Hear from extraordinary artists, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are working at the intersection of climate, social justice, education, immigration, and health at our annual event.
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Each year, Demo Day serves as a source of inspiration, reminding us that human ingenuity, idealism, and resolve can forge new possibilities for individuals, communities, and our nation. Our [2022 speakers](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022) are dedicated to finding solutions from voting rights and health equity to education and environmental justice. 
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This year, these leaders are united by a common thread—our changing climate. As they reimagine and reshape the world through advocacy, art, and action, their work contributes to our shared climate future.  
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Our Demo Day visual theme is inspired by the work of [Corita Kent](http://www.corita.org/ "Corita Kent"), a groundbreaking artist, educator, and activist.


Mark Bradford (b. 1961 in Los Angeles) is a contemporary artist known for his large-scale abstract paintings created out of paper. Characterized by its layered formal, material, and conceptual complexity, his work explores social and political structures that objectify marginalized communities and the bodies of vulnerable populations. After accumulating layers of various types of paper onto canvas, Bradford excavates their surfaces using power tools to explore economic and social structures that define contemporary subjects. His practice includes painting, sculpture, video, photography, printmaking, and other media. In addition to his studio practice, Bradford engages in social projects alongside exhibitions of his work that bring contemporary ideas outside the walls of exhibition spaces and into communities with limited exposure to art.
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In 2015, Bradford co-founded Art + Practice in Leimert Park with his longtime partner, Allan DiCastro, and philanthropist and art collector Eileen Harris Norton. A+P supports transition-age foster youth and children experiencing displacement worldwide through collaborations with nonprofit social service providers First Place for Youth and PILAglobal. A+P also provides free access to museum-curated contemporary art, organized by the California African American Museum.
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Bradford received a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 1995 and an MFA from CalArts in 1997. He has since been widely exhibited internationally and received numerous awards. Recent solo exhibitions have taken place at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art; Hauser & Wirth, Menorca; the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Hauser & Wirth, London; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; and Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Mark Bradford (b. 1961 in Los Angeles) is a contemporary artist known for his large-scale abstract paintings created out of paper. Characterized by its layered formal, material, and conceptual complexity, his work explores social and political structures that objectify marginalized communities and the bodies of vulnerable populations. After accumulating layers of various types of paper onto canvas, Bradford excavates their surfaces using power tools to explore economic and social structures that define contemporary subjects. His practice includes painting, sculpture, video, photography, printmaking, and other media. In addition to his studio practice, Bradford engages in social projects alongside exhibitions of his work that bring contemporary ideas outside the walls of exhibition spaces and into communities with limited exposure to art.

Mark Bradford in Conversation with Laurene Powell Jobs

In 2020, Dario Calmese made history as the first-ever Black photographer to shoot a cover for Vanity Fair—in its 106-year existence—with his portrait of Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. But Calmese’s work goes well beyond photography; it sits at the nexus of art, fashion, and academia, pushing the boundaries of each to create unprecedentedly innovative projects that explore history, race, and what it means to be human. That same year, Calmese launched The Institute of Black Imagination (IBI), a design start-up that works to preserve, integrate, and cultivate the Black imagination through innovative and interactive experiences. IBI’s portfolio includes a widely acclaimed podcast, digital website, and a forthcoming location at the Oculus World Trade Center, all of which tap into the “Pool of Black Genius” to share the visions of the modern iconoclasts taking the reins on cultural thought and innovation. Currently a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Calmese serves on the global advisory board for Estée Lauder Companies and is a professor at The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York City. He is also an NYC Urban Design Forum Fellow, show director for the fashion brand Pyer Moss, and he collaborated with Adobe Lightroom to design presets specifically for people of color.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

