Meet the Summit Speakers
Whether you are a financial coach/counselor, nonprofit leader, or philanthropist, this year’s Summit includes a diverse group of presentations and workshops that are meant to inform, challenge, and spark innovation in your asset-building work.
Take a minute to check out each session, as well as the backgrounds and expertise of the speakers presenting at the 2025 RAISE Texas Summit.
Texas Appleseed
Provencal Roasted Vegetable Baguette
Provencal Roasted Vegetable Baguette
Sonia Lin
Senior Fellow
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Going Up: How to Create Your Best Elevator Pitch
During this interactive workshop you will define the key audiences that can advance your organization's goals, while developing a key message framework that activates your audiences.
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Leave with a clearer understanding of who your audience is, and an elevator pitch that attracts and engages them.
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Dulari Gandhi
CEO
Gandhi Communications
Child Care Associates
President and CEO
Texas Mutual Insurance
Jeanette Ward
Vice President Financial Stability
Planning and Coordination
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
Ray Marshall Center
UT - Austin
University of Houston Downtown
EPOG Academy
Join us as we explore how nonprofits can unleash the power of easy-to-use
AI tools to make a bigger impact—no tech background required.
This session will break down practical examples of how AI can help nonprofits work faster and better—all while keeping people at the heart of it.
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You'll walk away with practical tools and tips for you to immediately feel the benefits.
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Together, let's unlock the future of doing good!
For Funders: Your investment goes further, empowering nonprofits, amplifying your impact.
For Non-Profit Leaders: You can accomplish more while freeing up time and resources for your mission.
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For Non-Profit Professionals: Spend less time administrating and more time on difference-making
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For the Community: Greater access to services, faster solutions to pressing needs, and stronger, more resilient support systems.
Self-Care Workshop
Are you feeling the challenges and stresses of working in a high demand field, with limited resources and funding? This is a reality for many nonprofit and direct-service staff.
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You will leave this workshop with some easy tips for handling stress, and your own simple plan for practicing self-care.
Julia Schneider
Communications Strategist, Peer Support Group Leader
Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
About SaulPaul
SaulPaul is a 3X GRAMMY Nominated Musician with a Message. He has also presented 3 TEDx Talks, performed at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and been featured on America’s Got Talent. His life story of transitioning from tragedy to triumph has been told on screen via the documentary Tower to Tower as well as via his memoir Be The Change.
Recognizing an inherent responsibility to give back, SaulPaul founded the SaulPaul Foundation. The SaulPaul Foundation is a launchpad for young people, and a platform for community members to serve as community leaders through acts of kindness, volunteerism and philanthropy.
In addition to using his creativity in the studio, on the stage, and in his community service, SaulPaul also uses it in his philanthropy. Most recently he launched CHANGE Water, an alkaline water company that is making the world a better place. With each case of water sold, CHANGE Water gives back to the local community where it was sold. To date, 100,000 students in 32 States across the US have benefited.
Whether via art, entrepreneurship or community service, SaulPaul is committed to #BeTheChange.
