The Proof Is in the Experience

Dear Chronicle of Philanthropy reader:

We like to say that Upswell is “a community, not a conference,” and I hope this section has given you a sense of what we mean by that.

Our community is built on “new-power” values like transparency, sharing, and broad participation. Throughout more than a year of planning, we gave up control again and again, turning crucial design and content decisions over to our stakeholders. If you want to see the wisdom of the crowd in action, then Upswell is the perfect place.

Our community strives for local roots and national reach because the best solutions require both innovation and scale. At Upswell, you’ll spend nearly a third of your time outside the hotel, getting to know Chicago’s top changemakers in their natural environment. If you want to experience place-based solutions that inform the national conversation, then Chicago is the perfect laboratory.

Our community celebrates difference and seeks commonality. We invite diversity in all its forms — race, gender, geography, ideology, religion, mission area, organization type — then encourage participants to talk, exchange ideas, and solve problems across any line of demarcation. If you worry that too many communities have become insular and defensive, then we invite you to join one that’s based on respect, openness, and the common pursuit of a better world for all.

Our community has a distinct philosophy and vision, but at the end of the day, any community is about people, and that’s why I invite you to be a part. I think the experience will change you, and I know it will change us, because you bring a value and a viewpoint that no one else can bring.

Come see what happens at the intersection of power, community, and convening.

Warmly,

Daniel J. Cardinali

President and CEO

Independent Sector