2025 Gathering – What To Expect

Hosted by Build It Green in partnership with Healthy Black Families, Inc.

Questions? Contact Mia Arter, our Network Stewardship Director, at [email protected]

What to Expect

Each day weaves together different types of engagement: deep dialogue sessions, community site visits, collaborative workshops, reflection time, and evening community-building activities.

Like an ecosystem, each participant plays a vital role in the Gathering’s success. The experience is designed to build progressively, with each session informing the next. We ask all participants to commit to the full three days, including evening activities.

The flow of the event will help all participants evolve their capacity to see the system.

The first day will invite you into the lives of South Berkeley residents and encourage you to reflect on your individual essence and the role you play in your community and the housing system.
The second day will focus on collaborative work – results of the work in South Berkeley and through the Innovators Network.
And the final day will invite you to consider the housing system as a whole and discuss what we can do individually and collectively to transform it.

The specific agenda will be based on participant input and emerging needs, but you can expect to:

Engage with Berkeley’s community history and current innovations
Participate in facilitated discussions and working sessions
Connect with peers during structured and unstructured time
Contribute your leadership to collective vision-building and action planning

June 2-4, 2025

Agenda Overview

The exact agenda is subject change. Meals will be catered during the event and covered by Build It Green.

Day 1 – Monday, June 2

First Line of Work

Connecting + Grounding

Before 11:00 AM:

Travel & Hotel Check-In
11:00 AM:

Lunch & Networking
12:00 PM:

Welcome
12:30 PM:

Full Group – Grounding in Berkeley
1:30 PM:

Full Group – Roles in Regeneration
1:45 PM:

Networking & Break
2:30 PM:

Community Stories & Reflections on Place
3:30 PM:

Meet Your “Pod”
4:00 PM:

BIG Program Overview
4:30 PM:

Pod – Day 1 Reflections
5:00 PM:

Break
6:30 PM:

Dinner

Day 2 – Tuesday, June 3

Second Line of Work

Applied Projects + Leveling Up

8:00 AM:

Breakfast & Networking
9:00 AM:

Welcome & Agenda Preview
9:30 AM:

Site Visits
12:30 PM:

Lunch + Return to Hotel
2:00 PM:

Full Group – Site Visit Debrief
2:30 PM:

Full Group – Leveling Up in Berkeley
3:15 PM:

Break
3:45 PM:

Small Group Sessions
5:15 PM:

Pod – Day 2 Reflections
5:45 PM:

Break
6:45 PM:

Dinner

Day 3 – Wednesday, June 4

Third Line of Work

Seeing + Influencing the System

8:00 AM:

Breakfast & Networking (+ Hotel Check-Out)
9:00 AM:

Full Group – Systems View
9:45 AM:

Table Talks – Catalyzing Projects
10:30 AM:

Break
11:00 AM:

Full Group – Impact and Strategy Sensemaking
12:00 PM:

Pod – Day 3 Reflections and Sensemaking
12:30 PM:

Closing
1:00 PM:

Lunch

California Housing System Innovators Network

2025 Gathering

June 2-4, 2025 in Berkeley, California