Untethered is a different kind of convening! It’s about building community with other creative disruptors, reconnecting with purpose and joy, and accelerating bold solutions that advance a more just world. There are two sides to the Untethered coin.

First, we want you to have the kind of experience you’re looking for but not finding in other convenings or conferences. We design the experience for community building, belonging, authenticity, vulnerability, truth telling, and joy. We curate sessions that are focused on our personal development, and we leave space throughout the day to connect and build relationships.

Second, we want the convening to lead to measurable impact that goes beyond the three days we are together. To do this, we curate 3-4 topics that represent some of the timeliest and most pressing issues in the child welfare sector. Attendees who are working on these issues are asked to give a short “Ignite Talk” on a topic and what they are working on. These talks set up half-day design labs on each topic. The labs are facilitated to look for a bright spot innovation that might be ripe for acceleration. The ultimate goal is to identify an opportunity for our 18-mnoth Creative Cluster accelerator program.

We are happy to partner again this year with Holly Truitt to co-design and facilitate the Ignite Talks and Design Labs. Holly runs a design firm and brings decades of experience in helping communities co-design with an approach rooted in listening, flexibility, and optimism.

The program for each day is being designed as we speak (and as you read). Please check back for updates as we lock in our sessions, topics, and speakers.

Day1: Wednesday May 7, 2025

Where: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC

When: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Program: Our first night together is about connecting, having fun, and letting go of the professional identities that we put on every day. We will do an untethering exercise that will set the tone for the next two days. We’re also working with members of the Imagination Factory community to curate a one of a kind of performance that is befitting of the night’s venue. We will heavy hors d' oeuvres and drink tickets for the bar.

Day 2: Thursday May 8, 2025

Where: Josephine Butler Center, 2437 15th St NW, Washington, DC

When: 8:30am - 4:00pm

Program: Day 2 is all about the experience we want to create and setting up for the Day 3 Design Labs. We will provide coffee and a light breakfast as well as lunch. The day will follow this tentative flow.

• Grounding Exercise: Being developed

• Opening Session: We’ll present on the Creative Cluster project that emerged out of Untethered 2024. This an 18-month project designed to capture and spread the Family Keys pilot in Wisconsin. Family Keys is a bright spot innovation to prevent foster care entries dues to unstable housing barriers by investing existing funds into a housing support program. Speakers may include Dustin Koury (Wisconsin, DCF) and Cheri Williams.

• Morning Sessions: Attendees will have a choice of multiple sessions that are design to help us go inward, self-reflective, and tap into our creativity. Topics being considered are a writer’s workshop, a nature connected wellness experience, interactive conversation on values alignment at work, design your life session, and others.

• Afternoon Sessions: Being developed

• Ignite Talks: These talks move us from the internal and experiential to the external and impact focus. We are actively developing these topic concepts and talking to possible speakers. These talks will set up the Day 3 Design Labs. Potential topics include:

  • “A World without Termination of Parental Rights”

  • “Enterprise Building: Moving Beyond Equitable Compensation”

  • “Economic Justice: Investing in Guaranteed Income”

Day 3: Friday May 9, 2025

Where: Josephine Butler Center, 2437 15th St NW, Washington, DC

When: 8:30am - 2:45pm

Program: Day 3 is all about the impact we want to have. The majority of the day will be spent in Design Labs. We will provide coffee and a light breakfast as well as lunch. The day will follow this tentative flow.

• Design Labs: we will work in small teams on specific challenges within each of the Ignite Talk topics. We are looking for opportunities within these topics for a bright spot innovation that is ripe for acceleration, potentially as a Creative Cluster project.

• Afternoon Session: We will do a brief session to summarize Day 2 and Day 3 and paint a vision of where we’ll go next as Imagination Factory and as a community.

• Closing Ceremony: Being developed.

Untethered 2025 is happening on May 7th-9th in Washington, D.C. Purchase your ticket and register now in the Store Page. The early registration rate is $299 until January 31. On February 1, tickets will be $349 until we reach capacity. We do have a limit on the total number of attendees. You can purchase your ticket now to secure your spot.

Accommodations

We recommend staying at the Royal Sonesta Hotel at 2121 P St NW, Washington, DC. We have a block of rooms reserved at a discount rate for May 7th, 8th, and 9th. Click Here to go to the hotel website to book your room. You can use block code G050725ARKD when reserving your room.

Washington, DC also has plenty of Airbnb options that can save you a little bit of money. If you are interested in sharing an Airbnb, please email us at create@imgnfactory.org.

Email create@imgnfactory.org to inquire about scholarships, volunteering, or presenting opportunities.

Transportation

nearest airport: Ronald Reagan Washington national airport

nearest metro to busboys and poets: U Street/african Amer civil war

Josephine Butler Parks center: street parking is available

We recommend using the Metro and uber/lyft.