Sharon Tubbs. Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Wayne Indiana.
Registration is now open for the free 2025 Inspire Neighborhoods Conference.
News release from the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development:
Time to be INSPIRED!
Register now for free 2025 Inspire Neighborhoods Conference
Fort Wayne, Indiana (July 22, 2025) – Registration is now open for the free 2025 Inspire Neighborhoods Conference, which welcomes all residents interested in learning about innovative ways to improve their neighborhoods.
Hosted by the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division and Department of Neighborhoods, the conference will take place September 12 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Electric Works, 1690 Broadway. An awards dinner will follow at Chapman’s Brewing Company-Electric Works from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Residents can sign up for both events or attend just one.
Registration includes attendance and access to workshops and speakers, as well as lunch and dinner. The conference is free for Fort Wayne residents, thanks to generous sponsors NiSource Charitable Foundation, AARP Indiana, WesBanco, Ambassador Enterprises, Foellinger Foundation, Bowen Health, Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund and 1st Source Bank.
This year’s conference theme is wellness. The well-being of residents and neighborhoods will be explored through sessions about mental health, the impact of trauma on neighborhoods, ways to build resilient leaders, and how to encourage physical activity in neighborhoods. Other session topics include fundraising, zoning, public transportation, language access, storytelling and more.
JR Jamison. Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Wayne Indiana.
The lunchtime keynote speaker for the 2025 Inspire conference is JR Jamison, host of the NPR podcast and radio show The Facing Project. He is also a founder and president of the national Facing Project Network, a nonprofit in 20 states and over 100 communities that creates a more understanding and empathetic world through stories that inspire action. Jamison is a graduate of Ball State University and lives in Muncie, Ind.
The dinner keynote speaker is Sharon Tubbs, a local writer, speaker and executive director of HealthVisions Midwest. Tubbs, in her “Healthy Me, Healthy Community” keynote address, will talk about the importance of self-care and social support for neighborhood residents and leaders.
