Pay It Forward 2026 Summit, where individual success becomes community investment.

It's been 26 years since the Gates Millennium Scholars Program started changing lives. And now we're throwing a celebration! Officially, it’s a Summit. But when you bring this many resilient, inspiring people into one room, it’s so much more than that.

Pay It Forward Summit 2026

Similar, to SEN’s mission to position our alumni to give back to the communities they come from, the Obama Foundation's mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.

This Pay It Forward Summit is where individual success becomes community investment. Where we seek to transform the $1.6 billion invested in us into infrastructure for our underserved communities.

Save the Date

Friday, August 14, 2026

When

The Obama Presidential Center, Chicago, Illinois

Where

You. Your fellow alumni. Friends of SEN.

Who

Because changing the world works better when we do it together

Why

Pay It Forward 2026 Summit Program 
Centering Community Impact

“Pay It Forward Summit is where we seek to transform the $1.6 billion invested in us into infrastructure for our underserved communities.”

— SEN

What to Expect: One Day. Many Possibilities

Registration & Continental Breakfast

Location: Hadiya Pendleton Atrium

8:00 - 9:00 AM

Headshot Booth courtesy of Equitable Foundation

Location: Democracy in Action Lab Lounge

8:00 - 4:00 PM

Micro-Executive Coaching Sessions Overview

Location: Program Room G

8:00 - 8:45 AM

Micro-Executive Coaching Sessions with Timothy Wells

Location: Program Room G
Interested attendees can register for a session here. More info can be found in 2026 PIFA Summit Program.

9:00 - 5:00 PM

Welcome Remarks

Location: Elie Wiesel Auditorium

9:00 - 9:10 AM

Keynote Panel

Location: Elie Wiesel Auditorium

Panelists: Chandra Gill, Ph.D and Corey A. Hardiman Moderator: Allyson Watson, Ph.D
Introduction by Jim Larimore

9:10 - 9:50 AM

SEN Presentation

Location: Elie Wiesel Auditorium

9:50 - 11:15 AM

  • From Outsider to Advocate
    Zoila Isabel Fernandez

  • From Scholar to Changemaker: Build It, Fund It, Scale It
    DuMarkus Davis

  • Turning Feedback into Actionable Insight
    Brandon Johnson

  • We are the Bridge: Mentoring the Next Generation, While Influencing the Current One
    Amber Gunner, Ed.D

  • Echos of Jubilee: Music, Literacy, And The Building Of Black Institutions
    Arami Walker

Spark Sessions

Location: Elie Wiesel Auditorium

11:15 - 12:00 PM

Boxed Lunch

Location: Hadiya Pendleton Atrium

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Location: Program Rooms A-G

1:10 - 4:30 PM

Break

4:30 - 6:00 PM

Reception sponsored by Equitable Foundation

Location: Museum Skyroom
Remarks by Equitable Foundation

6:00 - 7:00 PM

Legacy and Leadership Celebration Dinner

Location: Museum Skyroom
Remarks by Board Member Joshua Patterson and Larry Griffith, EVP UNCF

7:00 - 9:00 PM

Learn more about the speakers

Workshops


    1. Tiffani Knowles-Senatus, Main Character Energy: Building your Personal Brand on Social Media | WIESEL AUDITORIUM

    2. Chau Dang, Sikander “Sonny” Khan, Elizabeth Mendoza, Build, Protect, Belong: A Practical Workshop on AI for Scholars Who Are Here to Lead | SOJOURNOR TRUTH PROGRAM ROOM A

    3. Athena Lao, Find Your Idea Worth Spreading: A TED-Ed Workshop for Scholars | IDA B. WELLS PROGRAM ROOM B

    4. Naomie Droll and Alex Rodriguez, From Idea to Entity: Business Formation and Federal Contracting for Minority-Owned Businesses | HERMAN PETTY PROGRAM ROOM C

    5. Kayode O. Aje, Investing Basics: Make Your Money Work Harder Than You Do | REGINALD F. LEWIS PROGRAM ROOM D

    6. Lani Shaw, Stop Being the Best Kept Secret: How to Get Seen and Promoted | CLAUDETTE COLVIN PROGRAM ROOM E

    7. Najaah Yasmine Daniels, Trauma-Informed Finance: Where Embodiment Meets Economics | ANDREW YOUNG PROGRAM ROOM F

    1. Frank Romo and Catalina Salinas, Social Entrepreneurship, Power Sharing & Community Innovation | WIESEL AUDITORIUM

    2. Lima Hossain, From Energy Burden to Energy Democracy: A Justice Framework for Change | SOJOURNOR TRUTH PROGRAM ROOM A

    3. Shanava Saintolien, MBA, Scrappy by Design: Building a Tech-Enabled, Data-Driven Nonprofit on a Budget | IDA B. WELLS PROGRAM ROOM B

    4. Felicia L. Harris, PhD and Tanisha Manning, J.D., It Happens in Community: Why Voter Education Matters Now More Than Ever | HERMAN PETTY PROGRAM ROOM C

