Speaking
M. Simone Boyd is a novelist, neighborhood organizer, and speaker. Her advocacy helped secure $3 million dollars of infrastructure investments for her neighborhood. And at least once a month, people—some incarcerated— share that her novel, The Day Sonny Died, made them hopeful.
Talks:
HOW ARTISTS CAN HELP HEAL COMMUNITIES
This talk is best suited for those seeking to leverage the power of creative strategies in neighborhoods. It is geared toward artists, art councils, philanthropic organizations and municipal governments. In this interactive talk, we will:
- learn creative tools for artists to build empathy, raise support and connect community.
- identify barriers philanthropic and government entities must eliminate.
- share strategies for navigating politics and protecting capacity.
Hear how residents responded to neighborhood violence, unseated a problematic politician and built productive relationships with government officials.
HOW TO HACK YOUR CITY BUDGET
Are you having trouble getting your elected official to act? If so, this talk is for you. It is geared toward neighbors, organizers and advocates seeking to solve neighborhood problems with local investments. In this interactive talk, we will learn:
- how to build neighborhood consensus.
- systems you must learn to navigate.
- the love language of politicians.
Hear how residents responded to traffic fatalities and moved the State to act within two weeks.
ARE WE THERE YET?
EVALUATING & MEASURING PROJECT IMPACT Let's say we are all on a road trip to improve our communities through arts and cultural strategies. How will we know when we have arrived? In this interactive talk, we will learn:
- the difference between outputs and outcome.
- to make meaningful correlations.
- three types of evaluation.
Hear how Simone helped raise $35,000 from developers, investors, nonprofits and private foundations to support local artists to perform during a street festival and measured impact.
SETTING THE COLLABORATIVE TABLE
Collaborations can get tricky when parties with varying interests, perceived power and differing backgrounds get involved. In this interactive talk, we will learn ways to:
- move collaborators toward shared goals and common interests.
- identify collaborator assets.
- set the defining question.
- imagine successes
Hear how residents, local police and a bike advocacy group partnered to respond to neighborhood violence and how it led to a $3 million infrastructure investment.
Speaking Inquiry Form
Use this form to inquire about speaking engagements.