DIG’s Cultivating Conversations Global Summit: Denver

Thursday | 10.24.24 | 5:30PM MT
Please join DIG in person for our First Annual Global Summit!
DIG’s Global Summit is a FREE event and will explore the urgent need for sustainable solutions in our global food systems. Enjoy a thoughtfully curated, sustainable menu that embodies DIG’s commitment to using food as a tool for social cohesion and positive change.

 

Register Today

DIG’s First Global Summit

Summit theme is,  “A Better World is Rooted in Food: uniting local and global efforts to realign our food systems for a sustainable and nourishing future.”

DIG’s Cultivating Conversation Global Summit, in partnership with the National Western Center. Aligned in our missions to promote sustainability and community resilience, the Summit is a FREE event that will take place on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at the National Western Center in Denver, Colorado.

We will explore the urgent need for sustainable solutions in our global food systems. Enjoy a thoughtfully curated, sustainable menu that embodies DIG’s commitment to using food as a tool for social cohesion and positive change.This free event will connect like-minded individuals with DIG’s Country Program Leaders in Kenya, Uganda and Senegal enabling engagement from around the world. DIG’s Global Summit will also feature a panel of experts dedicated to reshaping our local and global food systems. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn, share ideas, and see DIG’s transformative work in action—no matter where you are.

To Get Involved

Register to join us here and consider a donation. Funds raised through the Global Summit will support DIG’s program expansion and registration of local chapters in Kenya and Uganda. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. Join us and help us grow the conversation to realign our global food systems!. Donate Here 

DIG’s Country Program Leaders

Olivia Nyaidho

Director of Global Mission & DIG Kenya Executive Director

Olivia started with DIG in 2013 with a vision for adapting and expanding our programs in Western Kenya. Her expertise is in sustainable agriculture, environmental management, community based agribusiness, gender equity, and monitoring and evaluation. She is a governing board member of PELUM Kenya, a network of organizations promoting agro-ecological solutions for small holder farmers. Olivia has brought immeasurable benefits to both the organization and our farmers in the region. She has a Bachelor of science in agriculture and a Masters in project planning and management. She is married and the mother of 2 exceptional boys who are proud to see their mother leading other women towards improved health and empowerment through nutrition sensitive agriculture.

Gloria Mushabe

Uganda Program Manager

Gloria is the Program Coordinator for the Uganda DIG program. After graduating with a diploma in business from the Uganda College of Commerce in December 2017, she joined the DIG team as a facilitator the next month. Using lessons her mother taught her from childhood, Gloria’s skill and knowledge of organic agriculture made her a great teacher. Her ability to engage communities personally, commitment to high quality work, and strong leadership at staff meetings made her a standout choice for coordinator. She has seen 20 groups through farmer field schools and she is motivated to continue expanding the reach of the program to more communities

Seckou Badji

Senegal Program Manager

Seckou was trained in DIG’s Farmer Field School Program in 2019 and joined in 2020. Prior to joining DIG, Seckou was living and working in Senegal's capital, Dakar. Through his work, he started to become interested in community development and wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Coming back to his birthplace, Ziguinchor, Seckou was eager to get involved in the community and joined DIG’s Farmer Field School. From farmer to facilitator, Today, Seckou is DIG’s Program Manager and leads our program in Senegal.

Subject Matter Experts Joining Us | Stay Tuned For More

Sarah Koch

Executive Director of DIG

In 2006, while serving in the US Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa, Sarah co-founded DIG. Her Peace Corps experience emphasized community-centered development which conflicted with more traditional Western development models she saw being implemented. Both offered important perspectives and fueled her determination to establish a different approach as a global development organization. Prioritizing trust and collaboration, Sarah's passion lies in empowering communities to lead their own solutions, while striving to connect our local and global stories and understand our collaborative role in generating positive change.

Brad Buchanan

CEO of the National Western Center

Brad Buchanan is the CEO of the National Western Center Authority. Appointed in 2018, he is responsible for crafting the 250-acre National Western Center campus into a year-round, global destination for culture, entertainment, education and agribusiness innovation. Brad has extensive experience in planning, development, agriculture, community building, entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. An architect by trade, he served as Denver’s planning director from 2014- 2018 after working in design and construction in Denver for more than 25 years. He and his family own and operate Flying B Bar Ranch in Strasburg, Colorado, where they raise grass-fed cattle.

Tickets are free but space is limited.

Register To Join Us

Our Denver Hosts

Joe McCullough
Lonnie Edwards
Craig Mellor
Chad Mendoza
Sara Chaplin
Mark Colvin
Tony Vigil
Byron Richard
Sara Narum

We are so grateful to you!

If you’re interested in becoming a Denver Host or Sponsor, reach out!
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Together, We Can Set A Bigger Table.

As DIG prepares to celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2026, we are raising money to launch independent DIG branches in Kenya and Uganda and ensure our ability to expand our reach.
Help us reach our $200k Goal with a 100% tax deductible donation today.

Donate Today

Sponsors

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The 2024 DIG Salon Series

The DIG Salon Series 

DIG’s Cultivating Conversations Virtual Global Summit 

Cultivating Conversations Global Summit 

About DIG

At DIG, we believe food has the power to repair our relationship to our health, each other and the planet. Grounded in the principles of agroecology and led by local teams, DIG is addressing the needs of some of the world’s most uniquely marginalized communities through gardens. Our success is rooted in community building, and the partners, farmers, and supporters around the world who are passionate about our shared mission.