SiX National Conference 2024: Full Schedule

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4:30pm EST

Get Ready, Stay Ready: Getting on the Offensive for 2025 and Beyond

Wednesday December 11, 2024 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST

To get to our long-term vision of an irresistible future where all people have power and agency over their lives, state legislators and advocates must be ready to confront rising authoritarianism in the immediate-term. For years, priorities outlined in Project 2025 have been field-tested in many states by extremists—many of us are already familiar with what it will take for us to beat back efforts to dismantle democracy. Join this informal space to share strategies, ideas, and resources across states to get on the offensive against rising authoritarianism in 2025 and beyond.

Speakers

Rosann Mariappuram

Senior Policy Counsel, Reproductive Rights, SiX

Rosann Mariappuram, J.D. M.A. (she/her) is a lawyer and advocate who has been part of the movements for reproductive health, rights and justice for over a decade. She is the former executive director of Jane’s Due Process, a nonprofit that fights for young people’s bodily autonomy... Read More →

Wednesday December 11, 2024 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout, Breakout Block A

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Closed to Media

10:30am EST

Elected and Unsafe: Navigating Threats and Abuse in Public Life

Thursday December 12, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am EST

International 9 Breakout

Increasingly, public officials at all levels of government, especially Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and other women of color, are subjected to threats and abuse, inflamed by the rise of violent white nationalism and other extremist groups. This session offers space for legislators to unpack recent findings about the threats that state and local officeholders face and exchange strategies for protection against future threats.

Speakers

Del. Irene Shin

State Delegate, Virginia General Assembly

Irene is a longtime community organizer turned legislator. The daughter of immigrants, she became the first Korean-American woman to serve in the Virginia General Assembly when she was first elected in 2021. Irene serves on four committees: Communications Technology and Innovation... Read More →

Rep. Park Cannon

State Representative, Georgia-58

Park Cannon serves District 58, which encompasses 20 neighborhoods within in-town Atlanta. Her legislative efforts focus on reproductive justice issues such as access to quality health care, housing & education. Rep. Cannon seeks to stop the erosion of affordability for basic needs... Read More →

Rep. Ruwa Romman

State Representative, GA

Representative Ruwa Romman worked at Deloitte Consulting assisting stakeholders by advising, implementing, and developing improved strategies to address policy challenges at the local, state, and federal level. In 2020, Ruwa leveraged her platform to inform thousands of Georgians... Read More →

Neha Patel

Co-Executive Director, State Innovation Exchange

Neha Patel is SiX’s Co-Executive Director. Growing up in the Midwest (Indiana/Michigan) as the child of immigrants, she believes fiercely in the American Dream—where opportunity exists only if we fight for it on behalf of all of us. This foundational belief led Neha to a lifelong... Read More →

Mũthoni Wambu Kraal

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Women's Democracy Lab

Mũthoni is a Co-Founder and the Executive Director of the Women's Democracy Lab (WDL), where she leads innovative efforts to address key challenges faced by elected Indigenous women and women of color at the state and local levels. Additionally, Muthoni is the Founder and Principal... Read More →

Rep. Aftyn Behn

State Representative, Tennessee-51

Representative Aftyn Behn, LMSW represents Nashville as the youngest woman in the House. She's formerly the Campaign Director for RuralOrganizing.org, overseeing the organization's electoral strategy and execution and shaping the political and policy landscape impacting small towns... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout, Breakout Block B

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Closed to Media

12:00pm EST

Film Screening: Elected and Unsafe

Thursday December 12, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

International 9 Breakout

Come watch “Elected and Unsafe,” a short impact film produced by the Women’s Democracy Lab and join us for an informal conversation about building solutions to address the escalating threats faced by public officials, especially Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and other women of color.

Speakers

Mũthoni Wambu Kraal

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Women's Democracy Lab

Thursday December 12, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout Over Lunch, Breakout Block C

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange

1:15pm EST

Collaborative Governance: Building People Power Beyond Elections

Thursday December 12, 2024 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST

International 9 Breakout

How do we move past electoral cycles to ensure that real change is felt by the communities who need it most? More so than any particular civic engagement strategy, a burgeoning practice of collaborative governance holds the greatest promise of giving people the power to truly drive meaningful change. Across the country, policymakers, advocates and grassroots leaders are employing collaborative governance to build lasting power and to win justice for their communities. This is the first of a two-part, repeating series in which speakers will share inspiring stories of this new practice at work, giving the audience glimpses of a future political reality they will find irresistible—one in which intersectional problems are met with intersectional responses, and in which the people most impacted by policy have true power in shaping it.

