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Conference | Overview

9am–5pm on Saturday, August 16, 2025 – Talks, sessions, and shared lessons from the field.

Overview

This isn’t a product pitch stage. It’s a space to share real stories, reflect on hard-won lessons, and explore what’s possible when we build with care, creativity, and community.

The Civic Spark Conference kicks off with a curated day of panels, talks, and workshops — spotlighting the people building community-powered tools, services, and networks across North America.

You can expect:

Lived experience, not just expertise
Reflections on practice, not polished narratives
Lessons from the field, not pitches
Space to listen, learn, and be inspired

Speakers

Meghan Hellstern
Civic Designer and Consultant

Victor Udoewa
Engagement Manager, Bloom Works & Former Principal Service Designer, CDC

Shingai Manjengwa
Senior Director, Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem - Mila, Quebec AI Institute

Helena Yu
Strategic Lead, Climate Resilient Communities

See the full lineup and speaker details on the Speakers page.

View all Speakers

Themes

Our programming is organized around three guiding themes.

Building Together

Community Based Innovation

How do we co-create civic services, tools, or support networks from the ground up?

Learn from community-led projects, grassroots collaboration, and the creative (often messy) process of making change happen.

Tech That Serves

Appropriate Tech

How do communities use technology to achieve their own socially aligned outcomes?

Go beyond the hype to focus instead on tools designed with and for community needs.

Intersections of Change

Collaborating Across Sectors

How can communities, government, academia, and nonprofits be better together?

Dig into the reality of cross-sector work — what helps, what hurts, and what’s possible.

View the Speakers View the Schedule Unconference page