In 2020, Dario Calmese made history as the first-ever Black photographer to shoot a cover for Vanity Fair—in its 106-year existence—with his portrait of Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. But Calmese’s work goes well beyond photography; it sits at the nexus of art, fashion, and academia, pushing the boundaries of each to create unprecedentedly innovative projects that explore history, race, and what it means to be human. That same year, Calmese launched The Institute of Black Imagination (IBI), a design start-up that works to preserve, integrate, and cultivate the Black imagination through innovative and interactive experiences. IBI’s portfolio includes a widely acclaimed podcast, digital website, and a forthcoming location at the Oculus World Trade Center, all of which tap into the “Pool of Black Genius” to share the visions of the modern iconoclasts taking the reins on cultural thought and innovation. Currently a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Calmese serves on the global advisory board for Estée Lauder Companies and is a professor at The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York City. He is also an NYC Urban Design Forum Fellow, show director for the fashion brand Pyer Moss, and he collaborated with Adobe Lightroom to design presets specifically for people of color.


Cultivating the Black Imagination Through Innovative and Interactive Experiences

Shirley M. Collado’s mission is to help remove the obstacles that hold students back from fulfilling their educational potential. She has broken down barriers over the course of her career; as the ninth president emerita at Ithaca College, Collado was not only the institution’s first president of color, but also the first Dominican American to be president of a four-year institution in the U.S. Today, she serves as president and CEO of College Track, a college completion organization focused on fulfilling the promise of higher education for all students. By working to advance innovative approaches that expand student access and success, Collado opens doors that will not only lead to economic mobility, but to broader social change.
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Earlier in her career, Collado served as executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at Rutgers University-Newark; dean of the college and vice president for student affairs at Middlebury College; and executive vice president of The Posse Foundation. She is the Brooklyn-born daughter of Dominican immigrants, and the first person in her family to graduate from college.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Shirley M. Collado’s mission is to help remove the obstacles that hold students back from fulfilling their educational potential. She has broken down barriers over the course of her career; as the ninth president emerita at Ithaca College, Collado was not only the institution’s first president of color, but also the first Dominican American to be president of a four-year institution in the U.S. Today, she serves as president and CEO of College Track, a college completion organization focused on fulfilling the promise of higher education for all students. By working to advance innovative approaches that expand student access and success, Collado opens doors that will not only lead to economic mobility, but to broader social change.


Removing Obstacles to Fulfill Educational Potential

When her first son was born, Julia Collins knew she needed to do something to help mitigate the climate crisis for future generations. So in 2019, she founded Planet FWD, an organization dedicated to empowering sustainable brands with its carbon management platform. Planet FWD’s proprietary technology provides consumer and food service companies with the tools to understand, reduce, and neutralize their carbon footprint, and get on a path to net zero emissions. Collins also created Moonshot, Planet FWD’s climate-friendly snack brand.
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Food has always been at the center of Collins’ life and work; she spent her early career at industry-leading food companies such as Union Square Hospitality Group, Mexicue, Murray’s Cheese, and Harlem Jazz Enterprises. She went on to co-found Zume Pizza, where she became the first Black woman to lead a company that reached unicorn status. She currently sits on the advisory council for Launch With GS and the Food for Climate League as well as supporting other diverse early-stage founders as an adviser and angel investor. She resides in San Francisco with her two sons and partner.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

When her first son was born, Julia Collins knew she needed to do something to help mitigate the climate crisis for future generations. So in 2019, she founded Planet FWD, an organization dedicated to empowering sustainable brands with its carbon management platform. Planet FWD’s proprietary technology provides consumer and food service companies with the tools to understand, reduce, and neutralize their carbon footprint, and get on a path to net zero emissions. Collins also created Moonshot, Planet FWD’s climate-friendly snack brand.