    5. Emilia Savage PhD, Human-Centered Leadership in an Age of Chronic Stress | REGINALD F. LEWIS PROGRAM ROOM D

    6. Ibraheem Alinur, Basics of Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital | CLAUDETTE COLVIN PROGRAM ROOM E

    7. Shai Basys and Brittany L. Hogan, Tell Your Story, Fund Your Mission: HeyGen, Perplexity & ElevenLabs for Impact | ANDREW YOUNG PROGRAM ROOM F

    1. Quan Neloms (SEN School Counselor Fellow), KrisTiana Dove, and Miles Hall, The ADAPT Narrative — Documentary Screening | WIESEL AUDITORIUM — FILM + DISCUSSION * TO 5PM

    2. James Lovell, Krista Schnell, and 2025-26 Changemakers, Pay It Forward Accelerator Unpacked | SOJOURNOR TRUTH PROGRAM ROOM A

    3. Tilifayea L. Griffin, MAT and Jalisa Evans, From Individual to Collective: Community Organizing and Movement Building for Change | IDA B. WELLS PROGRAM ROOM B

    4. Lillian C. Martz, Ph.D., PSC, PCLC and Ana Quiñones, Flourish & Sustain: Positive Psychology Tools for Long-Term Well-Being | HERMAN PETTY PROGRAM ROOM C

    5. Jessica Guthrie, When Career & Caregiving Collide: From Invisible to Integral | REGINALD F. LEWIS PROGRAM ROOM D

    6. Cinthia Manuel, You Were Never Empty-Handed: The Mentoring Session Nobody Gave Us | CLAUDETTE COLVIN PROGRAM ROOM E

    7. Robert Lee, Beyond Good Intentions: Building Organizations That Scale | ANDREW YOUNG PROGRAM ROOM F

Recap Coming Soon

2026 Pay It Forward Summit Speakers

Chau Dang

Najaah Yasmine Daniels

DuMarkus Davis

KrisTiana Dove

Naomie Droll

Jalisa Evans

Zoila Isabel Fernandez, MD, PhD

Tilifayea Griffin, MAT

Miles Hall

Jessica Guthrie, M.Ed

Brandon Johnson

Lima Hossain

Sikander “Sonny” Khan

Tiffani Knowles Senatus

Athena Lao

Robert Lee

James Lovell

Tanisha Manning, J.D.

Timothy Wells

Cinthia Manuel

Lillian Martz, Ph.D, PSC, PCLC

Elizabeth Mendoza

Quan Neloms

Joshua Patterson

Karen Perez, PhD

Nathaniel Ramos Jr., PhD

Frank Romo

Krista Schnell

Shanava Saintolien, MBA

Catalina Salinas

Lani Shaw

Emilia Savage, DrPH

Kyla Stewart

Allyson Watson, PhD

Aubrey Skeeter

Ana Quiñones

Arami Walker

Aaron Stallworth

Khaleelah (Leelah) Logan

Noah Morton, Ed.D

Ibraheem Alinur

Kayode Aje

Rodrigo Bravo

Shai Basys

Larry Griffith

Amber Gunner, Ed.D

Brittany Hogan

Felicia Harris, PhD

Reception and Headshot Lounge Sponsor

Bronze

Legacy Builder

Trailblazer

Rising Star

Event Sponsorship Packages

For Corporate Sponsors

The Pay It Forward Summit brings together Gates Millennium Scholars alumni alongside other scholars from across the country, all united by a commitment to service, impact, and community. Corporate sponsors play a direct role in making that gathering possible.

Sponsoring the Summit is an investment in the leaders shaping this country today and tomorrow. It's also an opportunity to put your organization in front of a diverse network of professionals and to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the communities you serve.

To get started, email us at admin@scholarsequity.org indicating your interest and your preferred sponsorship tier. We'll follow up and walk you through the process.

For more information on this opportunity and our Pay It Forward Summit, download our Sponsorship Prospectus.

Corporate Sponsors

“True success is measured not by what we achieve but what we enable others to accomplish.”

For Alumni-Owned Businesses and Individual Giving

Have you started a business since receiving your scholarship?

You don't need to own a business to invest in this community. If you're an individual alumni interested in supporting the Pay It Forward Summit, we have options for you too, and every contributor will be recognized for their support at the event.

True success is measured not by what we achieve but what we enable others to accomplish.

This Summit is more than a gathering, it’s a reflection of everything this network has built over the past 26 years. From the first Gates Millennium Scholars in 2000 to today, our community has grown into a powerful force of alumni making an impact in ways big and small: in their careers, in their communities, and in the lives of those around them.

Creating space for that kind of connection, recognition, and momentum takes intention and resources. To make this Summit possible and to continue growing sustainable programming for the future, we’ve created a range of partnership opportunities designed to be accessible and reflective of our community.

These sponsorship opportunities highlight the work and ventures within our network while helping bring this milestone event to life. Partners are recognized across event materials, including the program, newsletter, and website directory, and are featured among a community that believes in showing up for and investing in one another.

Whether through an alumni-owned business, a venture, helping us connect with potential corporate partners, or individual participation, there are meaningful ways to be part of what we’re building—both for this summit and for what comes next.

Alumni Business and Individual Giving