SPEAKER_02: 0:11

Thank again at the Idea Gen Global Leadership Summit 2025. I'd like to reintroduce, reintroduce, because I like to say this title, the grand president of the Daughters of Penelope, Antoinette Marussis Zakariatis, and Alina Saviolakis, Executive Director of the Daughters of Penelope as well. And so with that, I'd like to launch into this power panel. Truly a power panel, as I look down here. You guys, incredible. Dr. Gene Axius. How can business and philanthropy be organized to collaborate and improve community health? And what role does your new leadership council for healthier communities play in fostering these multi-sector partnerships?

SPEAKER_04: 1:02

Well, first of all, George, thank you so much for just an amazing summit and the opportunity to be part of this amazing conversation. My name is Gene Axius. I'm the presidency of Creating Healthier Communities. We are a nationwide nonprofit organization that touches about 5,000 nonprofits across the country. We engage with about 650 businesses, and we believe that it is through multi-sector collaboration that we can actually close the gaps that we actually see at the local level. There is a 20-year difference in life expectancy just here in the United States. When you look at two neighborhoods that are less than five miles apart, and according to the World Health Organization, there is a 33-year difference in life expectancy between individuals who live in high-income countries relative to those that have low-income countries. So just think about that. Where you live has a huge implication for how well and how long you actually live. And that should be very, we should all be outraged by that. That your zip code should not be a pre-indicator of premature death or illness. That it has huge implications for business, it has huge implications for families, it has huge implications for countries. So for us at CHC, we've launched our Leadership Council for Healthier Communities. It is the only nationwide council of leaders across sectors for business, private, nonprofit philanthropy that has come together to really close the gaps. If you think about here in New York, if you live in East Harlem, your life expectancy is 76 years old. If you go to the Upper East Side, it's 86. Think about it, if you take the train in less than five stops, you lose 10 years of life. That is the challenge, and that is the opportunity that we are solving through cross-sector collaboration by galvanizing our leaders across industry to look at where do we invest, how do we partner, and how do we scale.

SPEAKER_02: 3:01

Well said, Jean, and I've heard you say that before, and I think it's important to understand with the 5,000 organizations, nonprofits that you represent, what kind of impact you're having. It's truly, truly incredible. Esteban, summer programs, summer learning programs are often overlooked in college access strategies. How can summer learning experiences better prepare students, especially those from under-resourced communities, for their college and career plans and success?

SPEAKER_05: 3:36

Thank you, George, for having me here. Right now I have the honor, I'm working with National Summer Learning Association, helping to learn run a professional learning community of high-red folks from around the country who are interested in how we can impact summer. And for summer and under-resourced communities and college access, it's so important that we have to reimagine what summer is. It's not an option anymore. It has to be part of the ecosystem of kindergarten through through 12th grade. And we have to have the opportunities for under-resourced students to really just have a place to go during summer, have a high-quality summer experience. So whether they want to deep dive into AI, deep dive into pre-law, deep dive into health, they need to have those opportunities. And that's something that NSLA does is work to ensure that every student and every zip code has an opportunity for a high-quality summer program. But that also only happens with cross-sector partnerships. And so that's universities working together with private sector, working together with nonprofits, working together with folks in industry who are subject matter experts to make sure that we have these opportunities so that these future leaders are able to expand upon that summer experience and be prepared for college.

SPEAKER_02: 4:57

Incredible, Esteban. Very familiar with your work. We actually have done a lot of work together over the years with the Idea General Future Global Leaders Academy that we host every summer at Georgetown University, which is extraordinary, and we love it, and we helped to create that curriculum, so I want to plug that as well. In terms of the Daughters of Penelope, we have the grand president and the executive director here, and I know, I know firsthand the incredible philanthropic work you're doing. But let's talk a little bit about the long history of supporting education and leadership development. Two favorite topics that I just love to talk about. How do you see storytelling and mentorship helping the next generation of leaders in your organization's mission? You can both tackle that if you like.

SPEAKER_00: 5:50

Sure, thank you. Great question. So on the story selling side, um, storytelling side, storytelling connects history with the future leadership. So by sharing the journeys and the stories of the women who have built our organization, the Daughters of Penelope, the next generation sees that leadership is achievable but also impactful. On the mentorship side, these stories are then translated into action. So this guides the youth and the next generation in real time as they navigate careers, education, and civic service. And then with these tools combined, this ensures continuity and value. So by listening, by learning, by being mentored, the next generation grows into compassionate and capable leaders.

SPEAKER_02: 6:50

So well said. And so, grand president. I'm gonna keep saying that title. It's the greatest title. If you want to talk about leadership, you need to talk to the grand president. But anyway, as grand president, how do you work with your members to inspire civic engagement and cultivate leadership skills among the youth specifically within your organization?

