Bringing together global leaders, changemakers, and professionals to explore impactful solutions for the future of international development. As the landscape of international development shifted rapidly in early 2025, the Posner Community came together to navigate these challenges.
The 2025 Posner Symposium became a one-day event on March 13, 2025, with a renewed focus on the future of international development—from diversifying funding sources to leading through uncertainty.
🔹 Keynote Speaker: Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
🔹 Chatham House Rule: Open, inclusive, and solution-driven discussions
🔹 New Ticket Model: Pay-What-You-Can to ensure accessibility ($150 suggested)
“We face a critical juncture. As government funding shifts and reduces, particularly from crucial sources like USAID, many organizations, some relying on it for over 90% of
their revenue, are facing existential threats. This risks losing invaluable knowledge and experience, impacting communities worldwide. Yet, the global challenges we address have not diminished. In fact, they demand even greater urgency and innovation. This is why this conference is so vital. We need new funders, new partnerships, and new pathways to address these challenges. The Posner Center and this symposium provide a platform for that collaboration.” – Joanne Posner Mayer
The Posner Center was originally created with a mission to support global development organizations to collaborate and have a greater impact. This mission has shifted significantly over the past several years, both to include support for local community development organizations, and to more fully live our vision of a more equitable and prosperous world. Now, we are using our ability to bring people together to provide a platform for people who are teaching, leading, and living decolonization of the global development sector. Symposium 2022 was centered on issues of colonization and its holdovers in development work as a way of furthering racial and ethnic equity in our community and the countries where they work. Read more about Symposium 2022.
To see weekly video recaps and read more about Posner Center Symposium 2021: Shifting Power: Diversity to Decolonization, head over to our Blog on An Inspirational Collage of Points of View or check out the 2021 Symposium home page.
To read more about Posner Center Symposium 2020: Big & Bad Ideas in Collaboration, head over to our Blogs on Collaboration for Local Capacity Development and Collaboration with Local Partners in Business and Research or check out the 2020 Symposium program details.
To read more about Posner Center Symposium 2019: Lessons in Collaboration, head over to our Blogs on Tackling a Tough Topic with a Winning Format and Asking Vital Questions about Collaboration or check out the 2019 Symposium program details.