In-Person Social Impact Experience

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

2:30 – 3:15 | Panel

SPEAKER

Robert A. Hunt
Director of Global Theological Education,
The Perkins School of Theology, SMU (moderator)
Rev. Irene Sessions
CEO, DreamBIG
Rev. Mitchell Boone,
Senior Pastor, First UMC
Chris Duffy
Comedian,Television Writer, and Radio/Podcast Host
Naisha Randhar
Youth Poet Laureate of Dallas

SESSION TITLE

Soul, Society, and Technology: Staying Connected in a Changing World

DESCRIPTION

What makes us uniquely human? This panel will reflect on the deep, irreplaceable qualities that define our shared humanity—from empathy and creativity to our desire for connection and purpose. In a time of rapid societal change, we’ll explore how these core traits shape who we are and guide our journey toward meaning and fulfillment.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

10:15 – 10:55 | Mainstage

SPEAKERS

Cullum Clark
Director, The Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative; Adjunct Economics Professor, SMU

Jessica Burnham
Director of Design and Innovation Programs, SMU

Mark Hand
Assistant Professor of Political Science, UTA

Casey Rodgers
Advisor, Daughters for Earth

SESSION TITLE

Breakout Teasers

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

1:00 – 1:40 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Heather Gilker
Managing Director, Pickwick Capital Partners

Organizations:

Pocket
SelfSuffi
Viva
Trailblazer

SESSION TITLE

Fast Pitch Competition

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

12:45 – 12:52 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Amelia Nickerson
CEO, First Step Staffing

SESSION TITLE

Spotlighting Impact Investing Initiatives

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

12:52 – 1:00 | Break

SPEAKER

Benjamin J. Vann
Founder & CEO, Impact Ventures

SESSION TITLE

Spotlighting Impact Investing Initiatives

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

10:30 – 10:40 | Break

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

10:00 – 10:30 | Mainstage

SPEAKERS

Donovan Ervin
Vice President of Investment Group, AlTi Global
Cynthia Muller
Director Mission Driven Investments, W.K. Kellog Foundation

SESSION TITLE

Fireside Chat

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

2:00 – 3:00 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Soul, Society, and Technology: Staying Connected in a Changing World

Robert A. Hunt
Director of Global Theological Education,
The Perkins School of Theology, SMU (moderator)

Rev. Dr. Irie L. Session
CEO, DreamBIG

Rev. Mitchell Boone,
Senior Pastor, First UMC

Chris Duffy
Comedian,Television Writer, and Radio/Podcast Host

SESSION TITLE

Soul, Society, and Technology: Staying Connected in a Changing World

DESCRIPTION

What makes us uniquely human? This panel will reflect on the deep, irreplaceable qualities that define our shared humanity—from empathy and creativity to our desire for connection and purpose. In a time of rapid societal change, we’ll explore how these core traits shape who we are and guide our journey toward meaning and fulfillment.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

1:00 – 1:45 | Breakout Session

SPEAKER

Mark Hand
Assistant Professor of Political Science, UTA

SESSION TITLE

Future of Work

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

1:00 – 1:45 | Breakout Session

SPEAKER

Casey Rodgers
Advisor, Daughters for Earth

SESSION TITLE

New Values For The 21st Century: Lessons Learned From Our Daughters and From Nature

DESCRIPTION

By all means, humanity’s value system needs to adapt and adjust to our socio-economic and environmental realities in the 21st century. The question is where to learn these new value systems, who can be the driver for them, and might nature and our daughters be the teachers we all need? This session will explore these topics and will share pathways for how we can all be part of shaping the new human being.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

1:00 – 1:45 | Breakout Session

SPEAKER

Jessica Burnham
Director of Design and Innovation Programs, SMU

SESSION TITLE

Human-Centered Design for Social Impact

DESCRIPTION

Step into the world of Human-Centered Design with Jessica Burnham, Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at Southern Methodist University’s Master of Arts in Design and Innovation (MADI) program. In this engaging session, you will explore how creative problem-solving, driven by real human needs, can lead to impactful design. Jessica will guide you through real-world examples of design at a local scale including projects with the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Police Department, Deep Ellum, and more. And she’ll share practical methods for applying this mindset to fuel your own projects and give you a glimpse of what the MADI program is all about. If you are eager to create meaningful efforts to connect design to people’s lives, you won’t want to miss it.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

