Part 3

Session Descriptions

Each track runs twice on Day 2 — Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Morning names problems. Afternoon builds solutions and fills the scorecard.

Track 1

· Forum A

Capital Access & Wealth Building

Expanding capital, ownership & financial opportunity

How Birmingham can strengthen its capital ecosystem — financing, ownership, banking, and partnerships that create long-term community wealth.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Expanding Access to Capital, Ownership & Financial Opportunity

Facilitator

Minnie Freeman — President & CEO, Urban Impact

Presenters

Councilor Clinton Woods — Birmingham City Council
LaNeal Kelley — VP, Community & Economic Development, HOPE Credit Union

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Designing Birmingham's Capital Access Ecosystem

Facilitator

Minnie Freeman — Urban Impact

Presenters

Ivan Holloway — Urban Impact
Doug Watson

Morning result: 3–5 root causes limiting equitable access. Reframed opportunity statement.

Afternoon result: 3 recommendations, 3 lead orgs, 3 outcomes, a 12-month action, a cross-sector Ask, and one scorecard metric.

Track 2

· Forum B

Education & Workforce Pathways

Birmingham's talent pipeline

Connect education, employers, workforce organizations, and neighborhood partners into seamless pathways from school to careers to wealth.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Building Birmingham's Talent Pipeline

Facilitator

R. Damion White — Employment Relations Coordinator, Reinvest Birmingham

Presenters

Councilor Josh Vasa — Birmingham City Council
Khadejah Moore — Founder & CEO, Uplyft Birmingham

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Designing Birmingham's Talent Pipeline

Facilitator

Courtney Craig — Program Manager, Reinvest Birmingham

Presenters

JC Matthews — Economic Development Director, Birmingham Business Alliance
Erika Dix — Manager, Workforce & Talent Development, City of Birmingham

Morning result: Shared understanding + root causes across policy, community, and employer perspectives.

Afternoon result: Talent Pipeline Action Framework: 3 recs, 3 leads, 3 outcomes, 12-month action, Ask, scorecard metric.

Track 3

· Forum C

Neighborhoods & Infrastructure

Designing places that expand opportunity

Housing, transportation, infrastructure, and commercial corridors — intentionally designed so neighborhoods become engines of economic mobility.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Designing Places That Expand Opportunity

Facilitator

Robert Vejar

Presenters

Isaiah Smith

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Building Neighborhoods That Create Mobility

Facilitator

Robert Vejar

Presenters

Carmen Mays

Morning result: Root causes for disparities in neighborhood opportunity. Reframed statement.

Afternoon result: Neighborhood & Infrastructure Action Framework: 3 recs, 3 leads, 3 outcomes, Ask, metric.

Track 4

· Forum D

Justice & Government

Trust, safety & civic opportunity

Public safety, civic engagement, and responsive government — building trusted institutions that expand opportunity for every resident.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Building Trust, Safety & Civic Opportunity

Facilitator

Dorothy A. George — Small Business Relationship Coordinator, City of Birmingham

Presenters

Latracyenne Kennie, J.D., LL.M

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Designing Responsive Government & Community Partnerships

Facilitator

Terri Chapman

Presenters

Dr. Regina Moorer

Morning result: Root causes influencing trust, participation, and equitable governance.

Afternoon result: Justice & Government Action Framework: 3 recs, 3 leads, 3 outcomes, Ask, metric.

Track 5

· Forum E

Data, Strategy & Measurement

From silos to shared measurement

The foundation for the whole summit — how Birmingham will know whether collective efforts actually improve economic mobility.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Why Good Intentions Are Not Enough

Facilitator

Tatianna Turrentine — Market Intelligence Manager, Birmingham Business Alliance

Presenters

Teasha Cable — CEO, CModel

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

From Silos to Systems: Birmingham's Shared Mobility Framework

Facilitator

Teasha Cable — CEO, CModel

Presenters

Martha Fedorowicz — Urban Institute

Morning result: Shared understanding of why measurement matters + barriers to collective impact.

Afternoon result: Draft Birmingham Economic Mobility Measurement Framework and initial Dashboard concepts.

Track 6

· Forum F

Public Health & Environmental Justice

Healthy communities that support mobility

Healthcare, mental health, healthy food, clean air and water, safe housing, green space — the systems that let residents thrive.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Creating Healthy Communities That Support Economic Mobility

Facilitator

Gina Mallisham

Presenters

Dr. Nadia Monique Johnson
Tekela Wimberly

Afternoon

2:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Designing Healthy, Resilient Communities

Facilitator

Gina Mallisham

Presenters

Dr. Demario Overstreet
Sidney May

Morning result: Root causes across public health, mental health, and environmental justice.

Afternoon result: 3 recs, 3 leads, 3 outcomes, 12-month action, Ask, scorecard metric.

Track 7

· Forum Theatre

Economic Opportunity & Entrepreneurship

Pathways to ownership, innovation & wealth

Entrepreneurship, business ownership, employee ownership, procurement, and technical assistance — designed so every resident can build wealth.

Morning

10:35 AM – 12:05 PM

Building Pathways to Ownership, Innovation & Wealth

Facilitator

Mildred Black — Founder & CEO, People Optimum Consulting

Presenters

John Vereen — Founder, HEO Framework Foundation
Kevin Burns — Executive Director, Alabama Center for Employee Ownership

Afternoon

2:40 PM – 4:10 PM

Designing Birmingham's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Facilitator

Mildred Black — People Optimum Consulting

Presenters

Kylah Gooden — Entrepreneur & Birmingham Promise Graduate
Monique Shorts — Senior Program Manager, Office of Business Diversity & Opportunity

Morning result: 3–5 root causes limiting economic opportunity. Systems-level opportunities.

Afternoon result: 3 recs, 3 leads, 3 outcomes, 12-month action, Ask, scorecard metric.