Daytime Speakers

  • Social Entrepreneurship in Action

    Thursday, August 14, 2025 | 11:00-12:30pm

    Coleman Yoakum, Micah 6 Community 

    Coleman Yoakum is a social entrepreneur and Executive Director of Micah 6 Community, a 501©3 non-profit organization serving Pontiac. After college in Arkansas, he and five friends moved to Pontiac with the goal of helping to stabilize and revitalize a hard-hit neighborhood. Their organization manages community gardens, summer youth programs, and they are renovating Webster Elementary School, a historic building that has been empty for 10 years. Once completed, the building will become a community center that will be home to over a dozen non-profit groups that serve the Pontiac community. Join us to hear this inspiring and hopeful story!

  • Coffee and Conversation with the New Beverly Hills Manager

    Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | 11:00-12:30pm

    Warren Rothe, Beverly Hills Village Manager

    Join Next in welcoming newly appointed Village Manager, Warren Rothe. Warren will share a little bit of his background, provide an overview of what is happening in the Village, discuss upcoming projects, and leave plenty of time for your questions.

  • Functional Exercise for Every Day Life

    Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 1:00-2:30pm

    Raj Thangamuthu, Physical Therapist and Owner of Empower Physical Therapy

    Focus on functional exercise. This type of exercise is designed to develop those muscles that you use every day to do everyday things like bending down to garden or unloading the dishwasher! Raj will take you through some exercises that can help improve stability and mobility and can be done easily and safely at home.