1:00 – 1:45 | Breakout Session

SPEAKER

Cullum Clark
Director, The Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative; Adjunct Economics Professor, SMU

SESSION TITLE

An Economist’s Perspective

DESCRIPTION

Most people have economics backwards. Far from being a cold-blooded social science that treats people as soulless calculating machines, economic thinking – done well – enriches our understanding of our all-too-human world: its shortcomings and disappointments as well as its grandest achievements and inspiring potential.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

12:10 – 1:00 | Lunch

SPEAKER

Robert A. Hunt
Director of Global Theological Education, The Perkins School of Theology, SMU

SESSION TITLE

All Brain and No Soul? Real Humanity in an AI Age

DESCRIPTION

In a world driven by the culture of modernity, we risk becoming all brain and no soul—deeply reliant on technology yet disconnected from one another. As AI and social media promise to enhance our lives, they often pull us into isolation, eroding the fabric of authentic human relationships. This session explores the subtle ways our dependence on these tools compromises our humanity and what it means to live a “real” life in an AI-driven age.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

11:15 – 12:10 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Krys Boyd
Host & Managing Editor, KERA-FM’s Think

Jasmine Rashid
Director of Impact, Candide Group

SESSION TITLE

Think Interview with Jasmine Rashid, Author of The Financial Activist Playbook

DESCRIPTION

Think is a national, talk radio program, hosted by acclaimed journalist Krys Boyd and produced by KERA — North Texas’ PBS and NPR member station. Each week, listeners across the country tune in to the program to hear thought-provoking, in-depth conversations with newsmakers from across the globe. Previous guests on the program include former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, actor Bryan Cranston, Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, Melinda Gates, author Malcolm Gladwell, Jane Goodall, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rev. Jesse Jackson and more.

During this live recording from the bigBANG! Mainstage, Think will interview Jasmine Rashid, bigBANG! Speaker, on her recently published book The Financial Activist Playbook

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

10:55 – 11:15am | Break / Marketplace

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

1:00 – 1:45 | Breakout Session

SPEAKER

Yutaka Tamura
Founding Executive Director, nXu

SESSION TITLE

Shaping Future-Ready Students: Centering Human Connection Through Social Emotional Skills, Purpose, and Career Exploration

DESCRIPTION

In a world where the lines between human and machine, and between physical and virtual spaces, are increasingly blurred, fostering essential human qualities is more crucial than ever. To thrive in this dynamic environment, people of all ages—but especially youth need to develop critical social-emotional skills, cultivate a strong sense of purpose, and explore meaningful career pathways. This session will explore how to integrate these elements into cohesive, real-world experiences for students that build not just future-ready capabilities, but human-centered agency that could be applied to professionals and lifelong learners alike.

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

10:40 – 11:30 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Jasmine Rashid
Director of Impact, Candide Group

SESSION TITLE

Financial Activism 101: Strategies for Everyday People to Reclaim Wealth & Collective Well-Being

DESCRIPTION

We don’t need to choose between creating meaningful wealth for ourselves and our families today, or supporting social movements creating a better tomorrow. We don’t all need to become certified financial “experts” to be economically empowered and make a real difference in our communities. And we’re far from powerless when it comes to changing the financial system, just because we don’t happen to belong to the 1%. Quite the opposite.

Financial activism is how everyday people radically reimagine money as a tool for widespread well-being, instead of a weapon of absurdly increasing inequality. It’s the antidote to traditional finance that evokes confusion, trauma, and (in the best-case scenario) straight-up boredom. It’s how we—the underestimated—collectively resist systems that cause harm to people and the planet for the sake of profit, reclaim wealth that’s been stolen, and redesign our relationships with capital and one another, in ways big and small.

Going beyond tried financial literacy, The Financial Activist Playbook offers eight accessible, actionable, “choose-your-own-adventure” strategies for readers to experiment with. Drawing on timely insider knowledge from the worlds of impact investing, social justice, and more, Rashid illuminates a treasure trove of stories: demonstrating how people power can flow big bucks out of extractive industries, and into the economy of care and abundance we deserve.