Speakers

Margaret Gomez

Colorado State Director, State InnovationExchange

Maggie Gómez has dedicated nearly two decades to grassroots community organizing with women and communities of color to build deep power for collective action and policy wins. Prior to SiX, Maggie has led grassroots organizing and policy efforts for paid sick leave, paid family medical... Read More →

Jordyn Bussey

Director of Legislation, American Pride Rises

Jordyn Bussey is the Director of Legislation for Deliver the American Dream, the c4 arm of the American Pride Rises Network. In this role, Jordyn develops and implements the organization's strategy to engage on DEI-related legislation in the states and support legislators and allies... Read More →

Francesca Menes

Deputy Organizing Director, Local Progress

Francesca Menes is the Deputy Organizing Director at Local Progress, a movement of local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda. Francesca is a political educator, legislative and policy strategist, entrepreneur and former television host committed to creating... Read More →

Sen. Arthur L. Haywood

State Senator, Pennsylvania-4

Art is a determined fighter for all people and has won many battles, committed to making Pennsylvania a place where everyone can live with dignity. He has secured $100 million in annual funding for affordable housing, $14 million for mobile, school, and community health clinics to... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 1:15pm - 2:30pm EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout, Breakout Block D

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Closed to Media

2:45pm EST

The Future of AI: Taking on Big Tech in the Workplace & Ballot Box

Thursday December 12, 2024 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST

International 9 Breakout

Technology can be used to advance or undermine progress. Tech companies and employers that use these tools are taking advantage of the emergent nature of these technologies to dictate regulatory frameworks, including whether there is one at all. But contrary to what the tech industry might suggest, the proliferation of these abusive tools isn’t inevitable or uncontrollable. They can and should be regulated, including prohibited, to safeguard our rights. It is imperative that state legislators understand these harms, who is behind them, and to collaborate with impacted communities to fight back. This workshop focuses on a series of reports released by SiX, Kairos, and Economic Security Project—centering the work of legislators and organizers to hold Big Tech accountable and center people as well as equity in AI.

Speakers

Jelani Drew-Davi

Senior Communications Strategist, Kairos Fellowship

Jelani is a Black, queer, organizer from the South dedicated to building power for their communities online and offline. Jelani enjoys long reads through Twitter and taking any chance to drag Big Tech CEOs. Jelani’s organizing interest is at the intersection of racial justice and... Read More →

Teri Olle

Director, Economic Security California

Teri Olle is the Director of Economic Security California, an affiliate of Economic Security Project, which works to build an economy where everyone has the freedom and stability to thrive. Teri drives Economic Security California's campaigns to expand direct cash payments, such as... Read More →

Ian Pfeiffer

SiX Staff Session Lead

Pat Garofalo

Director of State and Local Policy, American Economic Liberties Project

Matt Scherer

Senior Policy Counsel for Workers’ Rights and Technology, Center for Democracy & Technology

Matt Scherer is Senior Policy Counsel for Workers’ Rights and Technology at the Center for Democracy & Technology. He studies how emerging technologies affect workers in the workplace and labor market, including the impacts of emerging digital surveillance and management technologies... Read More →

Cynthia Conti-Cook

Director of Research and Policy, Surveillance Resistance Lab

Cynthia Conti-Cook is a legal and policy strategist working at the intersection of technology and justice movements. She is currently the Director of Research and Policy at the Surveillance Resistance Lab. Previously, she advised the Ford Foundation’s Gender, Racial, and Ethnic... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout, Breakout Block E

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Closed to Media

10:30am EST

Taking Back Our Faith: Reclaiming the Faith Perspective on Progressive Issues

Friday December 13, 2024 10:30am - 11:20am EST

International 9 Breakout

Leading while protecting religious equality means being able to communicate deep values, respecting the ways religion shapes constituents’ lives, and countering efforts to institutionalize a narrow religious ideology that threatens democracy. This session will be an interactive, skills-building workshop facilitated by religious leaders. Legislators will discuss how religion is manipulated to justify ideologies that exclude, harm, and limit freedom and equality. Then, legislators will discuss how religion can be a source of connection, meaning, and purpose. Next, legislators will highlight their core beliefs and values. Finally, legislators will be provided talking points, trained to “Say This, Not That,” and develop a step-by-step sequence for statements.

Speakers

N. Sydney Jemmott

SiX Staff Session Lead

Rev. Latishia James

Co-Executive Director, SACReD

Rev. Latishia James, MDiv (she/they) affectionately known as Rev. Pleasure is a Black queer femme, womanist, writer, facilitator of healing spaces for BIPOC women, femmes, and LGBTQIA folks, and healing-centered pleasure coach. A Master of Divinity and Certificate of Sexuality+ Religion... Read More →

Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson

Director, Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture

Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson is the Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at the Iliff School of Theology, where she leads research exploring the relationship between religion and politics. With a focus on informing public leaders, the Institute works for transformative... Read More →

Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore

Community Organizer

Keyanna Jones Moore is a Political and Social Justice Activist and Community Organizer from Atlanta, Georgia. She currently works as a Chapter Organizer with Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, where she emphasizes the need for Black People to understand how the environment impacts their... Read More →

Friday December 13, 2024 10:30am - 11:20am EST
International 9 Breakout

Breakout, Breakout Block F

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Closed to Media