Keynote, Session Descriptions and Presenter Bios

We are pleased to announce Michael Prosserman will be the LiVE 2023 Keynote Speaker  

We must lead the change that our evolving world demands. The last few years uncovered new challenges that no one could have predicted. We need to build adaptive and responsive teams that can lead in today's changing world. But how do we develop our adaptive capabilities in the new normal when everyone is so burnt out and tired? In this keynote you will learn how Michael built a national Hip Hop mental health charity from the ground up by taking care of his team, not accepting the status quo and making decisions with shared values. This interactive keynote is jam-packed with real examples and practical lessons on how you can build a healthy and adaptive organization with engaged and empowered people.

BUILD HEALTHY TEAMS!

Supporting employee and volunteer well-being is critical in increasing retention, impact and funds raised. It is also the right thing to do. In this presentation, Michael provides audiences with tons of cheap, easy and free strategies to build mental well-being into team culture so that it is more approachable, practical and participatory. Learn to build engaged and resilient teams supporting individual well-being across all levels of staff and volunteers throughout your organization. We can't keep hurting ourselves to help others. We need to support our people first to build retention and create our desired impact in the community.

INNOVATE & FLIP BROKEN SYSTEMS!

Learn to develop adaptive capabilities in the new normal. Learn how Michael and his team built responsiveness into organizational structure and program design. Michael shares about this process as he 'builds the plane while flying it'. If a system is broken, we can't continue to accept it, we need to 'flip it' and find new ways of doing things.

LET VALUES DRIVE YOUR WORK!

Learn to create a sustainable organization by co-defining a clear set of values to align teams of diverse experience levels and backgrounds around common goals. Learn how you can build a values driven, thriving organization from programs to volunteers to fundraising to evaluation.

Whether you are brand new to the sector or you've been a volunteer leader for over 25 years, this talk is for you. I think it is the responsibility of anyone speaking in front of a group of people to appeal to a wide range of audiences and this is my core purpose for any keynote I deliver. I strive to inspire, educate and energize audiences to keynote experiences that they never forget. Through sharing my personal story and the struggles of building something from the ground up I bring in the human component to relate to my audiences. Then I offer practical tools, tips and stories of learning on how we 'built the plane while flying it' and 'flipped' broken systems.

BIO: Mike ‘Piecez’ Prosserman is a bestselling author, professional B-Boy (“breakdancer”), university instructor, and certified coach who specializes in scaling start-ups, team culture, fundraising, and succession. In Michael’s book Building Unity: Leading a Non-Profit From Spark to Succession, he shares practical tools to building resilient and responsive organizations. He scaled a grassroots movement using Hip-Hop to improve youth mental health as the Founder of Unity Charity. Over 15 years Michael grew Unity from a volunteer group to employing 80 staff, raising $7 million, and having an impact on 250,000 youth. By high school, Michael was accepted into Cirque Du Soleil. Michael is committed to empowering leaders in the public and private sector to build more resilient and responsible organizations through his social enterprise EPIC Leadership.

CLOSING PLENARY

We are pleased to announce Karyn Mullen & Dawn Ashford will be the LiVE 2023 closing plenary speakers

 

Make your job easy - Stop being so darn serious all the time. No one wants to be around a fun killer - not even you. Lighten up, relax, and enjoy yourself.

Truly extraordinary and successful volunteer relationships don’t come to people because they are charming or have endless budgets. You don’t have to work so hard. So, why do you? There are 3 universal laws that work no matter what. 

You’re invited to the 25th Anniversary Plenary Meeting. Join us and see what you've been missing!

BIO: Karyn Mullen is a successful CEO, corporate executive, public relations strategist, speaker, published author and philanthropist. Her area of expertise is marketing, sales and public relations for exclusive products and services that delivers long-term value and raises the standards of living for owners, staff, suppliers and clients. Her hallmark is creating double-digit annual growth, with elegance and grace. She is also Editor-in-Chief of First Lady Global® magazine, a lifestyle publication featuring products, interiors, cultures as well as advice for entrepreneurs and corporate executives.

BIO: Dawn Ashford is an Award Winning, Dynamic, and versatile professional with an extensive track record in Volunteer Engagement and strategic communications, - public & private sectors - Canada & abroad. Highly experienced in advising C.E.O.’s and executives in strategic communications and marketing/rebranding in the public and private sectors including prior working experience for organizations such as American Express (AMEX Canada Inc.), Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (Australia), and STAXI. Dawn is presently the Supervisor of Volunteer Services at VHA Home Healthcare and has over 15 years working in the volunteer field. 

Session Descriptions and Presenter Bios