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

11:30 – 11:45 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Salah Boukadom
Founder, Impact City Initative
Carlos Martinez
SMU Impact Lab

SESSION TITLE

Spotlighting Impact Investing Initiatives

Friday, October 21 at Pegasus Park

9:45 – 10:00 | Community Building

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

8:30 – 9:00am | Marketplace

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

1:00 – 1:40 | Mainstage

Heather Gilker
Managing Director, Pickwick Capital Partners

SESSION TITLE

Fast Pitch Competition

Friday, October 25

2:00 | Happy Hour

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

1:50 – 2:00 | Closing Remarks

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

1:40 – 1:50 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Mandy Price
CEO, Kanarys

SESSION TITLE

Impact Investing Discussion

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

11:45 –12:45 | Luncheon

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

10:30 – 10:40 | Break

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

9:30 – 9:45am | Opening Remarks

Friday, October 25 at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

8:15 – 9:30am | Arrivals

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

3:30 | Close & Reception

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

9:15 – 10:15 | Mainstage

SPEAKER

Yutaka Tamura
Founding Executive Director, nXu

SESSION TITLE

Fostering the Human Need for Connection and Purpose In a Digital World

DESCRIPTION

What makes us human is our deep yearning for connection and belonging and our intrinsic need for a sense of purpose; both needs have become even more resonant as we navigate the complexities of an increasingly digital world. During this highly interactive session, participants will explore, experience, and learn strategies to foster their own sense of purpose while also fostering connections and a sense of belonging.

Thursday, October 24 at Paul Quinn College

9:00 – 9:15am | Opening Remarks

Thursday, October 20 at Paul Quinn College

1:20 – 2:20 | Breakout Session: The Importance of Nonprofit Human & Financial Sustainability

SPEAKER

Brian Joseph & RevJen
CEO & Co-Founder RevJen
Kim Tanner
Executive Director for Jenesis Group

SESSION TITLE

The Importance of Nonprofit Human & Financial Sustainability

DESCRIPTION

Building a Regenerative Economy begins with the work of nonprofits already on the front lines of solving our most entrenched challenges. But how can they do that when nonprofit leaders are burning out at record rates? This session will explore the need for both human and financial sustainability in the social sector, and practical steps we can take to invest in and support those already leading the hard work of regeneration.

Thursday, October 20 at Paul Quinn College

1:20 – 2:20 | Breakout Session: At the Table Together: Advocating for Diverse Voices in Impact Investing

SPEAKER

Taj Eldridge
Partner Include Venture Partners

SESSION TITLE

At the Table Together: Advocating for Diverse Voices in Impact Investing

DESCRIPTION

From Bevy.com to Impact Venture Partners and the Player to CEO Athlete-Investor Impact Summit Series with JP Morgan Chase, Taj Eldridge has a long track record of bringing new voices into investing. He has also led the way in equipping others to participate effectively in social impact and collaborate in creative ways with existing institutions. This breakout will explore the importance for us all to advocate for more space at the investing table, and practical ways that those with a seat already can pull up a chair for new voices.

Thursday, October 20 at Paul Quinn College

3:30 – 4:30 | Mainstage Closing: Creators of the 21st Century: People, Innovation, and Technology

SPEAKER

Byron Sanders
President & CEO Big Thought

SESSION TITLE

Creators of the 21st Century: People, Innovation, and Technology

DESCRIPTION

The world of work is evolving rapidly before our very eyes. In fact, the pandemic has increased the rate of automation, machine learning, and the technological revolution. The big question looms: what about the people? Join this conversation to discuss the impact of technology trends, what it takes to prepare youth as creators in the 21st century, and how urgent action is required to create an equitable and sustainably connected community.

Thursday, October 20 at Paul Quinn College

11:30 – 12:00pm | Break / Marketplace

TWO DAYS OF

Powerful Speakers Gripping Breakout Sessions Driving Equitable Outcomes

IN DALLAS AND ACROSS THE STATE

bigBANG! 2024 we will examine the concept of humanity, human agency, and our shared inner connectedness in an ever-growing digital world.

October 24

Paul Quinn College

October 25

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

The bigBANG! Social Impact Conference is an immersive experience with two days of powerful speakers, gripping breakout sessions, and inspiring company focused on driving solutions and equitable outcomes in Dallas and across the State.

THE FUTURE IS NOW: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?

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THE FUTURE IS NOW:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?