YP Summit Breakouts •
Midlands Business Journal • FEBRUARY 14, 2020 •
Getting to know the 2020 YP Summit breakout speakers “Self-Love is the Only Way! A Creative Exploration of Self-Care Tools”
Felicia Webster Teaching artist, WithloveFeliciaProductions To call Felicia Webster “multi-talented” or “multi-faceted” might well be the definition of understatement. “I show up in the world as a mama, poet, educator, teaching activist, healer, creative and self-love artist,” she said. Webster, who is artistically known as “Withlove, Felicia,” believes in using the arts to “educatain.” So, she’s often been called a “teaching artist.” The arts can also be a vehicle to promote social change,
“YPs and Policy Advocacy: Why, What and How”
In this exclusive focus, we take a closer look at the breakout speakers at the 15th annual YP Summit. The event, taking place March 6 at CHI Health Center, draws in more than 1,500 young professionals each year. Read on to learn a little bit more about each of these breakout sessions.
Alex Bauer Research and evaluation associate, The Sherwood Foundation; board member, New Leaders Council Jodi Benenson Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha; board member, New Leaders Council As a research and evaluation associate at a local family foundation, Alex Bauer is passionate about providing equitable, culturally responsive evidence to inform decision-making for both the foundation and nonprofits throughout Omaha and Greater Nebraska. “Although I fully embrace the nerdiness that comes with a research and evaluation title, I also embrace being a partner in systems’ change work, and in providing tools to cultivate a culture of learning throughout my community,” she said. Fellow YP and Advocacy Panel Moderator, Jodi Benenson, held many professional roles before teaching courses in public policy and nonprofit management and researching the likes of social equity
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express love, empower, create connections, invite healing and build authentic relationships. “I was motivated to do this work by spirit,” she said. “I was born to do this work.” When asked about her accomplishments, Webster said she’s most proud of “being able to walk in my purpose every day and love what I do in an extraordinary way.” “Self-love” is at the heart of Webster’s session, and it’s her central topic of interest. “Oftentimes, we don’t take time out to authentically love and care for ourselves, like we do for other people — families, lovers, friends, supervisors and so on,” she said. “But a car can’t run without gas, and nor can we.” So, this idea of “self-love” is also a manifestation of “self-care.” Webster’s session is designed for one to experience creative ways and helpful techniques to add self-care to work and home life, allowing for opportunities to recharge, reboot and reignite. “What I intend YPs to take away from this workshop session, is when we immerse in the intentional practice of loving ourselves, we can truly find happiness in living in the now with ourselves and others,” she said.
and civic engagement for UNO’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) and PhD programs, including: camp counselor, barista, film festival coordinator and hospital clinical records administrator. “In each of these roles, I have had the opportunity to pursue my greatest passion — organizing,” she said. “I have spent time organizing people, programs, data, and coffee beans, and could not be more grateful to live this passion as an educator and scholar at UNO. I try to ‘practice what I preach’ in my research and teaching by immersing myself in the campus and community.” The YP panel discussion featuring Civic Nebraska’s Brad Christian Sallis, Greater Omaha Chamber’s Jennifer Creager and Julia Tse of Voices for Children in Nebraska, is “all about advocacy,” according to Bauer. “This session will cover why policy advocacy is important for young professionals in Omaha, what opportunities are available for advocacy in Nebraska, how to effectively engage with policymakers in Nebraska, and what you can do right now to create change in your communities,” she said. Advocacy is important for all YPs, Benenson said, so they’re able to express their views and concerns, access information and services, and defend and promote their rights and responsibilities. “We look forward to the unique opportunity to engage young professionals in a conversation about how to engage in policy advocacy in Nebraska during an election and census year,” she said. Bauer’s dream is for YPs to have a greater sense of self-efficacy, and to impact communitywide decision-making. “I hope that YPs walk away from this session with tools that they can use to advocate for themselves and their communities,” she said.