Nonprofit Leadership Conference: The event for nonprofit leaders

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Although today’s nonprofits are facing historic challenges, our purpose is our power.

It’s the reason we tackle hunger, poverty, homelessness, addiction, mental health, barriers to education, and more. It’s what gives us the courage to innovate, collaborate, and never give up.

Reconnecting with your “why” has never been more important.

Because nonprofits are powered by purpose. YOU are powered by purpose.

Join us for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Conference on June 4 in downtown Tampa. Hundreds of nonprofit and business leaders will come together to recharge their purpose and discover bold new strategies to advance it.

Join us to be the change that changes everything.

overview

The Nonprofit Leadership Conference brings you world-class speakers, inspiring breakout sessions, engaging networking and a few surprises — all focused on being the change we wish to see. You’ll walk away with ideas, tools and strategies you and your nonprofit can immediately implement.
We will be adding more speaker details soon.
8-9 a.m.
Check In, Light Breakfast, Networking, Exhibit Hall
9 a.m.
Welcome & Conference Opening
9:20 a.m.
Morning Session
10:10 a.m.
Networking Break & Exhibit Hall

10:45 a.m.
First Breakout Session

11:45 a.m.
Second Breakout Session

12:35 p.m.
Lunch

1:10 p.m.
Keynote Presentation

2:15 to 3 p.m.
Closing & Continued Networking

2026 Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Conference will be announced soon.

Meet

Sam

See what keynote speaker Sam Rad has in store for you and why she thinks you need to attend the 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Conference.

2026 MORNING SESSION

The morning session for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Conference will be announced soon.

Mission Accepted: Emerging Leadership for the Future

During this dynamic panel discussion, we’ll explore the evolving role of leadership in a rapidly changing world. This session will illuminate how nonprofit leaders are stepping up to meet the challenges of tomorrow with innovation, resilience and purpose. You’ll receive inspiration and practical tools to help you accept the mission of leading with vision and purpose in the years ahead.

Panelists

This thought-provoking panel will feature four dynamic leaders from diverse sectors of the nonprofit world, each bringing a unique perspective on how leaders can adapt to the shifting landscape.

Terry Marks, Nonprofit Consultant and Former CEO, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
Celeste Roberts, President & CEO, The Skills Center
Ann Shaler, Senior Vice President, Tampa Bay Market Executive, Bank of America
Mike Sutton, President & Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside

Moderator

Walter Jennings, Director of Student Success Initiatives, Helios Education Foundation

2026 Breakout Sessions

Breakout speakers for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Conference will be announced soon.

In the meantime, explore last year’s breakout topics:

Harness the Power of Your Mission

Creative Ways to Retain Your Team

The Audit You’ve Never Learned to Run

Panel: Next-Gen Board Members

How to Fortify Your Nonprofit

2026 Conference EMCEE

Ketsy Ruiz is a dynamic nonprofit leader who bridges the worlds of digital marketing, arts and community development. Drawing from her experience with cultural organizations across Pinellas County and Isabela, Puerto Rico, she brings a storyteller’s eye to nonprofit communications and brand development. Her multifaceted expertise spans copywriting, content creation, short-form video, graphic design, and strategic campaign development, allowing her to help organizations authentically connect with their audiences.

As both a marketing consultant and professional artist based in St. Petersburg, FL, Ketsy understands firsthand the power of creative expression to drive social change. Her commitment to community impact has earned her recognition as a Hispanics in Philanthropy Líderes Fellow. Her artistic achievements include an Emerging Artist Grant from Creative Pinellas as well as the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, and her artwork is archived by the Center of Puerto Rican Studies. Through her consulting work, she empowers nonprofits like Mi Gente Mi Pueblo, Mi Patria Puerto Rico, and individuals to amplify their missions through compelling narratives, the arts, and strategic communications.

GET HYPED with

Ketsy

See why conference emcee Ketsy Ruiz says you need to accept this year’s mission to be at the 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Conference.

REGISTER NOW

Registration will open soon for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Conference. Complete the form below and we’ll send you an email as soon as registration is officially open.

Cancellations and Substitutions

Conference registrations are non-refundable, but substitutions are welcome until 5 p.m. Eastern on October 1, 2024. To substitute a registered guest, please contact us at info@nlctb.org or 813 287-8779. Please include the original guest’s name and the substitute guest’s name, title, organization and email address in your message.

Individual Ticket

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$215

14 available out of 30

This ticket provides access to the full in-person conference at Tampa Marriott Water Street (which includes a keynote speaker, an additional speaker experience, breakfast snacks and coffee, seated lunch, networking opportunities, and free parking in Fort Brooke or Pam Iorio garage) AND access to 5 engaging breakout sessions.