SPEAKER_03: 7:15

So one of the fundamental goals of our organization is to foster a sense of social responsibility. And uh we also enhance the communities that we live in through philanthropic endeavors and just being active in our communities through volunteerism, through philanthropy, and civic responsibility. One of the greatest gifts we can give our youth is to teach by example. So, what I mean by that is we do engage them on the local level to help us with our fundraisers and get them involved. So there you have a little bit of mentoringship. However, they soon realize that they themselves can offer something. I'll give you an example. Some of the youth in our area uh realized that there was a need for what we call blessing bags for the homeless. So what they did, they received their own donations, they went shopping for the items, they bagged them, and they delivered them to uh the local homeless shelter. So there they learned by example. And that's a something beautiful. The other program that we have, uh, it's called the AHAPA Family Capitol Hill Day. What a great experience. So all of our members usually attend. They also bring their children and their grandchildren, where we have the opportunity to walk through the halls of Congress, sit in the uh House and Senate galleries so that the youth can also learn the process of government and how it's uh done. And then uh they we encourage them when we visit with our local congressmen to also ask questions. And I have to say, own personal experience bringing my my granddaughter one year, the Congress people were wonderful because they actually took the time to talk to her and not you know thinking she's young, too young, but they respectfully, which I really appreciated. And then, of course, we have joint leadership conferences.

SPEAKER_02: 9:34

You know, that's incredible. And and I want to put a plug in for the uh for the AHEPA. Um the organization was born um with an ethos around civil rights, right? Not a lot of people know that. The Greeks were also targeted by the KKK. That's something that uh not many people know about, but it's true. And um, and so that was one thing when you look back at the iconic cover of the of Martin Luther King walking in Selma, and there's a guy in a black robe. Who was that guy? Greek Orthodox Archbishop. Why was he there? Because they had a shared ethos and a belief in civic duty, fairness, and all the other things that come along with it. So gotta go back to the roots of a HEPA. It's an incredible, incredible organization, and the philanthropy that you're doing is just incredible. It's the only word I can come up with. Casey Kelly, Chief Innovation Officer of Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Casey, how does the Meadows Institute drive innovation and mental health across policy and practice?

SPEAKER_01: 10:41

Thank you, George. Thank you for having me. It's really fun to be in a group with such diverse leaders from diverse backgrounds. And I'm just really thankful to be here at the Meadows Institute. We're a nonpartisan nonprofit that operates at the intersection of policy and programs. And we're really the only organization in the United States that is driving systemic change across health systems, school systems, and justice systems at the scale that we're doing it. And what is unique about how we work is that we go into these systems and help them deliver evidence-based, innovative mental health programs and help them develop practice changes so that they're improving the way they address and identify mental health concerns. And then we use that at the federal and at the state level to address policy changes and policy barriers that need to happen. And my job as the chief innovation officer is I get to work with the really bright innovators across the country and investors to help them appreciate and understand how policy might be affecting their bottom lines and their investments and really help them to understand how to put their capital to work more strategically in targeting the problems that we know exist and increasing access to high-quality mental health services around the country.

SPEAKER_02: 12:13

Thank you for all you're doing. It obviously is uh making a huge impact in communities across the country. And so I'd like to do a little bit of a several question lightning round with all of you. Um and whoever wants to take this first is fine. Can you share an example of a program or initiative in your organization that successfully used storytelling, Alina, to engage youth or inspire community action?

SPEAKER_00: 12:38

So several of our programs actually highlight the stories of past recipients, some of our scholarship programs. And those recipients have become doctors, community leaders, and by sharing those stories, younger applicants are inspired to become future leaders in their industry. Storytelling?

SPEAKER_04: 13:03

I I can add a little bit. I think that in this environment, more so now than ever, we're all looking for some source of inspiration. Uh, and I think the ability to actually leverage storytelling with data is extremely powerful. So, one example of what we were able to do over a year ago was actually, as part of our maternal health work, we actually highlighted uh the lived experiences of doulas. And we did that for an entire month. Uh each day, we would actually highlight the lived story of a doula. Uh they are not uh supported by Medicaid reimbursement. Uh oftentimes there's huge um financial implications and the whole nine yards, but they're so critical for a successful birth. Um and what we learned from that very powerful way of actually storytelling is that it actually started to raise the opportunity for policy change because policymakers now had a face. They had a story. They can forget a data point, but it was very difficult to forget the lived experience of that doula worker. Uh, long story short, the White House, uh, former uh President Biden and his administration invited our team uh to actually share the Doula Diaries series at the White House. Uh, and I think that was one of those examples, that was never our intention, but that was one of those examples of actually driving policy change.

SPEAKER_02: 14:32

And you know, storytelling is is so critical. Uh, you know, we've heard a lot of stories today at this summit, and it's all about you know how you describe and how you can inspire people. And if you hear a story, you know, it's often possible to be able to connect because maybe you can relate to what, like Sharon John, CEO of Builder Bear, said, what was your first toy? Do you remember that?

SPEAKER_03: 14:55

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 14:56

And it brings it evokes all of these emotions, or you know, what was your favorite food as a child, whatever it may be. And so storytelling is important in the corporate setting. NGOs, of course, need to be telling their stories. So, and the public sector does tries to tell their story. Sometimes it's hard, yeah. But they try to tell their story too. So everyone's trying to tell their story. And so, lightning round question: how do you measure impact when it comes to youth pathways, leadership development, or community health initiatives? Who would like to tackle this? Elena.