Empowering Sustainable Brands and Decarbonizing Global Supply Chains

Since 2021, investigative reporter Caitlin Dickerson has reported on migration for The Atlantic from three continents and dozens of American cities. In September 2022, she published a piece in The Atlantic titled “We Need to Take Away Children: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Family-Separation Policy.” The breakthrough story dug deep into the behind-the-scenes workings of the Trump-era family-separation policy, uncovering how the government came to the point of tearing children away from their families as a way to deter immigration—and who was responsible for it. It took 18 months to investigate and report the story—during which Dickerson conducted more than 150 interviews and reviewed thousands of legal documents—and it eventually became one of the longest stories published by the magazine.
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Dickerson previously spent nearly five years as a reporter at The New York Times and five years as a producer and reporter for NPR. She is a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow Award recipient, and a three-time finalist for the Livingston Award. She is currently writing a book for Random House about the systemic impact of deportation on American society.
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Since 2021, investigative reporter Caitlin Dickerson has reported on migration for The Atlantic from three continents and dozens of American cities. In September 2022, she published a piece in The Atlantic titled “We Need to Take Away Children: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Family-Separation Policy.” The breakthrough story dug deep into the behind-the-scenes workings of the Trump-era family-separation policy, uncovering how the government came to the point of tearing children away from their families as a way to deter immigration—and who was responsible for it. It took 18 months to investigate and report the story—during which Dickerson conducted more than 150 interviews and reviewed thousands of legal documents—and it eventually became one of the longest stories published by the magazine.


Uncovering Truths About Family-Separation Policy | Caitlin Dickerson

Attorney Marc Elias works to preserve democracy through legal action and advocacy. Throughout his expansive career, he has taken on hundreds of cases involving election law and voting rights, including those that followed Donald Trump’s contestation of the outcome of the 2020 election—his team secured 64 victories in the post-election period alone. Elias has successfully argued and won four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—with two more cases coming up this year—as well as dozens of cases in state supreme courts and U.S. courts of appeal. He has also successfully represented several House and Senate candidates in post-election litigation, recounts, and challenges. He is the founder of Democracy Docket, the leading progressive media platform dedicated to providing information, opinion, and analysis of the law and policy governing elections and voting rights.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Attorney Marc Elias works to preserve democracy through legal action and advocacy. Throughout his expansive career, he has taken on hundreds of cases involving election law and voting rights, including those that followed Donald Trump’s contestation of the outcome of the 2020 election—his team secured 64 victories in the post-election period alone. Elias has successfully argued and won four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—with two more cases coming up this year—as well as dozens of cases in state supreme courts and U.S. courts of appeal. He has also successfully represented several House and Senate candidates in post-election litigation, recounts, and challenges. He is the founder of Democracy Docket, the leading progressive media platform dedicated to providing information, opinion, and analysis of the law and policy governing elections and voting rights.


Preserving Democracy through Legal Action and Advocacy

When Stacy Flynn took a production trip to China, she witnessed the direct effects of textile manufacturing on the environment and her own health. This led to an epiphany: She realized she must be a part of a sea change in the textile industry to move it in a sustainable direction. Since then, Flynn has become a textile and apparel environmental justice advocate and materials reuse expert. In 2014, she co-founded Evrnu, a textile innovations company that creates new materials from discarded textiles. Through Evrnu, Flynn aims to lead the charge for the circular textiles movement—a regenerative model in which materials are designed with multiple uses in mind. Prior to her role as Evrnu’s CEO, Flynn spent nearly two decades as a global textile specialist while working at DuPont, Eddie Bauer, and Target. She holds an MBA in sustainable systems from Presidio Graduate School and a B.A. in textile development and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
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When Stacy Flynn took a production trip to China, she witnessed the direct effects of textile manufacturing on the environment and her own health. This led to an epiphany: She realized she must be a part of a sea change in the textile industry to move it in a sustainable direction. Since then, Flynn has become a textile and apparel environmental justice advocate and materials reuse expert. In 2014, she co-founded Evrnu, a textile innovations company that creates new materials from discarded textiles. Through Evrnu, Flynn aims to lead the charge for the circular textiles movement—a regenerative model in which materials are designed with multiple uses in mind. Prior to her role as Evrnu’s CEO, Flynn spent nearly two decades as a global textile specialist while working at DuPont, Eddie Bauer, and Target. She holds an MBA in sustainable systems from Presidio Graduate School and a B.A. in textile development and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Transforming Textile Waste into Raw Material Streams | Stacy Flynn

