The Well 2024: Step Up to The M.I.C
Reimagining Connection, Community, and Change
Last week, Baltimore buzzed with energy and purpose as more than 480 social entrepreneurs, funders, and ecosystem leaders gathered for the second edition of The Well to Step Up to The M.I.C.™. This three-day convening created a vibrant space for connection, restoration, and critical sense-making, where conversations about the future of our nation took center stage. With the support of our guest speakers and co-design team, we curated a thoughtfully crafted program that offered attendees a unique experience rooted in Restoration + Joy, Engagement, Connection + Belonging, Empowerment + Action, and Hope.
From November 11–13, participants immersed themselves in thought-provoking plenaries, dynamic workshops, and restorative experiences, all underpinned by a unifying theme: the power of collaboration to drive real, lasting change.
Setting the Stage
Day one of The Well 2024 began with an invitation to ground ourselves through homerooms—a space to energize, restore, and connect. These settings encouraged openness and curiosity, fostering a sense of belonging that carried through the event.
After a warm welcome from Shruti Sehra of New Profit, Anderson Sainci of Dubuque, Iowa, and Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, Americorps CEO Michael Smith led the opening plenary, Building Our Shared Future: The Power of Service as a Foundation for Change. This session explored how service can bridge divides and address pressing needs and included an intergenerational panel highlighted innovative programs like the Youth Mental Health Corps and Maryland Corps, showcasing service as a cornerstone for civic engagement and workforce development.
The evening brought a lighter yet deeply impactful moment with Open M.I.C.™ Night, a lively welcome reception where humor, storytelling, and connection converged. MESHELLE, “The Indie-Mom of Comedy,” lent her comedic brilliance to heartfelt conversations about belonging with Anu Gupta, author of ‘Breaking Bias’, Jerelyn Rodriguez, CEO, The Knowledge House, and Jacob Merkle, CEO and Co-founder, Rhizome. 2024 Emerging Leaders also took center stage to share their perspectives, setting the tone for The Well and giving attendees an opportunity to begin establishing new connections.
Check out our Day 1 video highlight Reel here.
Grounding the Work
Day two at The Well 2024 emphasized collaboration and bold leadership to address today’s challenges.
The morning plenary, Unified, Not Uniform: A New Narrative to Drive an American Evolution, opened with a thought-provoking panel featuring former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Maryland Governor Wes Moore discussing how state leadership can advance democracy and unite communities. This was followed by a fireside conversation with Soren Duggan, Co-Founder of Shared America who explored the role of innovation in creating transformative change. The session concluded with powerful insights from Danielle Allen, Founder and President of Partners in Democracy and Eric Liu, Co-Founder and CEO, Citizen University, and Marc Freedman, Founder and Co-CEO, CoGenerate highlighting the shared values necessary to bridge divides and drive progress.
In the afternoon, the plenary Global Insights, Local Impact: Leveraging Collaboration to Scale Solutions brought a global perspective. New Profit, CEO, Tulaine Montgomery, Sanjay Purohit, CEO and Chief Curator of the Centre for Exponential Change, Victoria Nkong, President of BridgeAFRIC, and Enrica Duncan, Director of Mapa do Acolhimento and Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University shared examples of innovative cross-border collaborations, offering concrete strategies for building networks, partnering with unlikely allies, and scaling impactful solutions locally and globally.
The day underscored the power of working together across boundaries to shape a more inclusive and equitable future.
Check out our Day 2 video highlight reel here.
Committing to Transformation
Day Three at The Well 2024 kicked off with a powerful plenary, The Power of Proximity: Step Up To The M.I.C.™ Commitments, featuring Dr. Shawn Ginwright, distinguished professor and author of The Four Pivots. Dr. Ginwright shared a transformative framework for overcoming biases and ingrained beliefs that hinder sustainable change. Participants were then invited to step up to the M.I.C.™, committing to actionable steps that will drive progress in their communities and beyond.
The morning continued with Making Sense of the Election: Strengthening Democracy Beyond the Results, which explored key election trends and their implications for democracy. Keynote speaker The Honorable John Tien, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, along with a diverse panel, delved into youth participation, cross-partisan unity, and strategies for advancing democracy in the post-election landscape.
The day underscored a theme of collective responsibility, with attendees leaving energized by new commitments to catalyze change across sectors.
Prioritizing Restoration & Self-Care
Amidst the high-energy discussions, The Well also offered spaces for restoration and reflection. The Digital Detox Zone and Sound Bath Healing Space provided moments of calm, ensuring participants left not only inspired but recharged.
As the gathering came to a close, one thing was clear: The Well isn’t just an event; it’s a movement. The connections formed and the ideas sparked in Baltimore will ripple outward, shaping efforts to strengthen American democracy, create opportunities, and bridge divides.
Exploring Big Shifts & Ideas: Breakout Sessions
The breakout sessions at The Well 2024 were as diverse as the attendees themselves, covering topics like technology’s role in democracy, economic mobility, and the power of place. While we can’t capture the richness of these conversations here, you can read our full coverage of the breakout sessions here.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Baltimore. Together, we stepped up to The MIC™—a multiracial, intergenerational, and cross-sector community—to problem-solve and co-create the solutions our nation needs.
Til next time, Be WELL!
