United Way of Greater Knoxville Drives Transformation and Nonprofit Collaboration at Upward Summit

United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) will host its second annual UpWard Summit, a transformative event to ignite change and foster collaboration in the regional nonprofit community. This unique event provides a platform for nonprofit organizations to come together, share ideas and explore innovative solutions to address the pressing challenges that our society faces.

This year’s Upward Summit keynote will be Heather Hiscox, renowned founder of Pause for Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals to create meaningful and sustainable transformations in their communities. With Pause for Change, Hiscox asks us to rethink the status quo and “change the way we change the world.” Her impactful keynote session will share critical insights on creating social change and will deliver powerful takeaways for all attendees.

“At United Way of Greater Knoxville, we recognize that real change happens when we come together with a shared vision. We are excited to gather with organizations seeking to create lasting change in our community at the 2023 UpWard Summit,” said Matt Ryerson, United Way of Greater Knoxville’s President and CEO. “This year’s Summit will bring together nonprofit leaders from all over the region to share innovative ideas, explore groundbreaking solutions and strengthen our commitment to uplifting the community.”

Last year, at UWGK’s inaugural UpWard Summit, over 300 nonprofit professionals across 190 organizations gathered for this day of connection, collaboration and action. Attendees left invigorated for change and with a renewed sense of purpose. When asked about key takeaways, participants mentioned they were excited to collaborate and work together to problem solve. One participant said they felt inspired to continue building resources for their organization while connecting with other nonprofits across the city to serve the community better.

The Upward Summit will be hosted on September 27 from 9-4 pm at the Mill & Mine, with breakout sessions in the Regas Building and the Southern Railway Station in the Old City, Knoxville. Based on last year’s success, United Way of Greater Knoxville will expand this year’s offerings to include different tracks and breakout sessions to accommodate the growing list of attendees.

For more information about United Way of Greater Knoxville’s UpWard Summit, including registration details, sponsorship opportunities and the event schedule, please visit uwgk.org/upwardsummit.

About United Way of Greater Knoxville
United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) is part of United Way Worldwide, the largest charitable organization in the world. With over 100 years of impacting our community, we are proud to be the problem-solvers actively working to create a community where all our Knoxville neighbors can thrive.

Our mission is to create an equitable community through partnerships, impact and commitment to transformation. Today, we support over 90 nonprofit organizations and impact areas such as education, economic mobility and health.

UWGK is committed to being a change-maker in our community, creating a more equitable Knoxville with stable housing, financial security, quality early care and education, access to food and more. For more information, visit www.uwgk.org.