Dr. Holmes Hummel has made it their life’s work to create pathways for all to participate in the clean energy economy—on inclusive terms that are fiscally sustainable and financially scalable. Dr. Hummel founded Clean Energy Works to accelerate the adoption of essential clean energy upgrades through financial solutions, with the understanding that it is only through universal participation that we can achieve a clean energy economy. Working with Co-Director Tamara Jones, Dr. Hummel has built a team that supports rapidly expanding field work on the adoption of inclusive utility investment, promoting a practical model that makes clean energy solutions available to those who might not otherwise have access.
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Prior to spearheading Clean Energy Works, Dr. Hummel served as senior policy advisor in the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy & International Affairs from 2009–2013, where they convened the first agency-wide working group on finance with a focus on expanding participation in the clean energy economy. Dr. Hummel holds a doctorate from Stanford University and serves as the managing director for Energy Equity & Just Transitions at the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford. In collaboration with Dr. Anthony Kinslow II, Dr. Hummel has founded new courses in energy equity, including a course called Quest for an Inclusive Clean Energy Economy.
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Dr. Holmes Hummel has made it their life’s work to create pathways for all to participate in the clean energy economy—on inclusive terms that are fiscally sustainable and financially scalable. Dr. Hummel founded Clean Energy Works to accelerate the adoption of essential clean energy upgrades through financial solutions, with the understanding that it is only through universal participation that we can achieve a clean energy economy. Working with Co-Director Tamara Jones, Dr. Hummel has built a team that supports rapidly expanding field work on the adoption of inclusive utility investment, promoting a practical model that makes clean energy solutions available to those who might not otherwise have access.

Creating Pathways in the Clean Energy Economy | Holmes Hummel

Solomé Lemma is the executive director at Thousand Currents, where she works to bolster funding and support for organizations led by women, youth, and Indigenous people working to advance food sovereignty, climate justice, and economic empowerment in the Global South—and to make philanthropy more equitable along the way. Lemma and her team help harness the power of grassroots groups and community-led movements to effect social change, while understanding that philanthropic giving is not just about the allocation of funds; it is about mutual accountability, transparency, justice, and solidarity.
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Previously, Lemma worked with Africans in the Diaspora (AiD), Global Fund for Children, and Human Rights Watch in New York. She received a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor’s in international relations from Stanford University. Her work and writings have been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Inside Philanthropy, among others, and she has been a guest on NPR, BBC, and Al Jazeera.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Solomé Lemma is the executive director at Thousand Currents, where she works to bolster funding and support for organizations led by women, youth, and Indigenous people working to advance food sovereignty, climate justice, and economic empowerment in the Global South—and to make philanthropy more equitable along the way. Lemma and her team help harness the power of grassroots groups and community-led movements to effect social change, while understanding that philanthropic giving is not just about the allocation of funds; it is about mutual accountability, transparency, justice, and solidarity.

Advancing Food Sovereignty, Climate Justice, and Economic Empowerment in the Global South

A few years ago, Kyle Michelson found himself spending much more time in waiting rooms than with the lab technician he had been waiting to see. Knowing there had to be a better way, he began researching the workings of telehealth companies to understand why they couldn’t deliver the nuanced care patients needed. He discovered that the missing link was the ability to perform lab tests remotely, so he founded Getlabs, which enables healthcare providers to make informed medical decisions remotely by dispatching its fully-employed, tech-enabled phlebotomists to patients and collecting diagnostic tests including labs, vitals, and biometrics. This service allows patients to be seen by top specialists, assisted by in-person medical professionals who come directly to them, at a much lower cost than a traditional medical visit. Prior to Getlabs, Michelson was the founder of Streamup (YC 2016), a live video streaming platform that connected millions of users. He studied at the University of Southern California and the London School of Economics.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

A few years ago, Kyle Michelson found himself spending much more time in waiting rooms than with the lab technician he had been waiting to see. 