SPEAKER_00: 15:32

I think at least in the Daughters of Penelope, we measure the civic impact by uh volunteer hours, funds raised, the partnerships formed, and then of course, there's a there's the intangible outcomes, right? So the confidence gained, the leadership uh roles attained, and of course, communities strengthened.

SPEAKER_02: 15:55

Incredible. Anyone else?

SPEAKER_05: 15:58

Well, I think it's also part of storytelling, but you also getting out there into the field and showing what is happening, what is the impact of your organization. So um NSLA this summer did um 50 programs in 50 days during the summer. And I think it actually did way more than 50. And they visited all of these programs throughout the country, um, just highlighting the impact in a local community, whether it was a library, whether it was a nonprofit organization or a university providing a youth program in the summer and how that impacted individual families as well. And then that's kind of highlighted even further with National Summer Learning Week, which happens, I believe, in the fall. And so it's just telling these stories, it's highlighting the impact, but it's also showing that it it should not matter which zip code you live in, whether you have access to an amazing summer program or not.

SPEAKER_02: 16:45

Well said. Well said. And so we're here about global leadership. You're global leaders, you're changing communities and organizations and impacting so many millions of people. As I look at you, millions of people are impacted directly by the work each of you do every single day. What advice would you give to the future global leaders? You heard some of them today, looking to create impact, mean meaningful change. Where do I begin on learning how to lead? Like, what are those seeds that you're seeing and learning as you work with your com your organizations across the nation and across the planet? Grand President.

SPEAKER_03: 17:25

So everything always starts with an idea. So we have to, as Peter said today, have the courage to start. So with that, you have to make plans, you have to look into your communities to see what is the need. And you can start small. You don't have to, you know, go straight for the top. You start small and you figure out ways to raise money. So you need to have a uh strategy plan to move forward, figure out ways to raise money, figure out how and who it's going to affect or help, and uh look into volunteers, volunteer services that you can use for that project. But if you don't start and have that courage, you can't move forward. So the whole idea is just to do something.

SPEAKER_02: 18:19

Just do it. Just do it. Heard that before. Absolutely. Love it. So, final question, um, and this is really about what is your call to action? What is your call to action and how can folks find out more about what you're doing? So, Esteban, you want to take that lead?

SPEAKER_05: 18:35

Uh well, go to summerlearning.org and find out about NSLA. Um, they do amazing work and they're cost sector. So, while I lead the um the summer learning community for higher education, there are sectors that are focused on libraries, rec centers, elementary schools all across this country, and they're connecting the dots. And you're part of that, and there's a way that you can get connected into that to help solve that problem and make sure that every child in this country has an opportunity to an amazing summer program.

SPEAKER_03: 19:06

So, uh, Daughters of Penelope, we are a global organization. We are 96 years young. And you can uh find out more information on our website, daughtersofpenelope.org. And if our executive director would like to add to that.

SPEAKER_00: 19:25

I was just going to piggyback on what she said. Um, when you say call to action as well, um I believe in nonprofits, especially and organizations such as ourselves, is the building partnerships, right? Because long-lasting impact comes from collaboration, which is why we're all here today, why we're so grateful to George and Idea Gen and to all the work he does, because that's what's going to create the long-lasting impact. And something that we really uh value in the Daughters of Penelope, especially with it being a women's organization, is just when it comes to leadership, is staying grounded in values, right? So showing compassion, integrity, humility, these things have to guide leadership.

SPEAKER_01: 20:16

Also I think my call to action is to engage in healthy discourse when it comes to political and policy discussions. I am encouraged by our youth who are raising their hands and wanting to be part of the solution when it comes to mental health care. And in at the Meadows Institute, our organization has actually been able to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to drive innovative solutions in mental health care. And one that specifically gives me a lot of hope is some work that we've been doing in Texas to give every school district in the state of Texas access to same-day mental health services and up to six sessions of care for every child in that school district. Right now, that's serving over 4.5 million students. And Texas has actually invested what is now$10 billion of sustainable funding in youth mental health. And I think we often in our current climate are hearing lots of sort of negative discussion around the state of mental health in the country. And my call to action is for our youth to continue to raise their hands to be part of the solution because there are things that are happening that are positive, that are putting solutions out into more people's hands and offsetting the trajectory that sometimes we we forget about and don't hear enough about.

SPEAKER_04: 21:49

I would just echo uh a lot of the comments that were made just now. Uh, that at CHC we believe very strongly that collaboration is the new form of currency. And that it is through partnership that you can actually see huge change and meaningful partnership. So just these opportunities right now, uh, if you don't know someone, uh take a few minutes just to get to know them. I especially want you to get to know someone in another industry that is drastically different from yours. Because I believe it's through the traditional and untraditional partnerships that we can actually revolutionize some of the challenges that we've actually experienced. So, really getting to a place where you're uncomfortable by engaging with someone to your point, whether it's a different ideology, different um perspective, different industry, and figuring out exactly where might there be some opportunities to collaborate.

SPEAKER_02: 22:42

There you go. Great final work. Thank you all so very much. Thank you. Incredible.

SPEAKER_03: 22:46

Thank you.