Breakout Session At Conference In Historic Ballroom

Topics

Take a look at our 2025 topics, with more to be announced in the near future.

Main Stage Talks

Data-Driven, Not Data-Drowned: Making Numbers Work for Your Nonprofit Mission

Marta Garcia Ferreiro, Product Manager, Google 

Data is hard to use, manipulate, and concisely share. In a world demanding impact, numbers can be your nonprofit's superpower, not its nemesis. This session dives into Data Commons (datacommons.org) – a free, open-source knowledge graph that's already helping organizations like TechSoup, Feeding America, and The ONE Campaign make smarter decisions, streamline operations, and supercharge their marketing. See how you can use this tool or tell us how to make it better! 


Feeding The Future: How HungerHUB is Revolutionizing the Food Supply Chain

Manish Misri, Chief Technology Officer, TechBridge

Step into the future of food relief with HungerHUB, a groundbreaking supply chain management platform developed for Feeding America and its nationwide network of food banks. This main stage session will unveil how HungerHUB streamlines the donation, auction, and distribution of surplus food from corporate donors to local agencies, ensuring that no meal goes to waste. Discover the powerful blend of technology, transparency, and collaboration that's transforming food insecurity response at scale. Whether you're in logistics, nonprofit tech, or social impact, this is the platform redefining what’s possible.


Tracking Policy in Real Time: How AI Can Help Mission-Driven Organizations Follow Relevant Legislation

Jeremy Brien, Technical Product Manager, State of Nevada

Executive orders, agency rules, and new legislation move fast and can dramatically impact the work of mission-driven organizations. This lightning talk introduces a vendor-agnostic approach to tracking and analyzing government actions in real time using AI and automation. 

Learn how a grassroots project evolved into a tool that summarizes executive orders, flags potential harm, and reduces friction for taking informed action. Nonprofit leaders will walk away with practical ideas to monitor policy and explore practical ideas for staying ahead of regulatory shifts.

Security & Infrastructure

Why We Aren't Done Talking About the Cloud

Francis Johnson, Chief Technology Officer, Tech Impact

At this point, the majority of nonprofits have moved their organization to a major cloud platform like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, but findings show that most are only use 10% of the platform capabilities. Cloud is more than just email, files, and messaging – in this session, we’ll go deeper into your tech stack to share often-overlooked tools, security features, and hidden capabilities to help you make the most of your productivity suite investments.


From Risk to Resilience: Security Trends and Tech Insights from Okta's Nonprofits at Work Report

Okta 

Okta’s Nonprofits at Work 2025 report analyzed the most-used tools and apps by nonprofits across its ecosystem over the last year. The headline? Security has never been more important – nonprofits are the second-most attacked industry and nearly one in every five authentications is a detected threat.

Hear an overview of key findings, trending technology solutions, and security measures across the sector that peer organizations are implementing and utilizing today to keep their people and data safe.


Navigating the New Threat Landscape: Nonprofit Cyber Trends and How To Prepare

 

Most nonprofits need to worry about phishing and brute-force attacks, but some need to worry about much more. Join a discussion about the current threat landscape and the challenges and vulnerabilities nonprofits specifically need to be aware of. Gain the perspective and experience of cybersecurity leaders who see, and help thwart, millions of cyber-attacks every day. This session will not only educate, but cut through the fearmongering.

Strategy & Innovation

Build It VS. Buy It: Weighing the Pros/Cons Between Off the Shelf and Custom

Ryan Harrington, Managing Director of Tech Impact's Data Lab

This session offers a practical framework to help nonprofit professionals decide when to buy off-the-shelf software and when to invest in building custom solutions. We’ll weigh cost, capacity, and mission alignment to guide smarter tech decisions that serve your organization’s goals.


