2026 Whitney M. Young, Jr., Leadership Conference
Empowering Our Affiliate Movement
2026 Whitney M. Young, Jr., Leadership Conference
October 19 - October 24, 2026 | Brooklyn, NY
The Whitney M. Young, Jr., Leadership Conference is our annual leadership immersion event for the leaders of our affiliate movement. We bring together our brightest minds and dedicated hearts to expand expertise, build community, and share learnings for a stronger, more effective Urban League movement.
For registration, contact your designated National Urban League track lead for instructions.
Watch the 2025 Recap
2025 Photo Highlights
Co-Sponsors
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Schedule at a Glance
| Monday, October 19 | Virtual |
| Tuesday, October 20 | Virtual |
| Wednesday, October 21 | Travel Day |
| Thursday, October 22 | In Person & Hybrid Day |
| Friday, October 23 | In Person & Hybrid Day |
| Saturday, October 24 | In Person & Hybrid Day |
Board Development Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Affiliate Board Member Responsibilities & Expectations, Part One: Governing and Protecting the Mission Dr. Carly Speranza
Global Leadership Consultant, Adjunct Faculty member at Creighton University and Indiana Tech University
Sabrina M. Charles
Vice President of Affiliate Services & Strategic Partnerships, National Urban League
Herman L. Lessard, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Affiliate Services, National Urban League
Friday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Affiliate Board Member Responsibilities & Expectations, Part Two: Supporting and Sustaining the Affiliate Dr. Carly Speranza
Global Leadership Consultant, Adjunct Faculty member, Creighton University and Indiana Tech University
Sabrina M. Charles
Vice President of Affiliate Services & Strategic Partnerships, National Urban League
Herman L. Lessard, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Affiliate Services, National Urban League11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Stronger Boards, Stronger Movement: Sharing What Works Sabrina M. Charles
Vice President of Affiliate Services & Strategic Partnerships, National Urban League
Herman L. Lessard, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Affiliate Services, National Urban League
Global Leadership Consultant, Adjunct Faculty Member Creighton University and Indiana Tech University
Chief Executive Officer Track
October 21 - 23, 2026
Monday | October 21, 2026 Time Session Speakers 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. State of the Movement with Marc Morial Marc Morial
President & CEO
National Urban League4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Review of Affiliation Documents Danielle Cooper-Daughtry
General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs, National Urban League5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. ACE Business Meeting William Barnes
President & CEO
Urban League of Alabama
Tuesday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Establishing Individual Giving Program Fundraising Sean King
Vice President
CCS Fundraising
Dennis Serrette
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer
National Urban League1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Diversifying Revenue Through Corporate and Foundation Partnerships Sean King
Vice President
CCS Fundraising
Dennis Serrette
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer
National Urban League4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Fireside Chat on Endowment Management and VIP Reception with Disciplina Dennis Serrette
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer
National Urban League
Wednesday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. New Guardrails for Democracy: Defending Opportunity and Civil Rights from the Ground Up Antonesia "Toni" Wiley
Senior Director, Congressional Advocacy
National Urban League
Arva Rice
President & CEO
New York Urban League
Honorable Ras Baraka
Mayor, City of Newark
Vivian Cox
President & CEO
Urban League of Essex County11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. GOTV- Affiliate Led Discussion Williams Barnes
President & CEO
Urban League of Alabama
Mayor, City of Newark, NJ
President and Chief Executive Officer, Urban League of Alabama
SVP & General Counsel, National Urban League
President & CEO, Urban League of Essex County
Investment Committee Chair, Florida A&M University Foundation
Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising
President & CEO, New York Urban League
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, National Urban League
Senior Director, Congressional Advocacy, National Urban League, Washington Bureau
Founder, President & Chief Investment Officer
Chief Financial Officer Track
October 23 - 24, 2026
Friday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Building a Right-Sized Finance Function Calvin Harris, Jr., CPA
Chief Executive Officer
New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA)
Saturday | October 24, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Before You Say Yes to the Grant Dr. Noel Manyindo, MD, MBA, MPH
