Jeremiah Program Summit Weekend 2025: The Power of Collective Dreaming

“What if we are who we’ve been waiting for?”

JP President and CEO Chastity Lord posed that question to the nearly 500 JP moms, alumni, staff, board members, partners, and changemakers who joined the fifth annual JP Summit Weekend March 7-9 in Minnesota. With 400 people joining online for JP’s first-ever SummitX, the event’s virtual experience, the energy of collective power was apparent not only in the room but also in homes and communities across the United States. We all came together around the shared goal of economic mobility and a belief that when moms win, families win — and our communities win.

And that’s what the weekend’s theme, “The Power of Collective Dreaming,” was all about. There is a potent movement of mothers growing in towns and cities all over this country, and our country will be better and stronger for it.

“Imagine if this room, this network, this sisterhood is actually what we’ve been waiting for,” Lord said. Summit Weekend challenged us to not only imagine it but to build it — together.

Moms Dreaming for Themselves, Their Children, and Their Communities

The entire weekend was rooted in women preparing themselves and their families to thrive so that they can also contribute to helping their communities thrive. From posting inspiring messages to a “Collective Dreaming Wall” and choosing stimulating books in our onsite “bookstore” to attending powerful featured conversations and workshops, participants had the space to focus on healthy bodies, minds, and families — and, therefore, a healthy public.

The workshops emphasized the power that moms coalesced over the weekend and took back home.

Two sessions focused on parenting and preparing children for the future. Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, author of Parent Like It Matters: How to Raise Joyful, Change-Making Girls, led a workshop on effective daily parenting practices and how moms should make sure they seek their own joy outside their parenting identities. Geida Cleveland of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities helped JP moms, many of whom are first-generation college students, think about how to plan for and support their children’s college journeys.

Two other sessions extended on the second generation to focus on wealth-building. Dr. Key Hallmon, author of No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life, shared how doing good in your community can also lead to creating generational health, wealth, and lasting change. Dr. Paris Woods, author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom, presented her values-driven, low-stress strategies to help moms feel they can master their finances and confidently create the lives they love.

Other sessions centered on helping moms consider their roles in systemic change. Jehmu Greene, CEO of We Defend Truth and co-founder of Vote Run Lead, encouraged attendees to use their voices, skills, and expertise to be the change they want to see in their communities by running for elected positions — from PTA president and school board chair to city council. Civil rights leader Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez facilitated a workshop on turning grassroots community organizing into lasting impact that shifts systems.

Continuing the vein of systems and the future, Rhiana Gunn-Wright focused on the future of our planet. Gunn-Wright, a leading voice on climate and economic policy, showed how addressing climate justice can create a more sustainable future for everyone.

What Our Country Can Be: Two Featured Conversations

The idea of a future that serves us all was prominent in our featured conversations, too. Acclaimed sociologist and professor Matthew Desmond spoke with JP leaders and staff during a pre-Summit Weekend event about why poverty persists in the United States, the wealthiest country in the world — and how he believes we can collectively change this status quo.

Referring to the research behind his most recent book, Poverty, by America, Desmond argued that we can counter the labor exploitation and segregation that bolsters so much of American poverty by investing, empowering, and building. “Invest in families by rebalancing the safety net,” he said, “empower the poor by reining in exploitation, and build inclusive and open communities.”

While there is so much work to be done, he also encouraged us during a Q&A with Lord to embrace “the language of celebration.” It’s imperative that we celebrate our wins along the way.

Professor, researcher, and author Dr. Rachel Hardeman, one of Time’s Most Influential People of 2024, opened our first full day of programming with more thought-provoking challenges to address as a collective. With research centered on Black maternal health, she declared, “We live in a country where we have allowed maternal deaths to be acceptable.”

Her work points to the physical, emotional, financial, and generational taxes that Black women experience in the United States — from being overly surveilled to overly burdened by the climate crisis. As a result, she says, Black women endure chronic stress that contributes to disproportionate maternal deaths, infant mortality, and early births.

“This is why women must take care of ourselves,” she said during a fireside chat with JP national board member Kadia Tubman. She encouraged participants to slow down, attend to their physical and mental health, and be vocal about their needs.

“Imagine a world where these taxes don’t exist,” Dr. Hardeman posed to the room, “where babies can be held in wombs without these burdens.”

Spark Tank: What if We Are Who We’ve Been Waiting For?

Collectively imagining healthier, more just communities was a throughline for Summit Weekend, including our third annual Spark Tank competition. One of the weekend’s highlights, this unique pitch competition elevates JP moms and alumni by driving funding to their existing business ventures or new business ideas. These entrepreneurs are not waiting for others to run with the ideas they have for their communities; they’re doing it themselves.

This year, 77 mompreneurs applied, and 10 semi-finalists representing nine businesses received coaching and feedback. The semi-finalists were then invited to pitch their projects during Summit Weekend, when they got additional coaching and feedback.

Of those semi-finalists, three winners were chosen, including a crowd-selected Inspiration Award winner.