Transforming the Way People Receive Healthcare

Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is a hospitalist and professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco with a driving passion for health equity. He is the co-founder and faculty director of the HEAL (Health, Equity, Action, and Leadership) Initiative, where he leads a health workforce delivering care in Navajo Nation and nine other countries around the world. At the height of the COVID pandemic, Shamasunder led the HEAL UCSF emergency response, caring for patients and supporting volunteer UCSF nurses and doctors in HEAL’s partner site hospitals in New Mexico and Navajo Nation. HEAL received a Navajo Indian Health Service award for its service in 2020.
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Shamasunder was named Young Physician of the Year in 2010 by the American College of Physicians; an Asia21 Fellow by the Asia Foundation in 2012; a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to India in 2012; and an Emerson Dial Fellow in 2021. In 2016, he gave a TEDx Talk called “Whose Suffering Matters Less, and Why?” He is also a published poet, having studied and taught with June Jordan’s Poetry for the People while at UC Berkeley.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is a hospitalist and professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco with a driving passion for health equity.

Building a Global Movement for Health Equity

Elise Smith is the co-founder and, where she integrates cutting-edge virtual reality experiences into the world of DEI and HR, leveraging innovative tools to build empathy and equity within the workforce. By engaging in these immersive training experiences, users can step into a variety of identities and situations, enabling them to widen their perspectives, identify bias and inequity, and change workplace behaviors. The ripple effects of these mindset and behavioral shifts go well beyond the office walls.
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It was Smith’s focus on scale that naturally led her into the technology space, first working with IBM Watson, where she built Watson for Education products and led B2B Sales and Education partnerships for the Watson group. She then joined the New Schools Venture Fund, a venture-philanthropy investing in innovation in learning, where she supported the Diverse Leaders portfolio in finding, funding, and coaching DEI entrepreneurs. Smith studied geography and social inequity at Dartmouth College and has an MBA and M.A. in education from Stanford University.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Elise Smith is the co-founder and, where she integrates cutting-edge virtual reality experiences into the world of DEI and HR, leveraging innovative tools to build empathy and equity within the workforce. By engaging in these immersive training experiences, users can step into a variety of identities and situations, enabling them to widen their perspectives, identify bias and inequity, and change workplace behaviors. The ripple effects of these mindset and behavioral shifts go well beyond the office walls.


Building Empathy and Equity within the Workforce with VR

Mona Tavakoli discovered the drums at age 11—and hasn’t stopped playing them since. Her career as a drummer, percussionist, singer, and performer has taken her to all seven continents; she was a founding member of the all-female rock band Raining Jane, and wrote and recorded multiple albums with Jason Mraz. She is known for adapting the cajón, a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, and bringing it to unexpected genres such as rock and pop, eventually designing a signature cajón of her own, The MT Box.
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For Tavakoli, making music has always been about connecting with and uplifting others. As the co-founder and co-director of the nonprofit Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, she is dedicated to helping girls, women, and female-identifying youth find their voice through music. In 2017, she traveled as a cultural diplomat to collaborate with local artists and facilitate workshops in Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi, using the power of music to promote women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment. She is currently working with the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe to create social change through songwriting.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)


Mona Tavakoli discovered the drums at age 11—and hasn’t stopped playing them since. Her career as a drummer, percussionist, singer, and performer has taken her to all seven continents; she was a founding member of the all-female rock band Raining Jane, and wrote and recorded multiple albums with Jason Mraz. She is known for adapting the cajón, a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, and bringing it to unexpected genres such as rock and pop, eventually designing a signature cajón of her own, The MT Box.


