In May 2025, The BUILD Health Challenge® (BUILD) marked a milestone – a decade of advancing health equity, racial justice, and community power – by bringing together 150 awardees, alumni, funders, and partners from across the country for a three-day convening in San Diego, California.
The gathering celebrated the voices and progress of BUILD communities over the last decade, deepened connections across the network, and built momentum for the next chapter of BUILD’s collective work.
Attendees represented all four BUILD cohorts:
- 10 from the first (2015-2017)
- 21 from the second (2017-2019)
- 36 from the third (2019-2022)
- 47 from the current fourth (2022-present)
Participants came from across sectors – community-based organizations, public health departments, health systems/hospitals, and resident leaders. Many have been connected to BUILD for years, some for nearly a decade, a testament to the people who have shaped what BUILD is today.
Across plenaries, breakout sessions, and interactive activities, the agenda reflected the vast range of interests and expertise across BUILD’s network – from data storytelling and policy change to racial healing and self-care. BUILD voices were front and center across sessions, with more than 25 awardees and alumni serving as facilitators, speakers, and panelists, demonstrating the expertise and leadership developed through their experience.
The Power of Connection and the National Network Launch
At the evening gala, designed to celebrate BUILD’s 10-year anniversary and highlight community stories, BUILD officially launched the BUILD National Network, formalizing the relationships built across ten years and recognizing the momentum that continues beyond each cohort.
The gala itself was a mix of reflection and celebration. Guests shared in a comedy set from BUILD awardee Ricarlo Williams (Muskegon Heights, MI), live salsa music and dancing with the Sabrosas Latin Orchestra, enjoyed the premiere of the short film about the Cleveland team’s decade-long collaborative efforts, and heard powerful remarks from de Beaumont Foundation’s CEO Brian Castrucci, BUILD’s Executive Director Melissa Monbouquette, and BUILD’s National Network Chair Josie Williams (Greensboro, NC), that underscored both the history of BUILD and the vision for its next decade. The program balanced fun with purpose, creating the perfect atmosphere for announcing the next big step: the National Network.
The seeds for this milestone had been planted throughout the convening, and on the final day, a culminating activity laid the groundwork for what’s ahead. Led in tandem by Josie and Morgan Taggart (Cleveland, OH), the session – The Power of Us – invited attendees to share real-time offers and requests with one another. These exchanges sparked fresh collaborations and set the National Network in motion with clear next steps between partners and new connections.
Session Highlights & Inspiring Moments
Navigating Racial Tension through a Historical Lens was led by Kevin Kahakula’akea John Fong, Founder of the Kahakulei Institute. Kevin challenged attendees to reflect inward before leading outward, asking, “What is your gift and how do you lead with it?” This invitation to self-awareness underscored the convening’s emphasis on personal leadership as a foundation for collective action.
From the Inside and Out: Flexing our Civic Muscle offered practical advice and personal stories that encouraged folks to step into policy advocacy roles from both current and alumni awardees Kyle Ashley (Milwaukee, WI), Manuel Casteñeda (New Brunswick, NJ), RC Thompson (Stockton. CA), and Victoria Williams (New Orleans, LA).
Victoria reminded the room, “You do not need to be credentialed to speak up,” adding that “often it’s the policymakers that come to us for more information.” Her words affirmed the value of lived experience in shaping policy and systems change, and that we all have the ability to shape our systems. Manuel echoed that sentiment, encouraging participants to embrace discomfort and seize opportunities: “You have to get out of your comfort zone to grow. Learn what is important for your community, so you can be that voice. Put yourselves in positions of power. Sometimes you’re invited, sometimes you just need to pull up that chair.”
Philanthropy’s Role in Meeting the Moment featured BUILD Funder Collaborative members Richard Vezina from Blue Shield of California Foundation, and Shelia Reich from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Funders and awardees came together to talk candidly about what it means to be bold in pursuing equity during today’s challenging political and social climate. They emphasized the need for courage and staying the course, even as funding landscapes shift and resources change, and reminded us that sometimes sustaining can be as big of a win as launching something new.
Nurturing a Connection to Self to Nurture Our Connection to Others was facilitated by Ariane Porras, a Somatic Educator and YMCA’s Community Collaborative Director. She led participants in a session that explored the connection between the nervous system and how we engage with the world as advocates. Participants reflected on how emotions can affect us and our actions, acknowledging that: “Excitement and anxiety share the same place in your body. It’s just whether you constrict it or let it out.”
Reflecting Back
This convening reminded us that system change does not only come from what we do. It also comes from how we show up, how we hold each other, and how we lead. When we gather and build relationships across geographies, organizations, sectors, and identities, we create conditions for sustainability in this movement, and lasting change.
BUILD is holding a space for health equity work that is rooted in trust, shared power, and community voice. That so many people – current and past awardees alike – continue to prioritize coming together and being present with each other is a reflection of how much this kind of space matters. As one attendee shared, “It wasn’t just that I learned something – I felt something. And I left more hopeful than I came.”
What we saw in San Diego is that even though systems change efforts are happening locally, people still crave connections that transcend our geographic boundaries. In many ways, we are as alike as we are different, and being in community with others in the movement for healthier futures amplifies our power and ability.