Whether they pitched during Summit Weekend or not, won or not, every single entrepreneur who applied is doing the work to translate their lived experience and expertise into ventures that can benefit their families and their communities.

“I think the dreamers in this room have the ability to manifest something that is truly unparalleled,” Lord said. We see this manifesting in the JP community, and we’re honored to present this year’s winners.

First Place and Inspiration Award: Tara Carlson and Tory Queensley, Founders of EmpowerHER

EmpowerHER aims to end the stigma for pregnant women struggling with addiction by offering holistic support, including recovery housing, medical care, treatment services, and educational opportunities. In the process, they hope recovering moms have what they need to build brighter futures for themselves and their children.

Second Place: Sharmaine Hamilton, Founder of MomsOnly Social Inc.

MomsOnly Social Inc. encourages women’s empowerment through self-care activities for moms and raises awareness of community resources that help build strength and sisterhood.

Third place: Dallas Outlaw, Founder of Parental Inclusion Network

Parental Inclusion Network aims to empower and educate parents, caregivers, and supporters of autistic and special needs children and adults by providing resources, training, and educational assistance.

Inaugural JP Legacy Award: What Collective Dreaming Looks Like

Because JP supports not only JP moms but also their kids — and, thus, their communities — we are excited about a new initiative that we unveiled during Summit Weekend: The JP Legacy Award. This award is an initiative designed to uplift and celebrate the children of JP alumni who are making an impact in their communities.

The Legacy Award recognizes young changemakers between the ages of 13 and 25 who are actively building a legacy of leadership, service, and resilience. Three outstanding winners will receive educational funding through a 529 account or peer state program, with first-through-third-place prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, respectively. By investing in the education and aspirations of JP alumni’s children, we continue our mission of disrupting generational poverty, two generations at a time.

While the winning placements will be announced in the summer of 2025, the three finalists were named during Summit Weekend, which concluded with a powerful conversation between Lord and the winners’ mothers.

Here’s just a little peek at how these young people are impacting their communities. More to come!

Tyzjaun Sims

Tyzjaun, also known as Ty, is the son of 2022-2023 JP Alumni Fellow Lavasha Smith. Rounding out his freshman year in high school, he is a leader in sports, clubs, and academics, excelling as a scholar and regularly tutoring his friends across subjects, particularly math. “By helping my classmates, I desire to help them build confidence, do better in school, and understand what they are actually learning about,” he shared in his application. “My goal is that people are happy to come to school and this contributes to a more supportive and successful student body.”

Leilani Benson

Leilani, who is finishing her senior year of high school, is the daughter of 2024-2025 JP Alumni Fellow Tiffany Benson. Actively engaged in several sports and other extracurricular activities, her involvement in a club called Soul Sisters is a special source of community and action for her. “She’s helped organize events and activities to ensure that all members of the group feel seen, supported, and uplifted,” her mother said, “which reflects her dedication to creating a more inclusive and compassionate community. … [Soul Sisters is] where she sees the power of sisterhood in creating change, where her belief in solidarity and empowerment is put into practice.”

Elijah Moen

Elijah is a high school senior who has been accepted to every college he’s applied to. The son of 2011 JP alum Rhea Moen, he inspires not only his peers but also others in the community. During his junior year, a spate of gun-related school incidents led him to voice his concerns at a community meeting where hundreds of community members, including district leaders, were present. “Through his collective effort with others, Elijah has been a part of creating policy and changes in practices at Roseville Area High School,” his mother said. “These changes will ensure that Roseville Area High School is a safe place for all students, for years to come.”

It is the next generation that is going to see through the changes our communities need, and we are beyond proud to support their dreams and their families’ dreams. As Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia, JP’s VP of Alumni and Public Policy, put it, this recognition is about imagining something new. “It’s about changing the narrative. It’s about letting the world know what’s possible when we invest in families.”

“[Summit Weekend] is my next best thing to Christmas and my birthday. I look forward to it every year. It’s a recharge for my soul.”

JP mom

Dreaming Together Beyond the Weekend

As attendees prepared to head home, the concepts of family, togetherness, and sisterhood dominated the atmosphere. When asked about her time during Summit Weekend, one mom said, “Tremendous love from everyone and the power of sisterhood is pure poetry. What a lovely experience!” Another shared, “This Summit experience has been amazing, and I am thankful I got to meet other JP moms from across the country.”

One JP mom told us she left feeling rejuvenated: “It was a refreshing experience,” she said. “I got to take a break from work, family, motherhood, etc. and just enjoy catching up with women who I’m in sisterhood with. I felt that this weekend was about me and the ladies that I’ve grown with.”

A multi-time attendee looks forward to it every year for similar reasons: “As a full-time working single mother, I often find it hard to make meaningful time for myself,” she explained. “Thanks to Jeremiah Program for continuing to gather at our yearly summits where we can reconnect with friends we haven’t seen in a while, as well as meeting new moms and encouraging them as they start their JP journey.”

We are grateful to the entire JP community for making these journeys possible not only for a weekend but also as part of a movement that can influence the entire nation. Our movement is growing, and the best is yet to come.

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