Demo Day 2022: "Drum As You Are"

Nikki Wallace is an award-winning science educator and innovator. She has taught at Crosstown High in Memphis, Tennessee, since the school opened in 2018, having emerged from the original XQ Super School competition. Understanding the importance of education in the larger social justice movement, Wallace is committed to reducing barriers to the STEM fields for young people from marginalized communities in order to ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion. She develops project-based curricula that challenge students to imagine themselves as scientists, make meaningful connections to their communities and the environment, and experience the utility and power of science.
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Wallace is a Bio-Rad Explorer Fellow, a committee member for the West Tennessee STEM Hub, a member of the Frayser PTSA, and has been featured in XQ America, PopUp Magazine, and The Daily Memphian for her work with Crosstown High and the Memphis STEM in Medicine Ecosystem. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a master’s in science education.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

Nikki Wallace is an award-winning science educator and innovator. She has taught at Crosstown High in Memphis, Tennessee, since the school opened in 2018, having emerged from the original XQ Super School competition. 

Reducing Barriers to the STEM fields for Marginalized Youth

ODC was founded in 1971 by Artistic Director Brenda Way, who had a vision of creating a dance company that would tap into the Bay Area’s vibrant dance and arts ecosystem with innovative programming and an entrepreneurial spirit. It has since grown into a groundbreaking, multifaceted institution encompassing ODC / Dance, a professional dance company that reflects on the values of contemporary life; ODC School, a dance school serving 16,000 students ages 8 months to 98 years; ODC Theater, where emerging and established artists are supported through mentorship, space, and community; and Healthy Dancers’ Clinic, which offers fee-free medical and psychological support for dancers. From its home in San Francisco’s Mission District, ODC cultivates artists, inspires audiences, engages the community, and fosters diversity and inclusion through dance performance, training, and mentorship. In addition to developing engaged and committed audiences, the organization advocates for the performing arts as an essential component to the economic and cultural development of the community.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)

ODC was founded in 1971 by Artistic Director Brenda Way, who had a vision of creating a dance company that would tap into the Bay Area’s vibrant dance and arts ecosystem with innovative programming and an entrepreneurial spirit. It has since grown into a groundbreaking, multifaceted institution encompassing ODC / Dance, a professional dance company that reflects on the values of contemporary life; ODC School, a dance school serving 16,000 students ages 8 months to 98 years; ODC Theater, where emerging and established artists are supported through mentorship, space, and community; and Healthy Dancers’ Clinic, which offers fee-free medical and psychological support for dancers. From its home in San Francisco’s Mission District, ODC cultivates artists, inspires audiences, engages the community, and fosters diversity and inclusion through dance performance, training, and mentorship. In addition to developing engaged and committed audiences, the organization advocates for the performing arts as an essential component to the economic and cultural development of the community.


Demo Day 2022: "What We Carry What We Keep”

With democracy at risk, the global economy wobbling, climate negotiations failing, and war testing the world’s resolve, a word began surfacing late last year in the opinion pages of major papers like The New York Times and the Financial Times to describe the state of things: polycrisis. A polycrisis, per the Cascade Institute, is “any combination of three or more interacting systemic risks with the potential to cause a cascading, runaway failure of Earth’s natural and social systems that irreversibly and catastrophically degrades humanity’s prospects.”
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In the face of such bleakness, we turn to creativity and beauty, imagination and hope. As we enter 2023, our most incisive leaders understand that our immense challenges can be overcome if we’re audacious enough to push forward, together. Last week at Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022 event, 13 visionary problem solvers with expertise fighting the thorniest societal challenges spoke about their work, their visions for a more just world, and their triumphs. Ranging from a healthtech startup founder to a pathbreaking photographer to a voting rights attorney, every speaker challenged the audience to do more in the face of the polycrisis—and delivered messages overflowing with optimism and hope. After experiencing Demo Day 2022, allow us to suggest three words to counter the doomsayers: proximity, inclusivity, and audacity.
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[From Emerson Collective’s Demo Day 2022](https://www.emersoncollective.com/events/demo-day/demo-day-2022)