Noel Manyindo Consulting, LLC11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. From Financial Reporting to Funding Strategy Sean King
Senior Vice President
CCS Fundraising1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Cash Under Pressure Sidney Evans
SVP, Finance & Chief Financial Officer, National Urban League
Triva John Thomas
Vice President of Budget and Grants
National Urban League
Public Health Executive, Management Consultant, Educator, and
Nonprofit Capacity-Building Leader, Noel Manyindo Consulting, LLC
Education & Youth Development Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 2026: Opening & Welcome Dr. Hal Smith
SVP Education, Youth Development, and Health
National Urban League10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Belonging, Identity & Purpose: A Project Ready 3.0 Approach to Youth Engagement, Wellness & Resilience Dr. Rashida Govan
Community Scholar, Healing Justice Professional, Consultant and Radical Dreamer, The Aspen Institute1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. From Youth Voice to Youth-Led Change: YPAR in Action Adenike Huggins
SR Director, Education Policy and Advocacy
National Urban League
Ray Shackelford
VP, Equitable Justice
National Urban League3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. AI, Technology & Opportunity: Preparing Youth for an AI-Powered Future Jessica Carless
Google Staff UX Researcher, Android
Friday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. The Affiliate Exchange: Best Practices, Tools & Strategies That Work Logan Favor
Data and Reporting Manager and Project Ready lead
Columbus Urban League
Brandy Clements
Project Ready Coordinator
Urban League of Nebraska
Joshua Meyer
Manager of Education and Youth Development
National Urban League
M. Masai Kofa-Wilson
Programs Manager, Education & Youth Workforce Development
Urban League of Hampton Roads10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. From Relationships to Resources: Funding & Partnerships for Sustainable Youth Programs Lori Scott
Senior Program Manager
New York Urban League
Robert Jones
Vice President, Youth and Workforce Development
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Project Ready=More than 1 Pathway Brad Cauthen
Director, Urban Re-Entry Programs
National Urban League
Joshua Brown
Manager, Operations & Workforce Development Programs
National Urban League
Donald M. Ruff, Jr.
President & CEO, The Eagle Academy Foundation
Charity Tucker
Sr. Director, Workforce Development & Career Services,
Urban League of Philadelphia3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Closeout: From Strategy to Impact, Advancing Youth Outcomes Together Darlene Marlin
VP, Access and Opportunity, Programs Dept., Division - Education & Youth
National Urban League
Rebecca Tibbetts
Director, EYD
National Urban League
Joshua Meyer
Manager of Education and Youth Development
National Urban League
Vice President, Access and Opportunity, Education & Youth Development, National Urban League
SVP Education, Youth Development, and Health National Urban League
Manager, Education and Youth Development, National Urban League
Youth Engagement Coordinator UL of Greater Hartford
Entrepreneurship Track
October 19 - 20, 2026
Monday | October 19, 2026 Time Session Speakers 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Entrepreneurship Center Program Welcome & Update Stephanie DeVane
VP, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League
Kent Mills
Manager, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Directors Exchange Stephanie DeVane
VP, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League
Kent Mills
Manager, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EC Program Welcome Stephanie DeVane
VP, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League
Kent Mills
Manager, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Small Business Policy & Advocacy Priorities Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan
Chief of Staff & Vice President, Federal Affairs, Washington Bureau, National Urban League
Angela Ohm
Vice President, Appropriations and Advancement, Washington Bureau, National Urban League
Welton Pride
Economic and Housing Policy Manager, Washington Bureau, National Urban League4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Freemium Model: Monetizing Advanced Services While Maintaining the Mission
Tuesday | October 20, 2026 Time Session Speakers 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Capital Readiness Support Services: Shifting Gears for Small Business Success Gloria Ware
Founder and Capital Co-Pilot, GTB Advisors LLC2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Empowering Small Business with Responsible AI Xavier Hailey, ESQ.
Principal Attorney, Hailey Law LLC
Robert Joseph, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and President, Team MindShift
Lettie Ar Rahmaan
Founder & Ecosystem Navigator, On The Move Consulting, LLC3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Entrepreneurship Center Management: Best Practices for Effectiveness, Productivity, and Impact Jason William Johnson, Ph.D., M.A.