Individual Early Bird Ticket

Deadline: July 31, 2024

~~$215~~ $175

0 available out of 100

For Profit Table

+ 10 conference scholarships

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$4,500

0 available out of 2

Benefits include: 10 tickets to the conference + 10 scholarship tickets for nonprofits who otherwise would not have the ability to attend the event, name on website and day of event signage, company literature included in the swag bag, and NLC Leadership Giving Circle recognition.

For Profit Table

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$2,750

1 available out of 8

Benefits include: 10 tickets to the conference, name on website and day of event signage, company literature included in the swag bag, and NLC Leadership Giving Circle recognition.

Nonprofit Table

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$1,600

0 available out of 40

Benefits include: 10 tickets to the conference, name on website and day of event signage, company literature included in the swag bag, and NLC Leadership Giving Circle recognition.

Exhibitor + Key Partner

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$1,750

0 available out of 8

Benefits include: 12-month membership in our Key Partner program, including logo recognition on the website, 2 tickets to the conference, company literature included in the swag bag, and an exhibitor table.

Exhibitor

Deadline: September 27, 2024

$850

0 available out of 7

Benefits include: 2 tickets to the conference, company literature included in the swag bag, and an exhibitor table.

Registration will open in April for the 2023 Nonprofit Leadership Conference. Sign up for our email list to be the first to hear when event registration is live.

Become a sponsor

The Nonprofit Leadership Conference would not be possible without the generous support of passionate partners who believe in the importance and impact of our nonprofit community. If you’d like to reach and connect with hundreds of nonprofit and business leaders, we offer many strategic partnership opportunities. Please contact our team at jmaze@nlctb.org or call 813 287-8779 for more information.

Thank you seems inadequate for what I experienced at the Nonprofit Leadership Conference. It was absolutely life-changing. Every year, I think this is the best one yet and then each year is even better than the previous one.

Jacquelyn,

Nonprofit Executive Director

2026 Co-presenting sponsors

The Nonprofit Leadership Conference would not be possible without the generous support of passionate sponsors who believe in the importance and impact of our nonprofit community.

Lunch Sponsor

2026 Technology & Innovation Sponsor

2026 Dessert Sponsors

2026 Table Swag Sponsors

2025 Networking Sponsor

Name Badge Sponsor

Year of Training Sponsor

2025 Year of Training Sponsor

2026 Breakout Sponsors

High Impact Starts Here: The Nonprofit Audit You’ve Never Been Taught to Run

You’ve accepted the mission, but is your organization truly equipped to carry it out?

Your nonprofit tracks grants, budgets and outcomes, but when was the last time you audited your people power?

This session reframes what an “audit” can be: less about numbers and more about the people systems that fuel your mission. Behind every nonprofit is an invisible infrastructure of staff, volunteers and donor relationships that either drives impact or quietly drains it. In this eye-opening session, Kadian Douglas introduces The Human Balance Sheet™, a diagnostic tool designed to help leaders at every level evaluate what spreadsheets can’t: morale, alignment and an organization’s collective capacity to deliver results.

This isn’t another team-building or culture talk. It’s a bold, strategic framework to uncover hidden gaps, expose operational blind spots, and build the kind of human equity that sustains long-term impact.

You’ll walk away with:

A visual map of your organization’s strengths, gaps, and people systems to support smarter decisions
A repeatable tool to guide team development, engagement, and leadership strategy

Whether you’re scaling, stabilizing or navigating internal fatigue, this is the audit your mission has been waiting for.

About Kadian Douglas

Founder of The Human Balance Sheet, Kadian Douglas is a powerful leadership and peak performance strategist, speaker, and champion for maximizing human capital. 

Drawing from her background as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), she developed The Human Balance Sheet framework to help mission-driven organizations identify hidden “leaks” and amplify the assets they already have — time, talent, and donations — for greater impact.

Kadian serves as the director of information security at the second-largest travel company in the world, leading global initiatives around digital transformation, emerging technologies and governance.

An international speaker, Kadian has delivered impactful talks across the globe, from entrepreneurial summits in Africa to major U.S. stages. A former All-American track and field athlete and professional football player, she brings the discipline, focus and resilience of an elite athlete into every room she steps into — helping others lead with clarity and confidence.

Kadian serves as chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber Minority Business Accelerator, where she supports diverse entrepreneurs in building scalable and sustainable ventures. She is also a board member and the Finance Committee chair for the Nonprofit Leadership Center, advancing the development of high-performing nonprofit leaders and organizations across the region.

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More Than a Paycheck: Creative Ways to Delight & Retain Your Team

Discover creative, cost-effective ways to engage and delight your employees without financial incentives. During this breakout, you’ll learn the five key pillars that drive motivation and satisfaction more than money. Through practical examples and interactive discussions, you’ll learn how to implement low-cost strategies that enhance employee well-being, retention and commitment. You’ll leave with actionable ideas to boost engagement and morale in your organization.

