The Bee Way to Navigate the NAUA Summit

I hope you are looking forward to participating in 2025 NAUA Summit- this year hosted on the new Zoom Events portal. This post is meant to help you navigate through this environment – using a Bee analogy.

I used to keep a few colonies of bees and have just finished a delightful book “Bees” by Laline Paull. Thus, in Bee mode, I hope to help you navigate the Summit Events platform.

Clicking on the “register button” directs you to the landing pad. Here you can scrutinize the sessions, schedule, speakers and get a sense of what awaits you in the hive. Like all hives, this hive is protected and only allows entrance to those who  have been invited.  Unlike Bees, it is not a familiar smell that is the key to entry – humans use a credit card for entry the first time and thereafter their zoom login and password.

 

Past the Landing Pad you enter the Lobby. Here forager bees dance a map to successful food sources. Here, they catch up on the latest hive smells, while worker bees unload their supplies of pollen and nectar.  Like bees, humans in the lobby can meet and chat with friends. They can also see upcoming sessions, and even watch sessions they have missed.

Bees use pheromones to identify each other and the roles they perform. For humans, the Events platform provides a profile in which you can list your location, favourite activities, super powers and other data that helps you find and connect with like souls. You can also toggle on or off your interest in being social and chatting with others in the lobby.

Beyond the Lobby in a bee colony are the food stores, nurseries and sleeping quarters. Beyond the Summit Lobby are the session rooms where humans gather to listen and participate, vote on resolutions and otherwise work and learn together.

Terry Anderson, Edmonton,  Alberta Canada

Videos from the Historic 1st NAUA Summit

We have released all of the videos from the 1st NAUA Summit held in Spokane Wa. Oct 17-20 2024. The videos are available now from the NAUA Youtube channel.

These videos include all of the general sessions and workshops, keynote speech, Sunday worship and a slide show from the Summit. Thanks to John Wunderlund for editing and producing these videos and the slideshow!

Dynamic Keynote Speaker Announced for NAUA Summit

NAUA is very pleased to announce that John Wood Jr. will be joining us as the keynote speaker for the historic first NAUA Summit in Spokane Oct 17-20th.

John Wood Jr. is a leading figure in the American depolarization movement. He is national ambassador for Braver Angels, the United States largest grassroots, bipartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization.

A nationally recognized public speaker on the subjects of political and racial reconciliation, Wood has spoken across America to a wide range of the nation’s most respected think tanks, universities, corporations, philanthropic organizations and political associations including the Aspen Institute, the Manhattan Institute, CPAC 2019, Global Philanthropy Forum, the Philanthropy Roundtable, Upswell, Target, General Mills, LucasFilm, Oregon League of Cities, Institute for Local Government, and campus audiences including Pepperdine, Duke University, USC, Purdue, UC Berkeley and many others.

Mr. Wood’s written work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Examiner, Quillette Magazine, Areo Magazine, Reflections (A Journal of the Yale School of Divinity), Real Clear Politics, Persuasion Magazine, The American Interest and many others. Wood is a cohost of the Braver Angels Podcast and host of The John Wood Jr. Show.

Prior to his work with Braver Angels, Wood was the state of California’s youngest active nominee for congress in the 2014 election cycle, challenging Maxine Waters in California’s 43rd district. His unifying campaign was covered by outlets including The National Review and The Larry Elder Show. After the election Wood was elected as 2nd Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles, the largest Republican county party in America.

In addition to his work with Braver Angels, Wood serves as an advisor to The American Project (an initiative of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy dedicated to restoring the communitarian roots of conservatism), the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, the 1776 Unites Project, is a member of the Progress Network (an initiative of the New America Foundation) and is a field-builder with the New Pluralists Collaborative (a coalitional group focused on connecting and supporting organization committed to depolarization and social justice). Wood has worked in support of educational opportunities for at risk youth in inner-city Los Angeles in the areas of tutoring and private education. He sits on the board of directors for Strive Arts and Academics, a celebrated private educational facility in South Los Angeles.

Wood was raised in a musical family. His father is noted Jazz Pianist John Wood, his mother a popular Los Angeles based R&B singer Deonda Theus. Wood’s grandfather was record industry pioneer Randy Wood, of Dot Records and Randy’s Record Shop fame. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

There is still opportunity to register to attend the SUMMIT online or in-person in Spokane Wa.

Click to view the Summit schedule or Summit registration.