For the fifth year in a row, The Children's Movement of Florida held its virtual summit to bridge the worlds of politics, business, and early childhood. The fast-paced, two-hour program elevated some of the most prominent local and national voices on healthy child development, early learning and literacy, and economic self-sufficiency for families.
These critical conversations with our audience of state leaders, parents, teachers, business leaders, and elected officials strengthen partnerships and inform both our 2025 legislative agenda and priorities for year-round outreach and engagement work.
2024 Built to Thrive Summit Archive
Keynote: Children, Caregiving, and Competitiveness
Fuller’s research spans the many issues that will shape the future of work, including the workings of the “care economy” in the United States. One focus is the impact that caregiving obligations have on workers and their career paths, as well as the surprising implications for employers. He has developed a methodology for companies to use in assessing the economic impact of care-related benefits on their bottom line through voluntary turnover and absenteeism, among other impacts.
Joseph Fuller
Professor, Harvard Business School (Boston)
Conversation with our Bosses for Babies
Madeline Pumariega
President, Miami Dade College (Miami)
Brian Butler
President & CEO, Vistra Communications (Tampa)
How to Get the Best Outcomes? Support Parents.
Eugenia Downing
Family Engagement Specialist, Healthy Families Polk (Lake Alfred)
Mia Cox
Family Engagement Specialist II, Healthy Families Polk (Lake Alfred)
J'Ann Sorhaindo
Parent (Bartow)
Genesis Maldonado-Bianco
Parent (Kissimmee)
Remarks from the Next House Speaker
Speaker Designate Danny Perez
Florida House of Representatives
Focus on Special Needs in the Legislature
Representative Robin Bartleman
Florida House of Representatives
Faces of Florida's Early Learning Roadmap
Varnessa McCray
Director, Community Engagement (Gainesville)
Cari Miller
Chancellor of Early Learning (Tallahassee)
Dawn Montecalvo
President &CEO, Guadalupe Center, Inc. (Naples)
Herman Knopf
Senior Research Scientist, University of Florida (Gainesville)
Simone McDaniel
Roadmap Advisory Board Member/Parent (Tallahassee)
Diana Santangelo
Director, Thrive by Five, Community Foundation Tampa Bay (Tampa)
Nurturing Young Leaders
Rita Respasse-Brown
CEO & Founder, Brownsville Preparatory Institute (Tallahassee)
Ashley Garrison
Teacher, Brownsville Preparatory Institute (Tallahassee)
Rashad Jackson
Kindergarten Teacher, Brownsville Preparatory Institute (Tallahassee)
Valerie Watson
Preschool Supervisor, Brownsville Preparatory Institute (Tallahassee)
Jamie Blue
Parent (Tallahassee)
Skylar Long
Student (Tallahassee)
Hannah Blue-Sims
Student (Tallahassee)
Remarks from the next Senate President
Senate President Designate Ben Albritton
Florida Senate
Hosts
Madeleine Thakur
President & CEO, The Children's Movement of Florida
David Lawrence Jr.
Founder and Board Chair, Children's Movement of Florida
