Past Event
How Stories Spark Change
September 23, 2025
Join us as we bring together filmmakers, creatives, advocates, and changemakers who believe in the power of storytelling to drive impact.
Waitlist Only
With a beautiful view of the Hudson River from the United Nations headquarters, we’ll share a morning and afternoon of conversations to explore global storytelling, mental health, justice, immigration, and prison reform, featuring filmmakers, creators, changemakers and leaders who use narrative as a tool for change.
- 8 AM – Registration Opens
- 9 AM – Breakfast
- 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM Programming
(We will be serving a full breakfast and lunch and providing a snack break)
Sessions featuring:
- Women in Film
- Project Blackbird
- Crisis Text Line
- Dateline NBC
- PBS
- And more…
Speakers include:
- Dan Slepian, Senior Investigative Reporter at Dateline NBC
- Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, Co-Founder, Voices From Within
- Dena Trujillo, CEO, Crisis Text Line
- Jason Flom, Co-Founder & CEO of Lava Media and Lava for Good
- Boaz Paldi, Chief Creative Officer & Producer, UNDP, Weather Kids
- Alyson Stoner, Actor, Author & Mental Health Advocate
- Kristina Arjona, Intimacy & Mental Health Coordinator, Association of Mental Health Coordinators
- Tyler Coe, Creator, “How Are We Today?, “ Austin PBS
- Victor Orozco-Olvera, Senior Economist & Program Lead, Entertainment-Education Program, World Bank Development Impact Group
- Cecilia-Karen “CC” W’emedi, Senior Project Manager, International Programs, Women In Film
- Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director, The Creative Economy Practice, Co-Creation Hub
- Alexandra Miles, CEO & Founder, Project Blackbird
- Juan Pablo Villani, Co-Founder, Aquí Estoy
- Andria Wilson Mirza, Director, International Programs, Women In Film
The deadline to register for our UNGA event is September 12th, due to strict UN security clearance processes.
Special thanks: GoFundMe, Sustainable Brands and the UTA Foundation
Date
September 23, 2025