Founder and CEO, Ena Intelligence & SoundStrategies4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Directors Exchange Kent Mills
Manager, Entrepreneurship and Business Development, National Urban League
Vice President, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Urban League of Louisiana
Founder and Principal Economic Growth Strategies
Founder and Capital Co-Pilot GTB Advisors LLC
Chief Operating Officer Economic and Community Development Institute
Chief Executive Officer Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Director, Entrepreneurship Center Urban League of Greater Atlanta
Principal Attorney Hailey Law LLC
Co-Founder and President Team MindShift
Co-Founder and President Team MindShift
Vice President, Entrepreneurship & Business Development National Urban League
Vice President, Appropriations & Advancement National Urban League, Washington Bureau
Chief of Staff & Vice President, Federal Affairs, National Urban League Washington Bureau
Manager, Entrepreneurship & Business Development National Urban League
Economic and Housing Policy Manager National Urban League, Washington Bureau
Founder and CEO Ena Intelligence & SoundStrategies
President & CEO, International Business Innovation Association
Growth Opportunities Track
October 19, 2026
Monday | October 19, 2026 Time Session Speakers 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Meeting the Market: Employer Partnerships and Job Placement for Returning Citizens Messiah Ramkissoon
Director of Strategic Planning and Community Partnerships, Youth Justice Network
Director of Strategic Planning and Community Partnerships Youth Justice Network
Guild Track
October 23 - 24, 2026
Friday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Impact & Influence: Building a High-Performing Guild Board 10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Branding the Movement: Level Up Your Guild’s Visual Identity, Part 1 Grace Chandler, M.Ed,
Houston Area Urban League Guild, President
NCULG Marketing Chair
Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
NCULG Leadership Team1:40 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Part 2: Branding the Movement: Level Up Your Guild’s Visual Identity Grace Chandler, M.Ed,
Houston Area Urban League Guild, President
NCULG Marketing Chair
Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
NCULG Leadership Team2:40 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Part II: From Response to Resilience - Building Guilds that Outlast the Storm Dr. Loretta Caldwell Thompson
Caldwell Management Solutions, President, NCULG Leadership Development and Training, Chair
Urban League Guild of Pinellas NCULG Leadership Team
Saturday | October 24, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Passing the Torch: Ensuring Seamless Service for the 85th Year and Beyond Angela Epperson, MBA
National Council of Urban League Guilds, Parliamentarian
Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
NCULG Leadership Team1:40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. From Burnout to Breakthrough: Strengthening Our Nonprofit Chapter & Solving Volunteer Challenges Angela R. Simmons-Smith
Senior Risk Analyst, Braskem America, National Council of Urban League Guilds, President
Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
NCULG Leadership Team
National Council of Urban League Guilds, Parliamentarian Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
Senior Risk Analyst, Braskem America National Council of Urban League Guilds, President Urban League Guild of Greater Philadelphia
Health Track
October 20, 2026
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Time Session Speakers 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Launching the Health Equity Playbook: A Hands-On Guide to Implementation Lydia A. Isaac
Vice President, Health Equity and Policy,
National Urban League
Housing & Community Development Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. State of Housing Cy Richardson
Senior Vice President, National Urban League
Michael Collins
Vice President, National Urban League
Silky Misra
Senior Director, National Urban League10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Cohort Connections Sarah Franzini
Associate, National Urban League11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Changing Rules of Homebuying Jennifer Butler
VP, Government and Community Relations, Zillow1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Deep Dive: RxOffice Transition Silky Misra
Senior Director, National Urban League
Camillo Melchiorre
Director of Regulatory Compliance, RxOffice Inc.
Darshan Jayaprakash
Senior Project Manager, RxOffice Inc.3:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. State of Housing – Policy Briefing Angela Ohm
Vice President, Appropriations & Advancement, National Urban League, Washington Bureau
Welton Pride
Economic and Housing Policy Manager, National Urban League, Washington Bureau
WFDD Urban Construction Jobs Program Track
October 22, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. From Grant to Growth: Building the Next Generation of Construction Career Pathways Nicole Wyley
Senior Director, Urban Construction & Urban Energy Jobs Program, National Urban League
Michael Ungvarsky
Manager, Urban Apprenticeship Jobs Program, National Urban League
Manager, Urban Apprenticeship Jobs Program, National Urban League
Urban Youth Pathways Track
October 22, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Urban Youth Pathways: From Interests to Enterprise Najmah Nicole Abraham
Transformation Coach Case Manager, St. Nick's Alliance
Kenya George
Mid-Atlantic Program Director, BUILD
Justin Lokossou
Program Manager, BUILD
Greg Williams
Program Manager, BUILD
Mid-Atlantic Program Director BUILD
Urban Senior Jobs Track
October 22, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Understanding Change Lakindra Askew
Vice President, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Washington Bureau Track
October 22, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. New Guardrails for Democracy: Defending Opportunity and Civil Rights from the Ground Up Antonesia "Toni" Wiley
Senior Director, Congressional Advocacy, National Urban League
Arva Rice
President & CEO, New York Urban League
Honorable Ras Baraka
Mayor, City of NewarkVivian Cox
President & CEO
Urban League of Essex County
Senior Director, Congressional Advocacy, National Urban League
President & CEO, New York Urban League
President & CEO, Urban League of Essex County
Mayor, City of Newark, NJ
Whitney M. Young Jr. Center for Leadership Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Managing the Business of the Mission Wanda Jackson
SVP, Human Resources, Chief Talent Officer & Executive Director, Whitney M. Young, Jr. Center for Leadership, National Urban League
Jeannie Walker
Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, Curriculum Builder, Global Leadership
Sidney Evans
Senior Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer, National Urban League
Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, National Urban League
Co-Founding Principal Partner Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits
Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
SVP, Human Resources & Chief Talent Officer, National Urban League
Manager of Partnership and Product, Data.org
Vice President of Budget and Grants, National Urban League
Global Leadership
WFDD Combined Workforce Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. From Capacity to Impact Joshua A. Brown
Manager, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Lakindra Askew
Vice President, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Funding Freedom: Foundations 101 Joshua A. Brown
Manager, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Yannick Wood
Senior Advisor, Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives, National Urban League
Leslie Andrews
Vice President, Special Initiatives & Advancement, National Urban League10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Built to Scale: Strengthening Workforce Programs for Measurable Results Adrianne Muhammad
Program Manager, Urban League of Central Carolinas
Tydrell Stevens
Regional Vice President, Save Our Sons & Sisters, Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Inc.
