2024 Marks Fifth Anniversary of the Next Generation Council Leadership Workshop

When Dean Browell first joined SOAR365’s Next Generation Council (NGC) more than five years ago, he knew he had found a wonderful collection of like-minded people ready to move the group forward. 

After graduating from Randolph-Macon College, Dean earned an MBA and a PhD, developing a specific interest in how different generations interact with one another. 

He went on to found Feedback, a Richmond-based consumer research firm dedicated to truly listening to communities and gaining a better understanding of why people make decisions, and how they can make better decisions in the future. 

Dean’s passion for advocating and giving a voice to those who need it most led him to pursue volunteer opportunities that have included contributions to The Poe Museum, the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD), the Institute on Philanthropy (IOP) and much more. 

But it wasn’t until his best friend moved to Richmond that he was first introduced to SOAR365. 

“When my best friend and his wife moved down from Chicago with their daughter who has a disability, it suddenly made me see the universe in a very different light,” notes Dean. “It was meaningful for me to see first-hand what services SOAR365 provides to people with disabilities and their families throughout their lifetime.” 

He then met Kim Watson, the former VP of Community Engagement, who introduced him to SOAR365’s Next Generation Council.  

Alongside the standing committee members, Dean began to think differently about the impact they hoped to make. They reviewed what their true purpose should be and realized that it wasn’t just about finding volunteer help for SOAR365 but giving back to young professionals across a wide age range and connecting them to something bigger. 

“We asked ourselves, ‘How does someone end up falling in love with a nonprofit organization?’” says Dean. “We wanted to guide people who are looking for a connection to a cause, deeper than doing socials for fundraisers.” 

That fundamental question helped position the committee for one of its most important revelations.  

“Fundraising and volunteerism were always important to us, but through our discussions it was a third pillar – leadership – that helped evolve what we were doing with NGC.” 

From this third pillar came the idea for a Leadership Workshop, which was first conceived as an in-person event that would bring like-minded people together to see nonprofit work in action and give a better understanding about how to engage with it. 

And like every other in-person event scheduled for 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way. 

“It was almost immediately that our plans had to change because of COVID,” Dean recalls. “The situation forced us to go online, but it allowed us to have way more folks in the room because that barrier to attending was gone.” 

To this day, the NGC Leadership Workshop is held virtually. Hundreds of young professionals have attended across the first four years, spanning all backgrounds and interests. 

Attendees quickly learned that anyone was welcome, whether you had an association with SOAR365 and the disability community, or not. 

In the first iteration of the Leadership Workshop, David Thomason, President of Special Olympics Virginia, spoke on the topic of “Fundraising 101”. The very next year, Danielle Ripperton from the Children’s Museum of Richmond joined to discuss “Nonprofit Pivoting”. The year after that, Margaret Dodson represented YWCA Richmond to speak on “Helping Your Favorite Nonprofit No Matter Your Life Stage” and the list goes on. 

“It can be a rare feeling in the nonprofit world – to find the sort of partnership that exists at SOAR365 and in Richmond,” says Dean. “Welcoming in people from other organizations and having featured partners from other nonprofits is an incredible signal to send out.” 

At the end of the day, it’s about making people feel like they have a voice, a choice and an effect on the world around them. 

“If you’re a young professional, who is in any way supportive of a cause, whether that’s local, regional, or national, and you want to learn how you can help nonprofits, then we have great news – the Next Generation Council has the leadership workshop for you,” Dean concludes. “And if you are someone who truly cares about someone in the disability community, our events empower you to be a part of a team which directly supports that community.”

Dean Browell and Laura Faison will be moderating the 5th Annual Next Generation Council Leadership Workshop, which is slated for Saturday, September 21 from 10:30-11:30 am. To learn more about the speakers and to register to attend, click here.