2025 Conference Recap, Pt. One: Results At-a-Glance
- Circles USA
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The results are in! Circles USA is pleased and proud to share the feedback we’ve compiled from attendee questionnaires following our 2025 National Leadership Conference in Ogden, UT.
The overall theme…? As Circles network participants, you found meaning, motivation, and valuable tools for ending poverty in your communities at the conference. More importantly, you found these resources in one another: whether breaking bread at shared tables or chatting in breakout sessions, one common response was that the quality time spent among peer chapters—from staff to volunteers, Leaders and Allies—was a huge benefit. Whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced experience level, you let us know that the conference offerings will help you succeed as a valued member of your chapter and community.
“What a gift it was to be together,” said Executive Director Kamatara Johnson, “a constellation of changemakers, bridge-builders, and believers in what’s possible as we gather to celebrate, to learn, to connect, and to move beyond. Our theme this year, Moving Beyond, isn’t just a tagline — it’s a way of being. It’s an invitation to evolve as individuals, as communities, and as a national movement. It’s about moving beyond limits, beyond binaries, beyond what we once thought was the edge, into the deeper truth of our shared humanity, how we all can flourish if we work together.”
BY THE NUMBERS…
Our final tally showed that our 2025 Leadership Conference included:
representatives from 22 US states and 24 chapters;
72 first-time CUSA conference attendees;
35+ speakers;
24 breakout sessions;
6 affinity groups; and
110 registered participants.
When it came to rating the overall quality of your experiences in Ogden, you were loud and clear: Our Conference programming overwhelmingly met or surpassed your expectations. Specifically:
94% agreed that “The overall conference experience met my expectations;”
93% agreed that they “could use the various concepts, tools and resources presented in this session with my local chapter;”
94% said they were “able to connect meaningfully with peers from across the Circles network;” and
96% reported that “The conference helped to create a sense of connection and belonging to Circles.”
…AND IN YOUR OWN WORDS
“There were so many great comments, I was not sure what to include!” writes Courtney Cowan, Circles USA’s Systems and Design Manager, who compiled Conference feedback for analysis and shared them for this summary.
Among the ocean of numbers, Courtney notes, participants’ written comments expressed a warm appreciation for our Leadership Conference keynote speakers Jomaris DeJesus and Chantel Chapman, breakout session programming, and opportunities for networking between events.
Attendees enthused:
“It OVER SHOT my expectations. It was so amazing.”
“The session offerings were incredible this year, toughest choice was picking which one to miss.”
“...[V]ery well planned and organized. The breakout sessions were especially valuable, helping me as a Circles Ally better understand how to engage meaningfully with our Circle Leaders.”
Other words we noted in your descriptions of the Leadership Conference experience: “welcoming and embracing,” “informative,” and “inspiring.”
Asked to name concepts, tools or resources that you’ll bring back to your chapters, one attendee shared: “The overall sense of care. The balance of reality and inspiration. Feeling like these are my people.” Another found sessions on “Emotional IQ, story telling, and cliff effect” extra helpful; and multiple respondents told us that you loved our programming related to Appreciative Inquiry and engaging employers and elected officials.
And—because we still have plenty of room to grow—Circles staff received a wealth of valuable feedback on how we can make future Leadership Conferences even more effective. Among the suggestions you offered: “More movement during breakout sessions” to care for our bodies as well as our minds and finances; “Finding time for more breakout space,” so that helpful offerings are accessible to more members; and “MUCH more time in affinity groups!!!”...because our chapters and community members enjoy tight-knit bonds indeed.
One savvy attendee encouraged us to continue pursuing a growth mindset for Circles USA. Observing differences in chapter size and capacity during breakout sessions, they noted that it can be “difficult to share best practices when chapters are so nuanced and diverse… but I believe in Circles programming so completely that I believe in a path forward toward growth.”
As a national network whose strength lies in local leadership, we take your feedback seriously—and we seriously love the idea of focusing on a growth mindset for our Leadership Conferences and entire community of practice in 2026-27 and beyond.
So we leave the question with you, Circle Leaders and participants at every level: How can Circles USA embody our growth mindset at the 2027 Leadership Conference? And in what ways can we each contribute to make that goal a reality?
Let us know your thoughts! Share your continuing ideas, Conference feedback, and hopes for ending poverty in America with kris@circlesusa.org.
Stay tuned for Pt. 2 of our 2025 Conference Leadership Recap, where we’ll look back at some specific highlights and standout events from our week in Ogden.
Building Community to End Poverty in 25 States