Andre Peart
Founder & CEO, Untapped Solutions
Vice President, Workforce Development Division National Urban League
Manager, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Program Manager, Urban League of Central Carolinas
Founder & CEO, Untapped Solutions
Regional Vice President, Save Our Sons & Sisters Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Inc.
Vice President, Special Initiatives & Advancement, National Urban League
Senior Advisor, Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives National Urban League
WFDD Upskilling Track
October 22 - 23, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. From Capacity to Impact Joshua A. Brown
Manager, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Lakindra Askew
Vice President, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Funding Freedom: Foundations 101 Joshua A. Brown
Manager, Workforce Development Division, National Urban League
Yannick Wood
Senior Advisor, Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives, National Urban League
Leslie Andrews
Vice President, Special Initiatives & Advancement, National Urban League10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Built to Scale: Strengthening Workforce Programs for Measurable Results Adrianne Muhammad
Program Manager, Urban League of Central Carolinas
Tydrell Stevens
Regional Vice President, Save Our Sons & Sisters, Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Inc.
Andre Peart
Founder & CEO, Untapped Solutions2:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. From Skills to Opportunity: Building a Future-Ready Workforce Debbie Roman, MBA, ACNP
Program Manager, National Grid
Darrell Hills
Director of Programs, Los Angeles Urban League
Grant Manager, Urban Tech Jobs & Upskilling/Reskilling Programs, National Urban League
Director of Programs, Los Angeles Urban League
Program Manager, National Grid
Young Professionals Track
October 22 - 24, 2026
Thursday | October 22, 2026 Time Session Speakers 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. NULYP Leadership Transition Retreat Tyler Litt
NULYP President, NULYP6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Young Professionals Team Dinner
Friday | October 23, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. WMY2026: Welcome & Acknowledgment Tyler Litt
NULYP President, NULYP9:40 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Icebreaker: Getting to Know the Room 10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Lead Loudly, Lead Well: Sustainable Leadership Without Burnout Shauntee Randle
NULYP Honors and Impact Lead, NULYP11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Break 1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Funding the Movement: Fund Development Strategies That Sustain Chapter Impact Tiersha Cutler
Western Regional Vice President, NULYP3:30 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. Chapter Growth Lab: Member Recruitment, Engagement, and Organizational Branding That Works Tiffany Winter
NULYP Membership Chair, NULYP4:50 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Recap/Annoucements 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. YP Social Hour 6:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. YP Free Time
Saturday | October 24, 2026 Time Session Speakers 9:30 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. Future Forward Forum: Designing the Next Chapter of the Movement National Urban League Young Professionals Executive Leadership Team
NULYP10:45 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Bridging the Divide: Creating Guild–Young Professional Partnerships That Actually Work Dr. Loretta Caldwell Thompson
NCULG Leadership Development & Training, NCULG1:40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. Closing Day Remarks & Photos
Guild Leadership Development & Training Chair NCULG
Western Regional Vice President NULYP
NULYP National President, NULYP
Behavioral Scientist, CDC
Head of University Relations & Events Capital One
NULYP Honors and Impact Lead NULYP
NULYP National Policies & Procedures Chair NULYP
NULYP Membership Chair NULYP