2026 Mentoring Summit
Breakout Sessions

Led by Tommie Lewis | CEO and President of Make It Plain Consulting

By the end of this presentation, attendees will:  

• Explore empathy and vulnerability as skills, not traits

• Recognize how these qualities deepen trust and connection

• Practice simple, usable tools for everyday relationships  

• Reflect on how they show up in relationships under stress or conflict  

Led Michael Sickles | Back2Back Community Advocacy Manager 

This session is designed as a formation journey, not a technique download. In today’s mentoring landscape—shaped by trauma exposure, burnout, polarized narratives, and chronic urgency—mentors are not failing for lack of skill; they are often overextended in soul and story. This session addresses that deeper layer by inviting mentors to become attentive to their inner life so their outer service remains faithful, grounded, and sustainable.  

Led by Rachel Dubose | CEO of Be The Light 

This interactive session explores how trauma impacts trust development and offers a practical framework for building emotionally safe, culturally responsive mentoring relationships. Drawing from trauma-informed care, attachment theory, and real-world mentoring practice, participants will learn how to recognize trauma responses, establish relational safety, and respond with consistency, compassion, and accountability. Attendees will leave with concrete tools they can apply immediately to strengthen engagement, reduce mentor burnout, and support sustainable, healing-centered mentoring connections.

Led by Elissa Yancey | Executive and Creative Director of A Picture’s Worth

This interactive presentation focuses on the power of collaboration with, and leadership alongside, high-schoolers and community organizations to shape mentoring relationships. It will explain the importance of narrative power in mentoring, as well as what it takes to build the trust and structure that allows everyone involved in mentoring communities to widen their lenses of understanding.   

Led by Dubonna Dawkins | Senior Director of HR & Risk Management at Cincinnati Youth Collaborative

This session dives deep into how intersectionality and systems of power impact networking for marginalized people, consider the following points:  

• Recognize that marginalized identities intersect, affecting access to networks.  

• Acknowledge systemic barriers that limit opportunities for networking.  

• Understand that privilege can create unequal networking dynamics.  

• Foster inclusive spaces that actively invite diverse voices and expriences.  

• Build relationships based on trust and mutual support within marginalized communities.  

• Leverage online platforms to connect with broader networks beyond local limitations.

Led by Tony Aloise | Founder of Life Solutions Network and The Greater Cincinnati Mentoring Alliance/We Mentor Cincy   

Tony Aloise, Founder of the Greater Cincinnati Mentoring Alliance, will walk participants through essential skills and techniques to apply while building volunteer recruitment and retention plans. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with one another during facilitated discussions.

Led by Cody Saraco-Polner | Evaluation & Innovation Manager | YMCA of Greater Cincinnati 

This session is designed to equip mentoring organizations with the ability to measure program effectiveness, identify areas of improvement, gather feedback from mentors and mentees, track progress and outcomes, and understand program impact and ROI.

Led by Dr. Brandi Neal | Ed.D, M.B.I., Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Computing and Analytics, Northern Kentucky University 

What if the biggest challenge facing mentorship today isn’t commitment or care -but capacity?  

Mentorship is powerful, yet access and scale remain ongoing challenges. In this interactive breakout session, participants will explore how mentorship can be strengthened and extended through human-centered, AI-enabled pathways that support guidance, preparation, and access -without replacing the human connection at the core of mentoring.  

This session invites participants to identify common bottlenecks, reflect on where their time has the greatest impact, and leave with a simple framework for expanding opportunity while protecting what matters most: meaningful human relationships. 

Led by Beech Acres

Stress affects how we show up and how the young people we serve show up. In this focused breakout session, mentors will learn how stress impacts physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, and discover simple strategies to strengthen regulation and resilience.

Participants will:

• Understand the impact of stress on themselves and the youth they mentor.

• Explore practical stress‑management tools they can use and share.

• Set a grounding intention to support calm, connection, and wellbeing in mentoring relationships.

Leave with ready-to-use practices that help you stay centered and help youth feel supported and safe.