FSG CEO John Harper will be moderating a session titled “How Funders Can Lead with Humility in Community-Centered Collaboration” at Council on Foundation’s annual conference, Leading Locally 2025.
Session Description: What does it look like for funders to truly center the expertise and goals of community? The Houston Economic Growth Collaborative is a multi-sector initiative exploring the potential to invest more than $100M over 10 years for resident defined priorities. Leaders will share early lessons on approaching this work with authenticity, including recognizing and catalyzing previous plans, providing financial resources before strategies are developed, and bolstering local leadership and organizing. Attendees will be invited to share their own learnings on leading with greater humility as funders.
Panelists:
- John Harper, Chief Executive Officer, FSG
- Michelle Liberatore, Senior Program Manager, Verizon
- VanNhi Nguyen, Vice President, Community Engagement, JPMorgan Chase
