02:00 pm | Concurrent Panels - Option 1: From Advocacy to Action: Community-Led Approaches to Economic Empowerment
A discussion on how advocating for policies and practices that support small businesses and community economic development can increase profits, improve conditions for residents, and strengthen our local economy as a whole. We will hear about advocacy that has led to anti-harassment commercial tenant protections, a commercial lease assistance program, a commercial vacancy registry, and more, as well as initiatives that will facilitate advocacy and coalition building in Miami-Dade.
Emily Goldstein | she/her
Director of Organizing and Advocacy, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development
Emily Goldstein (she/her) is the Director of Organizing and Advocacy at the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD). She oversees all of ANHD’s campaigns and coalitions, working with staff, members and allies to win impactful policy reforms while building power across the community development movement. In her time at ANHD, Emily launched the organization’s Land Use Justice work, led a successful campaign for Certificate of No Harassment legislation, and at various times has coordinated nearly all of ANHD’s active coalitions. Prior to joining ANHD, Emily worked as a tenant organizer, a union organizer, and a technical assistance provider for non-profit affordable housing developers. Emily is a lifelong New Yorker, and an avid reader and knitter.
Santiago Bunce
Founder and CEO, Viabosque Group
Santiago Bunce is a dynamic performance and emergence coach, facilitator, and the founder and CEO of Viabosque Group. With nearly two decades of experience, he has guided more than 200 organizations across North America, Latin America, and Europe, including leading nonprofits, foundations, and Fortune 500 companies.
Santiago's expertise encompasses executive coaching, strategic planning, team development, social network analysis, organizational development, and network building. Through Viabosque's Bedrock Leadership Training, he teaches a nature-inspired framework that integrates Performance (setting goals and implementing strategy while effectively managing teams), Emergence (creating conditions for innovation and exploration), and Ecosystems (systems thinking and networked solutions) to help leaders and teams address the most pressing opportunities and issues facing their organizations, enterprises, and communities. He specializes in helping organizations navigate complex challenges through meeting and retreat facilitation, performance- and emergence-driven coaching, program design and evaluation, ecosystem analysis and development, team culture building, and organizational change management. His diverse client portfolio includes global technology leader HP, the Rockefeller Foundation's Economic Equity and Opportunity initiative, and the American Heart Association's Voices for Healthy Kids program, among others.
As an executive coach for the NeighborWorks America Achieving Excellence program, conducted in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School, Santiago helps senior executives develop transformative leadership capabilities to address critical organizational and community challenges. His academic background includes a former position as an adjunct professor at Lynn University's Watson Institute, where he taught transformative leadership and business model validation.
Santiago holds a master's degree in nonprofit management and international economics and development from the University of California-San Diego and a bachelor's degree in comparative theology from Boston College. His professional training encompasses multiple advanced frameworks including performance-driven change, facilitative leadership, human-centered design, collective impact, results-based leadership, and asset-based community development. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Santiago brings a global perspective to his work with organizations across sectors and industries.
Matthew Pigatt
Director of Small Business & Membership Services, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce
As a former mayor of Opa-Locka, community organizer, and dedicated advocate for education, Matthew Pigatt has built his career on empowering individuals and communities to reach their full potential. Matthew firmly believes in giving back and passing down education, experiences, and useful advice to others, especially young adults. His book The Academic Hustle: The Ultimate Game Plan for Scholarships, Internships, and Job Offers has helped uncountable students lock in millions in funding to pay for school and move forward in their careers.
As director at the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and founder of The Academic Hustle, he helps students secure scholarships, businesses scale, and leaders influence government to create lasting change.
Matthew graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse with a B.A. in African American Studies and Psychology.
Destini Smith
Director of Popular Education and Grassroots Leadership, Catalyst Miami
Destini has worked with several non-profit organizations for redemptive justice. From serving as founding staff and fitness coach with Noble Clay Fitness to advocating for fair housing recommendations in Atlanta, Destini has a passion for cultivating thriving Black communities.
Additionally, Destini serves on the board of SMASH, a housing justice organization, community land trust, and cooperative. Destini has a passion for empowering youth leaders, championing Black women, and igniting faith leaders to pursue equity and justice.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Emory University and a Master of Education in Community Building and Social Change from the University of Miami.