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CATALYST ROUNDTABLES
The Catalyst Roundtables offer deeper exploration of key issues, combining industry expertise and peer insights, providing opportunities to engage with leaders in policy, healthcare, philanthropy, academia and business.
Don’t miss this unique experience to hear from leading topical experts and service providers on emerging trends and future thinking as well as shared successes and learnings to inform our paths forward. Choose a session and join the conversation.
Catalyzing Community-Driven Affordable Housing Solutions
Monday, February 2 (Lagoon Room)
The affordable housing crisis is reshaping communities across the country — and Lutheran social ministry organizations and their partners are uniquely positioned to lead in this space — leveraging mission, assets, and influence to catalyze scalable, community-driven housing solutions.
In this session, we’ll explore the strategic levers that move ideas into action: expanding cross-sector collaborations, unlocking catalytic capital, and positioning organizations as trusted conveners and solution-builders. Together, we’ll unpack how to align housing strategies with mission, create new pathways for investment, and mobilize networks to deliver measurable, lasting impact.
Panelists:
- Ray Ratke, CEO, enCircle (moderator)
- Cheryl Fischer, Vice President of Business Development for Foster Care and Child Welfare Programs, Centene
- Grace Araya, President and CEO, Concordia Place
- Chris Tonniges, President and CEO, Lutheran Family Services (invited)
From Competition to Collaboration: The Strategic Partnership Playbook
Monday, February 2 (Ballroom 1)
What if your organization’s greatest growth opportunity isn’t expansion — but collaboration?
As funding landscapes shift, operational costs rise, and service demand grows, nonprofit leaders are reimagining what it means to achieve scale and sustain mission impact. Strategic partnerships — including mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations — are emerging as key pathways to strengthen delivery, expand reach, and build long-term resilience, especially within the senior services sector.
But when do these collaborations create lasting value — and why do some fall short?
This session offers an unfiltered look at what it takes to lead through this new era of strategic partnership. Join your peers for a candid, CEO-level conversation on what it really takes to use partnership as a lever for mission impact
Panelists:
- Angela Bovill, President & CEO, Ascentria Care Alliance
- Alesia Frerichs, President & CEO, Lutheran Services in America
- Adam Marles, President & CEO, EverTrue
- Lisa McCracken, Head of Research and Analytics, National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care
- Jon Riewer, President & CEO, Eventide
Value-Based Care: What Lies Ahead for Senior Services
Tuesday, February 3 (Ballroom 1)
Value-based care is reshaping the future of health and senior services — and the clock is ticking. With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requiring all Medicare beneficiaries to be enrolled in a value-based plan by 2030, the question is no longer if but how leaders will adapt.
For senior service organizations, value-based arrangements offer the promise of stronger outcomes, new revenue streams, and deeper mission alignment — but they also call for a sophisticated approach to risk, readiness, and partnership.
In this CEO session, hear from peers, and thought leaders as they unpack what it takes to thrive in a value-based environment— and explore where these models create the greatest opportunities for impact and growth, and how to assess when the risk is worth the reward.
Panelists:
- Brett Anderson, President & CEO, Ebenezer Senior Living
- Anne Tumlinson, CEO, ATI Advisory
Improving Health and Wellbeing for Children and Families
Tuesday, February 3 (Lagoon Room)
With the passage of H.R. 1 (the budget reconciliation bill) and cuts to Medicaid, along with a shifting federal policy landscape, leaders must not only understand the changes but also chart clear strategies to strengthen their organizations’ positioning and impact.
Building on last year’s focus on why collaboration between health and social care matters, this Catalyst Roundtable will turn to the how: how to build on proven approaches, leverage partnerships, and prepare for the future. Through case examples, emerging lessons, and cross-sector perspectives, we will examine what the field has achieved so far, identify what’s needed to sustain and scale that progress, and explore pathways to advance equity and family stability in a dynamic policy and funding environment.
Panelists:
- Ray Ratke, CEO, enCircle (moderator)
- Cheryl Fischer, Vice President of Business Development for Foster Care and Child Welfare Programs, Centene
- Grace Araya, President and CEO, Concordia Place
- Chris Tonniges, President and CEO, Lutheran Family Services (invited)
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