Momentum Summit Starts Here: The Conversation Just Got Bigger

Rashad Robinson Joins Momentum Summit 2026

Rashad Robinson and Tonya Allen:

Building the Democracy We Deserve

Activist and author, Rashad Robinson, one of our most influential civil rights strategists of the digital era, will be in conversation with Tonya Allen, president of the trailblazing McKnight Foundation, at Momentum Summit 2026 on Martha’s Vineyard.

The two will discuss democracy, voting rights, and how to take the tools we have to forge the future we want. They’ll also discuss Robinson’s new book, From Presence to Power (Penguin Random House), in which he dissects why some movements succeed while others falter, and draws lessons from the civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter, and other struggles to fuel the fight in a moment of national crisis marked by rising authoritarian forces.

From a teenage organizer in Riverhead, NY, protesting classmates’ discriminatory treatment, Robinson went on to become one of the nation's most savvy racial justice strategists, championing voting rights, media advocacy, and LGBTQ+ equality. Over his 13-year tenure as head of Color Of Change, he built it into the nation's largest online racial justice organization, mobilizing millions of members to hold corporations, media companies, technology platforms, and policymakers accountable.

Since becoming president of the Minnesota-based McKnight Foundation in 2021, Tonya Allen has strengthened her reputation as one of the nation's most visionary philanthropic leaders, guiding ambitious efforts to expand opportunity, advance equity, and foster sustained community prosperity.

Under her leadership, McKnight has expanded its grantmaking, increased mission-aligned investing, and helped launch major initiatives such as the GroundBreak Coalition, a regional effort to close racial wealth gaps and expand economic mobility across the Twin Cities. Since its founding, McKnight has awarded more than $3.4 billion in grants to more than 4,000 organizations.

Allen directs the foundation's efforts to drive lasting change across a diverse range of fields, from climate solutions and thriving communities to the arts, neuroscience research, and global food systems.

Building Opportunity, Sharing Power

In addition to leading two MOMENTUM conversations, Tonya Allen will discuss McKnight’s Vibrant and Equitable Communities program at the Momentum Summit. To date, the Minnesota-based program has awarded more than 150 grants totaling more than $30 million in support of quality jobs, homeownership, and pathways to wealth creation.

"Power is organized people and organized money," Allen has said. That belief shapes McKnight’s approach to investing in people and places too often excluded from Minnesota's economic and civic prosperity. Among organizations that have recently received funding are Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en La Lucha, the African American Leadership Forum, and the Lower Sioux Indian Community.

McKnight works across philanthropy, partnerships, and public leadership to drive systemic change that expands opportunity across Minnesota.

Keeping Up With Change

Philanthropy is changing in real time. Shifting public policy, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, and sustained attacks on DEI are redefining how community organizations secure the resources they need to carry out the work.

That's why we chose our Summit theme, The Power of Possible: Technology, Policy, and the Future of Philanthropy. We'll convene leaders from across sectors and perspectives to explore what this moment demands of philanthropy and how we can meet it together.

Across the country, families are struggling to afford the basics, the wealth gap continues to widen, and technology is reshaping the economy and the workplace. As these challenges grow more complex, community organizations are not only filling immediate needs but also building long-term solutions.

Thank you to all of this year’s

PROUD SPONSORS