Convergence Center for Policy Resolution

This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating fathers and caregivers and also recognizing the support families need to thrive🌱

Did you know? 💡Over 70% of children under age five live in a household where parents work, making access to affordable child care critical for families (Bipartisan Policy Center).

Every parent deserves the opportunity to care for a new child without sacrificing stability or economic security.

Together with leaders and participants of Convergence Collaboratives focused on supporting parents and children, we are advancing shared solutions that strengthen outcomes for parents, caregivers, and children🖍️

💛Explore our work supporting working families at ConvergencePolicy.org.

What does it take to convene leaders across politics and sectors?🤝

Hear from Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care leaders, Charles Aull, Vice President of Policy at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Ashley Novak Butler, Executive Director of Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation, and Mariah Levison, CEO & President at Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, on how they led a group to consensus and a problem to a legislative solution.🏆

They will be joined by participants of the Collaborative Mandy Marler, Principal at Baldwin Consulting, and Gus LaFontaine, Co-Founder of LaFontaine Preparatory School and LaFontaine Early Learning Center. ⭐

Register today➡️ https://convergencepolicy.org/event_post/kentuckys-child-care-breakthrough-for-leaders-facing-gridlock/

What happens when leaders across sectors and politics come together to solve a problem?💡

In Kentucky, this resulted in legislation to improve lives for working families👨‍👩‍👧

On June 22 at 3:00 pm ET 🕒 hear from participants of the Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care who made it all happen: Mandy Marler, Principal at Baldwin Consulting and Gus LaFontaine, Co-Founder of LaFontaine Preparatory School and LaFontaine Early Learning Center.

They will be joined by leaders and facilitators of the Collaborative, Mariah Levison, CEO & President at Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, Charles Aull, Vice President of Policy at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Ashley Novak Butler, Executive Director of Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation.

Register today ➡️ https://convergencepolicy.org/event_post/kentuckys-child-care-breakthrough-for-leaders-facing-gridlock/

When tackling complex challenges, process matters.

For leaders working across sectors and politics, lasting progress takes more than messaging. It requires trust-building, stakeholder engagement, and bringing people together to solve problems.

Convergence Leadership Council member Daniel Cherrin explores these themes in a timely new piece for the Michigan Advance.

Read it here ➡ https://michiganadvance.com/2026/06/08/to-change-the-narrative-you-have-to-change-the-reality-that-created-it/

Solutions don't break through gridlock on their own 🤝 It takes determination, trust-building, and a willingness to work across differences.

At a time when division often dominates the headlines, leaders in Kentucky chose a different path. Through the Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care, they came together to advance family policy and make bipartisan child care legislation possible.

Join members and leaders of the Collaborative for a timely conversation on how collaboration and consensus-building helped turn shared challenges into shared solutions.

Speakers include:
🔹Charles Aull | Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
🔹 Ashley Butler | Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation
🔹Mariah Levison | Convergence Center for Policy Resolution
🔹Mandy Marler | Baldwin Consulting
🔹Gus LaFontaine | LaFontaine Preparatory School and Lafontaine Early Learning Center

You’ll hear practical insights on:
🤝 Building trust across differences
🧩 Navigating political and community gridlock
🌎 Creating solutions that prioritize families and communities

RSVP today at the link in comments ⬇

"If we all agreed, it wouldn’t be a democracy."

In a recent Convergence Corner piece, Frieda Arenos shares lessons from her time in the federal government, where success depended on engaging across differences and bringing people together. 🏛️ 🤝

Read more about what it means to serve with impartiality and work across divides when the stakes are high.

Link in the comments ⬇

What does it take to break through gridlock and get meaningful policy change across the finish line?🏁

In Kentucky, leaders from across sectors and perspectives came together to advance bipartisan childcare legislation, proving that collaborative problem-solving still works🤝

Join us on June 22🗓️ for a virtual event📍Kentucky’s Child Care Breakthrough: Lessons for Leaders Facing Gridlock to hear practical lessons on building consensus, navigating division, and creating real outcomes for children and families. This event will feature speakers who led and participated in the Collaborative:

Charles Aull | Vice President of Policy, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Ashley Novak Butler | Executive Director of Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation, Mariah Levison | CEO & President at Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, Mandy Marler | Principal at Baldwin Consulting, Gus LaFontaine | Co-Founder of LaFontaine Preparatory School and LaFontaine Early Learning Center

Save your spot and RSVP🎫: https://convergencepolicy.org/event_post/kentuckys-child-care-breakthrough-for-leaders-facing-gridlock/

Join us in welcoming Margaret Richardson to the Convergence Board of Directors!

Margaret leads Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs at GoFundMe. The mission of Margaret’s teams is to tell the extraordinary stories of GoFundMe and its community of customers around the world, and to use these stories to help more people help each other.

She joins the board with expertise that is invaluable as we continue to advance and communicate about our Collaboratives and Learning Lab, strengthening how we solve complex challenges together.

We’re thrilled to have Margaret's leadership and perspective guide our work ahead.

What happens when business leaders, community members, and institutions align around a shared challenge? 🌍

In St. Louis, it becomes action toward a strong regional economy that benefits everyone🤝

Convergence’s work designing and facilitating the Quality Jobs Solutions Design Cohort for the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership (IPP) is part of a decade-long initiative launched by the James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) to strengthen civic infrastructure and expand economic opportunities across the region.

The initiative’s first focus area is to improve access to better-paying, high-quality jobs 💼, with the Cohort co-creating scalable solutions and a Blueprint for Action to guide implementation in the years ahead 🚀

▶️Watch to see collaboration in action and how St. Louis is building a more equitable future:

Introducing the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership Bold ideas are part of the St. Louis story. And so are the people with the will to bring them to life. The IPP is investing in collaboration across sectors a...

Convergence Connection is headed to your inbox this week! 📨

Open for:

🏛️ Updates on legislation signed into law made possible through collaboration across divides

💌 A first look at an upcoming event

🎬 What we’re watching: The Tennessee 11 documentary now on streaming

📚 Behind-the-scenes updates

📣 Opportunities to participate and contribute (job posting alert!)

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