Register Now!
March 16-17, 2026
Spokane Convention Center
Spokane, WA
Join us for a summit of “Building Trust. Building Community.” Over two days, participants from across 20 counties will hear from guest speakers, engage in interactive learning sessions, and strengthen both new and existing relationships centered on community wellbeing.
This event is free of charge for Innovia volunteers and $99 for the general community. Please note that all registration fees are nonrefundable.
Session Highlights
- Inspiring keynote speakers focused on building trust and resilient communities.
- Interactive sessions on the art of storytelling to bridge divides and build community.
- Conversations on investing in youth for long-term social and economic success.
- Insights into Innovia’s new Civic Engagement grants that bring neighbors together for shared meals and collaborative visioning.
Agenda
Monday, March 16
Programming: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Happy hour to follow
Lunch provided
Tuesday, March 17
Programming: 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Breakfast and lunch provided
Speaker Spotlight
Maryam Banikarim
Host, The Messy Parts Podcast | Co-Founder, The Longest Table | Chair, WSJ Institutes CMO Council
Maryam Banikarim is a convener, an Emmy Award-winning storyteller, and host of The Messy Parts Podcast, exploring the real stories behind success. With over 25 years as a C-suite executive driving growth at Fortune Media, Nextdoor, Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision, she now convenes senior marketing leaders as Chair of the WSJ Institutes CMO Council.
Maryam has built movements that spark connection and joy, including co-founding NYCNext during the pandemic, leading the WE ❤️NYC campaign, and creating The Longest Table, a nationwide potluck initiative connecting neighbors.
A sought-after speaker with a TED Talk on navigating life’s obstacles and keynotes for Columbia Business School, Pfizer, and Disney, Maryam also advises organizations through her practice, MaryamB, on brand strategy, community building, and creative impact. Recognized among Fast Company’s “Top 10 Disruptors” and New York Post’s “50 Most Powerful Women in NYC,” she lives in New York City with her family and dog, Charlie.
John is an award-winning author and photographer who has worked on five continents, gathering stories of human courage, grace, and resilience. He has produced projects for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. In 2008, frustrated with the quality of our national dialogue, and all the things that ask us to focus what divides us, he wondered if he could use his storytelling and art to rediscover what connects us.
A gifted storyteller, his work is accessible and engaging, creating a space where others can be seen, heard, and valued. A Peace of My Mind reflects John’s belief that storytelling and art can help individuals, organizations and communities articulate their deepest values and encourage action toward building community connections and positive change.
When he is not on the road for work, John travels for fun with his family and their cocker spaniel, Road Trip. Together, they care also for an 80-acre Christmas tree farm, connecting with the land while observing the seasons and years unfold. More of his photography can be found here: John Noltner Photography
John Noltner
Founder and Executive Director | A Peace of My Mind
Catherine Ettman
Assistant Professor | Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Catherine K. Ettman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work explores population mental health, assets that shape mental health and health services use, and policies across sectors that can improve health. She is the co-editor of Urban Health (Oxford University Press, 2019) and Migration and Health (University of Chicago Press, 2022). Dr. Ettman received her PhD in Health Services Research at Brown University School of Public Health and studied public policy at Princeton University.
Mara Tieken
Professor of Education | Bates College
Mara Casey Tieken is a professor of education at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Her research focuses on educational equity for rural students and communities, including rural college access, rural school closure, and rural racial justice. She is the author of Educated out: How rural students navigate elite colleges—and what it costs them (University of Chicago Press, 2025), which was a 2025 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book Award winner, and Why rural schools matter (University of North Carolina Press, 2014). She is currently working on two projects: one focused on school closures in rural Black communities, and another studying rural-serving college access organizations. An award-winning teacher, Mara also designed and maintains a web-based toolkit for rural communities fighting school closure. She began her career in education as a third-grade teacher in rural Tennessee.
Terry Kyllo
Executive Director | Paths to Understanding: Gathering Neighbors, Growing Trust
Terry Kyllo is the Executive Director of Paths to Understanding: Gathering Neighbors, Growing Trust. He is passionate about renewing civil society and democracy by helping communities build trust across deep divides—because he believes we are living too divided, and we do not have to live this way. A Lutheran pastor, Terry works through local practice, media, and public leadership to bring neighbors back into relationship, so we can build a world where everyone belongs and everyone can thrive.