About Jennifer Currence

Jennifer Currence is a senior partner of HR Soul Consulting where she delivers talent, culture and strategy results through customized training and coaching programs for leaders. Jennifer is the content creator for the Society for Human Resource Management’s People Manager Qualification (PMQ), was named Tampa Bay’s Consultant of the Year in 2017, and was listed as one of the nation’s top 100 Influential HR professionals in Leadership and Development in September 2023.

Jennifer earned her MBA with an emphasis in management and holds nationally accredited advanced certifications in coaching (PCC) and human resources (SHRM-SCP). She served as a professor of management at the University of Tampa’s college of business for 11 years. Jennifer has been published in several industry magazines and is the author of three books on behavioral business competencies in HR.

Next-Gen Board Members: Driving Growth, Impact & Sustainability

A strong, engaged board is one of the most critical assets a nonprofit can have — but what does it take to cultivate high-impact board members who drive real strategic growth, long-term sustainability, and meaningful impact?

During this panel discussion, we’ll explore the essential qualities of high-performing boards, the key roles and responsibilities of board members, and how they can go beyond governance to become true strategic partners.

Moderator

Katie Shultz, Vice President of Communications, Community Foundation Tampa Bay

Panelists

Chris Hackney, President of SBA & USDA Lending, BayFirst National Bank

Jerrica Peets, Program Manager, LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network

The Honorable Alex Sink

Harness the Power of Your Mission

During this breakout session, you’ll explore the importance of aligning your personal motivation with your team’s collective mission to achieve success. You’ll discuss how to find purpose in your work and stay motivated by connecting your role to the broader goal. Learn effective strategies for collaborating with people who have different values and beliefs to foster a unified, high-performing team. Through practical exercises and insights, this session will help you embrace diversity, strengthen teamwork, and contribute meaningfully to your mission.

About Joe Lugo

As a community leader, proud Puerto Rican, and inclusion and leadership coach, Joe Lugo empowers individuals to reevaluate the filters through which they see the world, helping people shape a more inclusive and empathetic outlook.

Joe founded J^3 Creations, a consulting firm that helps organizations embrace inclusion, build equity, and focus on leadership development to unlock their full potential. He also serves as the director of foundation and entrepreneurial services for AMPLIFY Clearwater, where he works to elevate businesses through strategic support, community engagement, and inclusive economic development.

Joe is a published author, co-founder of the first-ever Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas and serves in leadership and consulting roles with The Hispanic Leadership Council. He currently serves on the board of directors for The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and the Hispanic Outreach Center. He also serves on the Pinellas Council for the Community Foundation Tampa Bay.

Joe has completed three degrees and is pursuing a fourth, constantly striving to grow so he can better serve others. He also founded a nonprofit that provides educational services, giving back to the community that shaped him.

Radical Next®: The Operating System for the Future

We are living during a unique moment in human history. What’s coming next is radically different, too. Socio-cultural paradigm shifts, technological advancements, and evolving geopolitics are fundamentally reshaping our societal backbones or “operating systems.” The convergence of exponential technologies, such as artificial intelligence, immersive realities, and quantum computing, are accelerating toward “the singularity” and we find ourselves on the cusp of a new era: The Age of Acceleration. This history-defining moment of radical evolution will restructure our societies for the decades to come. So what does this mean for you? Your organization? Your industry? Your entire reality? Sam Rad will take you on a revelatory odyssey, guiding you on a journey of radical and accelerating technological change across society and the nonprofit sector. She'll illustrate future possibilities and inspire you to envision and embrace the radical next future with optimism and curiosity. Finally, you'll leave the conference with actionable insights to enact radical evolution in your organization.

How to Fortify Your Nonprofit

In a climate of uncertainty, nonprofit organizations must prioritize resilience and ethical integrity. During this engaging workshop, you’ll receive actionable strategies to strengthen your organization from within. You’ll participate in a brief risk assessment and begin strategic planning through a predictive analysis exercise. Attendees will explore internal alignment, emphasizing transparent communication and staff well-being, while reinforcing core values. This session will also acknowledge the institutional imperatives of maintaining open communication with communities through strategic messaging while helping to build powerful coalitions, ensuring your nonprofit not only survives but thrives in challenging times.

About Nestor Ortiz

A seasoned advocate for social justice, Nestor Ortiz brings more than 30 years of experience in organizational and community development work, empowering marginalized communities and the organizations that serve them. Through his firm, 16 Point Compass, Nestor provides strategic planning and alignment, consensus facilitation, leadership coaching, internal strengthening, and community engagement to nonprofits, community-based organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions nationwide. Guiding them through some of the most complicated internal and external challenges facing organizations today, Nestor’s work emphasizes restorative institutional practices and collaborative dynamics, ultimately building bridges and fostering understanding across diverse levels of institutional engagement and investment. Driven by a deep commitment to equity and justice, Nestor leverages his extensive expertise to create substantive positive and sustainable change now and into the future.