Post by B the Change Publication

While helping plan the two sessions he co-facilitated for Champions Retreat, Rai-mon Nemar Barnes, Founder and CEO of stakeholder marketing agency Consciously, says his primary goal was to start a conversation, not supply the final word. If attendees could hear something that got them talking and connecting with others—whether they agreed with what was said or not—then he and the panelists could say they did their job. “This intent was very clear and also baked into every content decision and exercise,” Rai-mon says. While prepping himself and his other presenters, he was always asking the questions: “How do we make sure people walk away knowing something, feeling something, hearing something they had never known, felt, or heard before they walked in? And how do we make sure they talk and connect with others?” Learn more about what went into planning Champions Retreat 2026, including how attendees were intentionally made to feel connected to community, by following the link to the full story below.