After a day of news that shakes the human core, no matter what beliefs you hold, CEO Alison Edwards opened the “Navigating Forward” event hosted at the University Club at UCI by acknowledging this. She was calm, ever present, and dialed into the shared experiences that the the more 100 attendees had all heard, read about, or seen in this day. This is what Groundswell does best. Brings people together, to reflect, share, listen and learn. 

Following this unscripted opening, the event flowed as expected and attendees were notably more dialed into the topic: “Navigating Forward: When Conflict is Everywhere.” 

Director, Dispute Resolution Program for Groundswell, Marco Antonio Ortega opened the program by sharing insights into how our nature deals with conflict and some ways we can respond. Also, a panel member, he humbled himself by saying he would love to learn from other panelists Terra Davis, Chief Diversity and Development Officer, Knobbe Martens, Joe Hari, OC Bridge Building Initiatives and Dr. Ding-Jo Currie, Leadership Insititute for Tomorrow, California State University, Fullerton. The panel was moderated by Dr. Dyonne Bergeron, Chief Diversity Officer for UCI.