With democracy at risk, the global economy wobbling, climate negotiations failing, and war testing the world’s resolve, a word began surfacing late last year in the opinion pages of major papers like The New York Times and the Financial Times to describe the state of things: polycrisis. A polycrisis, per the Cascade Institute, is “any combination of three or more interacting systemic risks with the potential to cause a cascading, runaway failure of Earth’s natural and social systems that irreversibly and catastrophically degrades humanity’s prospects.”


Demo Day 2022: It Takes All of Us

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TECHSOUP

IT INFRASTRUCTURE: TECHSOUP

[TextBlock] Feel free to browse through the TechSoup catalog. ...

[TextBlock] FUNDING Emerson Collective will provide one-time funding for up to...

[TextBlock] NEXT STEPS Purchase TechSoup products up to $1,500...

[TextBlock] DATA PRIVACY & PROTECTION: OPTERY

OPTERY

DATA PRIVACY & PROTECTION: OPTERY

[TextBlock] Opetry - Funding

[TextBlock] Opetry - Next Steps

[Text Block] PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: COURSERA PLUS

COURSERA PLUS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: COURSERA PLUS

[Text Block] The platform includes best-in-class courses in data analysis and data science, IT, product management, and software engineering.

[Text Block] You may be especially interested in the following courses recommended by Emerson Collective’s Technology team

FUNDING Emerson Collective will provide funding for up to two (2) Coursera Plus annual subscriptions purchased in

NEXT STEPS Sign up for up to two (2) Coursera Plus annual subscriptions.

[TextBlock] AI Resource Library

AI RESOURCE LIBRARY

AI Resource Library

[TextBlock] OTHER PRO BONO TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

OTHER PRO BONO TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

[TextBlock] NON-PROFIT TECH COMMUNITIES

NON-PROFIT TECH COMMUNITIES

[FeatureCard] Data & Technology

Data & Technology

We fund and recommend product and services for technological transformation


Navigate to our course offerings for Data & Technology:

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[TextBlock] ONLINE RESOURCES

ONLINE RESOURCES

[TextBlock] Board Development, Engagement, and Governance Webi...

[FeatureCard] Board Governance

Board Governance

We provide curated resources to support board governance

Navigate to our course offerings for Board Governance:

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[TextBlock] Emerson Collective hosts webinars on topics many o...

[TextBlock] We have compiled more than learning sessions into ...

[FeatureCard] Webinars

Webinars

We provide webinar recordings focused on various topics, including technology and cybersecurity, storytelling, fundraising, and more. Most webinars include subtitles in English, French, and Spanish

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[TextBlock] BDO FMA BDO FMA is dedicated to helping nonprofits...

BDO FMA

[TextBlock] The specialized hands-on curriculum encompasses ba...

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[TextBlock] NEXT STEPS Sign up for one CNAP Essentials worksho...

FINANCIAL RESILIENCY PRIMERS

"Strategies for Cash Management"

[FeatureCard] Budgeting & Finance

Budgeting & Finance

We fund resources for foundational accounting and budgeting

Navigate to our course offerings for Budgeting & Finance:

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[SectionBlock] FAQ

[FeatureCard] FAQ

BeyondTheGrant_1_1-Thumbnail_FAQ

Emerson Collective is a company that invests in entrepreneurs and innovators driven by purpose and a sense of possibility, working to create a world of abundance for future generations. Complex challenges in education and economic mobility, immigration and the environment require audacious ideas, rigorous thinking and hard work.

[Ambient Video] Earth Day Newsletter Ambient Video

[NewsletterSignUp] Earth Day Newsletter Video

We invited our partners to share ideas for new projects at the intersection of their work and climate change. The following stories show how everyone can find ways to contribute climate solutions.