Mind the Gap: Making Tech Work Through Better Collaboration

Taylor Wilder, Skilled Volunteer Programs Manager, Hands On powered by United Way of Greater Nashville

 

Whether your tech solutions come from staff, volunteers, or consultants, one challenge remains: making sure the work meets real organizational needs and actually sticks.

This session is for nonprofit tech professionals, project managers, and program staff who want to scope projects that are technically sound and widely adopted. Drawing from Hands On’s GeekCause program and real-world case studies, we’ll explore how to foster cross-functional collaboration, bridge the gap between tech and program teams, and avoid common pitfalls. You'll leave with practical tools to improve communication, build buy-in, and make tech work that lasts.

Bias Is a Feature, Until You Fix It

Theresa Kennedy, Founder & President, The Black History Foundation

In this rapid-fire session, AI ethics advisor Theresa Kennedy unpacks how bias gets baked into AI systems—and what your nonprofit can do about it. Using examples from her work with Mastercard and OpenAI, she’ll show how bias hides in language, representation, and assumptions, and offer clear, repeatable steps to build more equitable systems.


Byte-Sized Maturity: Assessing and Advancing Your Nonprofit’s Tech Readiness

Jennifer Ray, Director of Technology Engagements, Apparo & Stephanie McKee, Chief Technology Thought Partner, Apparo 

Do you truly understand your nonprofit’s current technology landscape—or are you making just-in-time decisions with limited insight? Without a structured view of your tools, policies, and practices, it can be difficult to manage your technology effectively or operate efficiently. This interactive session introduces a practical framework to help nonprofit leaders assess their tech maturity, identify gaps, and access tools and resources to plan smarter—not harder.

Data Management & AI

Public Data, Public Impact: How to Use Open/Public Data to Amplify Your Nonprofit's Impact

Michael Hollander, Vice President of Data and Innovation, Heights Philadelphia

Non-profits may be short on time and resources, but we do not have to be short on data. This workshop will help you to discover how to use open data to gain insights into your community’s assets and needs, assess the long term impact of policies, and measure the impact of your own work. Drawing from real examples in education, criminal justice, and unemployment this session will equip you with practical knowledge and a variety of tools to begin your own open data journey. 


Responsible AI Starts Here: Building Policy, Culture, and Capacity in Nonprofits

Jeremy Manus, Director of Technology Operations, The Boston Foundation & Tom Durkin, Associate Vice President of Information Technology, The Boston Foundation 

Learn how the Boston Foundation developed and implemented an AI usage policy that reflects its nonprofit values, prioritizes equity, and fosters a culture of innovation. This session will explore the Foundation’s journey in creating an organizational environment that actively empowers staff to experiment with the technology in a thoughtful and responsible way. Leaders from the foundation will share how they guide teams through the rapidly evolving AI landscape—balancing excitement with caution—and the specific structures they put in place to support this experimentation, including a secure and welcoming framework for pilot projects.


Power BI in Action: Bring Your Data to Life

Alyssa Ford, Chief Operating Officer, Tech Impact 

In this interactive Power BI session, you'll learn how to transform raw data into insights that drive action, engage stakeholders, and support decision-making. Whether you're just starting with Power BI or looking to sharpen your skills, this session offers practical guidance to help you bring your data to life. From building your first report to designing impactful visuals, you'll leave with the tools to make your data more meaningful, accessible, and actionable. No advanced experience is needed—just a desire to make your data work harder for you.

This session will help you: 

Understand the Power BI ecosystem

Use visual elements to highlight trends and insights

Connect, shape, and model your data effectively


Design Exercise: AI and Automation Ideation and Technology  

Ryan Harrington, Managing Director of Tech Impact's Data Lab & Linda Widdop, Chief Innovation Officer, Tech Impact 

Join us for an engaging workshop session designed specifically for the Tech Forward audience. This session will be facilitated by two nonprofit technology leaders and will focus on ideation and feasibility of using AI and automation in your organization to adapt, and scale innovative solutions to address development, humanitarian, and conservation challenges.  

Register Today