All Star Panel (in 20 years) - How Current Leaders Are Affecting the Industry for the Next 20 years.

At Bridge 2025, an all-star panel of top industry leaders leaned on their experience from the past 20 years, to give us directional forecasts for what the next 20 will look like in fundraising.

While that was a tremendous presentation, one thing was missing: the perspective from emerging leaders that will be leading in 20 years.

This fireside chat is designed to fill this critical gap. We’ll share testimonials collected throughout the year by young professionals who work at, or for, non-profits. Their voices will shed light about what’s working in the industry, what’s not working, and why.

They’ll answer questions that many leaders in the direct marketing industry often ask themselves and their peers: What will the industry look like in 20 years? How can we plan for the future? In what ways can we fix high turnover rates?

Together with emerging leaders across both the non-profit and agency side, we’ll unpack these stories to identify root challenges and ways to chart a better path forward. Our goal is for attendees to walk away with an understanding of how to engage and retain young professionals and new ways to leave our industry in a better place.

This session represents an opportunity for today’s decision-makers to hear from tomorrow’s leaders—authentically, constructively, and with the shared goal of ensuring a stronger future for our field.