Previous Conferences
For 12 consecutive years, NDBN has brought together individuals and organizations involved in addressing diaper need and period poverty, an often hidden consequence of poverty.
Throughout the annual event, sessions and speakers offer a high level of strategic thinking about the complexities of poverty in the U.S., and how providing diapers and other basic needs creates new opportunities to help low income populations overcome barriers and achieve more.
The U.S Conference on Poverty and Basic Needs, previously Diaper Banks in American Conference, is an essential professional development opportunity that provides training to leaders with a variety of skill levels and experience, with focus on program capacity building, nonprofit leadership and community empowerment.
The Conference convened virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The following year, the Conference shifted to a hybrid model, allowing in-person and virtual choices for both speakers and attendees. That year, of the forty workshops offered, twenty were accessible for streaming or remote live-engagement, and networking opportunities were provided for both in-person and remote attendees.
NDBN is committed to deepening our partnerships with community, government, research, corporate, and philanthropic leaders. We will continue to host hybrid conferences that
2023 Keynote Speaker – Bomani Jones
Bomani Jones is the host of the podcast The Right Time with Bomani Jones. As CEO of Old Soul Productions, he also hosts The Evening Jones, an audience driven podcast discussing a range of pop culture topics. He previously hosted Game Theory with Bomani Jones on HBO, where he tackles sports and their intersections with the world, and contributed to Back on the Record with Bob Costas. Jones was the former co-host of the ESPN sports television programs Highly Questionable and High Noon, and was a panelist on the sports roundtable discussion show Around the Horn.For over 20 years, Bomani has written on sports, music, culture and politics for a variety of online and print publications, including Vanity Fair and GQ. He is a former contributor for SBNation.com, and the former host of The Morning Jones on The Score on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
2022 Keynote Speakers
Marni Sommer, DrPH, MSN,RN
Marni Sommer, DrPH, MSN, RN, has worked in global health and development on issues ranging from improving access to essential medicines to humanitarian relief in conflict settings. Dr. Sommer’s particular areas of expertise include conducting participatory research with adolescents, understanding and promoting healthy transitions to adulthood, the intersection of public health and education, gender and sexual health, and the implementation and evaluation of adolescent-focused interventions. Her doctoral research explored girls’ experiences of menstruation, puberty and schooling in Tanzania, and the ways in which the onset of puberty might be disrupting girls’ academic performance and healthy transition to adulthood.
Meghan Davis
Meghan Davis (she/her) joined the Thinx team as CEO on May 23rd, 2022.
Meghan brings 20 years of experience leading winning health care and beauty businesses. She has proven success in navigating complex business dynamics in multiple categories and countries to deliver meaningful products and solutions for consumers and customers.
Under Meghan’s leadership, J&J Consumer Health Portugal delivered strong sales, market share gains and profitability in years of significant disruption due to the COVID pandemic impact. As Marketing Director for J&J Consumer Northern Europe, Meghan accelerated the Beauty business by launching more than 20 new products in under four years and reset the Baby Toiletries portfolio strategy to reclaim market share amidst intense competitive pressure from new entrants.
Elle Duncan
Television sports veteran Elle Duncan joined ESPN as an anchor for SportsCenter, the network’s signature news and information program in May of 2016. In March of 2021, she moved to the 6 p.m. show with Kevin Negandhi.
In addition to her work on SportsCenter, Duncan has been a co-host of the weekly ESPN podcast First Take, Her Take with Kimberley A. Martin and Charly Arnolt since June of 2021 and she is among a rotating group of panelists on ESPN’s afternoon program Around the Horn. She also has appeared as a panelist on Highly Questionable.
2021 Keynote Speaker – Reverend Todd Sheridan Yeary, Ph.D.
Dr. S. Todd Yeary serves as the senior pastor of the Douglas Memorial Community Church, a Covenant Congregation, and is an adjunct professor in the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. Additionally, Dr. Yeary serves as the chief executive officer of DMCC’s two community development corporations – Douglas Memorial Community Church Village and Camp Farthest Out. Formerly, Dr. Yeary served as a collateral duty senior EEO Counselor during his tenure as an air traffic control specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration.
2020 Keynote Speaker – Myra Jones Taylor
Myra Jones-Taylor, National Fellow, is the Chief Policy Officer at ZERO TO THREE, the national leader on infant-toddler policy and program development. There, she leads the development and implementation of the organization’s policy agenda, priorities and strategies; oversees the policy center, which includes federal and state policy and advocacy; and serves as the principal spokesperson for the organization on public policy matters with policymakers, the media, funders and partner organizations. She oversaw the creation of the first of its kind State of Babies Yearbook and the Think Babies campaign.
2019 Keynote Speaker – Jay Schatz
Jay Schatz tells stories. Stories you want to hear. Stories that earned him Emmy Awards during a 32-year career as a reporter and anchor, and stories that entertain, like those created as executive producer of lifestyle programming for HGTV and DIY networks.
Jay brings the art of storytelling to nonprofit organizations, helping them craft and share their stories in the competitive world of “Fast Pitch.”
2018 Keynote Speakers
Bill Bolling
Bill Bolling served as executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank since founding the organization in 1979 until June 2015. Over the span of 36 years, he led the Food Bank’s distribution of more than half a billion pounds of food and grocery products through a network of more than 600 local and regional partner nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry across 29 Georgia counties. As a charter member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks, Bill was instrumental in the start-up of food banks across the country.
Terence Lester
Terence Lester is a speaker, community activist, author, and thought leader in the realm of systemic poverty. He’s known for nationwide campaigns that bring awareness to issues surrounding poverty, race, and the fight for equality. His awareness campaigns have been featured on MLK50, TVONE, Creative Mornings, USA Today, NBC, AJC, Black Enterprise, Rolling Out, Upworthy, and have been viewed by over 10 million people globally. In 2018, Terence led the March Against Poverty as he walked from Atlanta to Memphis (386 miles). He finished the march and spoke at the historic Lorraine Motel for the 50th Anniversary of MLK’s assassination.
Past Conference Locations
2023 – Orlando, FL & Virtual
2022 – Orlando, FL
2021 – Virtual
2020 – Virtual
2019 – Cincinnati, OH
2018 – Atlanta, GA
2017 – Orlando, FL
2016 – Philadelphia, PA
2015 – Seattle, WA
2014 – Kansas City, MO
2013 – San Antonio, TX
2012 – Washington D.C.