-box funding versus Glass Box unit costs, verification, and results-based investment. The foundational Redesigning Charity argument.
Face the Cliff, Say the Quiet Part
Public money is shrinking. Most towns will not say what they would still fund. This session names the cliff and produces a written keep/stop.
What Chambers Can Do That Nonprofits Can't
A direct challenge to chamber leaders — and a roadmap for the unique role business associations can play in building a Glass Box.
Fund the Two Things You Would Do Well
Name the stops. Price the work. Build in the open. A practical framework for aligning community investment with measurable, visible outcomes.
Upcoming Sessions
Booking now for fall 2026 and spring 2027. Get in touch to check availability for your event.
Three moves: face the cliff, say the quiet part, build in the open. You leave with a record — not a committee.
Book a Speaking Engagement
Available for keynotes, workshops, panels, and facilitated sessions. Serving communities across the Midwest and beyond.