Unified Jam 2022

2805 Manor Road,Austin TX 78722

11 March, 2022

Description

Unified is hosting a full-day event for the progressive community during SXSW to celebrate progressive culture to its full potential. A full day of panels and networking with national and local progressive organizers and activists. Join hundreds of fellow community organizers making the world better, brighter, and more positive together. When: March 11, from 8 am - 6 pm. Where: Love Supreme Pizza Bar, 2805 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 on the Outside Patio. What: Back-to-back panels covering policy, organizing best practices, technology, and culture. Coffee, lunch, and happy hour included (supporter tickets and up guaranteed access). Who: 30 speakers, 200-300 guests, a community of progressive organizers and activists. SCHEDULEDoors Open (8:00-8:50 am) Arrive early to meet other attendees and get cozy. Coffee and small bites provided for supporter tickets and up! Opening Keynote (8:50-9:00 am) Shion Deysarkar (CEO at Unified) on why we must make activism a joyful, community-first experience. The Issues That Define Us (9:10-10:00 am) What does it mean to be a progressive today? The progressive movement covers an extensive range of issues with a multitude of opinions on how to best tackle each one. Which issues define progressive culture, and what will shape that culture in the years ahead? Speakers: Chris Harris (moderator): Director of Policy at Austin Justice CoalitionEd Espinoza: President at Progress Texas Alicia Roth Weigel: Human Rights Commissioner of the City of AustinLauren Windsor: Host of The Undercurrent, ED at American Family VoicesNatasha Harper-Madison: Austin City Council Member D1Organizing for Tomorrow (10:10-11:00 am) Organizing strategy is constantly changing to adapt to a changing demographic and political landscape. Which tactics are working and which ones are not? What tactics should progressives be looking to deploy not only to meet but stay ahead of national and local trends? Speakers: Brian T. Smith (moderator): Head of Strategic Partnerships at UnifiedRachel Bitecofer: Chief Strategist at Strike PACDavid Shor: Senior Fellow at Center for American Progress Action FundJohn Ray: Director of Polling at YouGovHome Is Where The Heart Is (11:10 am-12:00 pm) As the old saying goes, all politics is local. Hear from a diverse group of community organizers putting this into practice. They’ll share details about the organizations they’ve built and how they’ve made “community” the centerpiece of their efforts. Speakers: Lana Hansen (moderator): Executive Director at Texas Blue ActionZohaib “Zo” Qadri: Austin City Council Candidate D9Jenn Longoria: Director of Programs at Jolt ActionEdwin Robinson: Community organizer and political consultant Rakhi Agrawal: Community-Centric Fundraising OrganizerIt’s Infrastructure Hour! (1:10-2:00 pm) No, not roads.. we’re talking about all the various systems that need to be in place to help organizing be more effective and sustainable year-round. This includes developing media channels, establishing local relationships, building operational best practices, and more. Speakers: Ramiro Luna: ED & Co-founder at Somos TejasAJ Majd: ED at Embrace & Field Manager at Texas RisingMeebs Aslam: Development Consultant at Empower ProjectKolby Duhon: VP Young Democrats of AmericaKunoor Ojha: Chief of Staff at Green New Deal NetworkTech for Good (2:10-3:00 pm) Technology is playing a significant role in helping progressives succeed but also has so much more it could do. Panelists will discuss what technologies they believe will have the most significant impact on the progressive ecosystem, what they hope to see soon from technology, and how technologists can better meet the needs of organizers. Speakers: Lauren Pully (moderator): Engineering Manager at Duo SecurityMatt Hodges: Head of Technology and Incubation at Zinc CollectiveDheeraj Chand: Analytics Supervisor at GSD&MTess Ortega: Senior Data & Technology Strategist at The Movement CooperativeJosh Nelson: CEO at Civic Shout & Co-Founder at The Juggernaut Project Art Imitates Activism Imitates Art (3:10-4:00 pm) Art and activism have always shared a symbiotic relationship. Hear from local leaders in the art community about how they harness the power of creativity to shape the activism of their community (and vice versa). Speakers: Shannon Elder (moderator): Creative Director/Co-Founder at PietschHouseRio Renaud: Artist in Residence at Deeds Not WordsElijah Allen: Executive Director at InterfacesSamara Barks: Mixed Hues Founder, National ArtistReza Cristian: Founder & EIC at SUSTAIN the MagIf You’re Not Having More Fun Than The Other Guy… (4:10-5:00 pm) Activism is hard work. It’s easy to get lost in the grind, but it really should be a joyful process. It should be fun! How do we do this? How do we reframe activism from something you have to do to something you get to do? Speakers: Brian T. Smith (moderator): Head of Strategic Partnerships at UnifiedNathan Ryan: CEO at Blue Sky PartnersEmily Eby: Texas Voting Rights AttorneyAndrew Heaton: Host of "The Political Orphanage" podcastChris Hollins: Houston Mayoral candidateHappy Hour! (5:00-whenever) Kick back and relax! Take in everything you've learned with old and new friends. UNIFIED COVID POLICY: All participants of our in-person event will be required to provide proof of a completed primary vaccination series against Covid-19 or a recent negative Covid-19 test in order to attend and participate in this event. Click here to read our full COVID policy.