Legacy and Leadership: Empowering Change Through Purpose

This interactive session explores how authentic leadership, rooted in integrity and advocacy, shapes impactful lives. Featuring a live panel conversation on “Living the Legacy: How Personal Purpose Drives Leadership and Impact,” attendees will hear powerful stories of leadership, challenges, and transformation.

Following the conversation, participants will dive into the Idea Accelerator—a collaborative activity to articulate their personal mission and develop a clear action plan. Through guided prompts, small group collaboration, and creative reflection, attendees will leave with clarity, accountability, and connections.

Key Takeaways:

• A concrete, personalized leadership action plan for starting or expanding their leadership or community impact work.
• Insights from trailblazing leaders
• Next steps, accountability structures, and connections to help them stay on track.
• New connections to support purpose-driven work
• 30 minutes of networking at the start of the workshop

About the Presenter:

Catherine Nakato is a cultural producer, workshop facilitator, and founder of mYouSeeEm, a digital and immersive storytelling platform that centers art, culture, and connectivity across the Diaspora. With a background in Psychology and Sociology, Catherine blends lived experience, scholarship, and creativity to inspire others to step boldly into their legacy. Her work is rooted in faith, equity, and community—and she’s passionate about helping others disrupt the narrative and live with purpose.

About the Panelists:

John Borders IV proudly hails from Dorchester, MA. With a career focused on leveraging brands for impact, John's skill sets have shown forth through focused work in the areas of corporate social responsibility, community engagement, relationship management, and business development to name a few. Some of the organizations John has worked with include Goalsetter, Everfi, CUME, Morning Star Baptist Church, the Boston Celtics, as well as the Patrick administration for the Commonwealth of MA.

Rebecca Merzius is a passionate and results-driven leader dedicated to transforming lives and communities through her work in nonprofit management, financial services, and faith-based leadership. As the Executive Director of Revive In Action Inc., Rebecca spearheads initiatives that empower marginalized and underserved communities, particularly refugees and asylees, to achieve stability and long-term success. Under her leadership, Revive In Action Inc. has launched and scaled pre-apprenticeship programs and support services, positively impacting over 1,000 participants and fostering economic mobility and community growth.

Amanda Kuffoh, is the Founder and CEO of Social Impact Engineer (SIE), a visionary agency at the intersection of social justice, strategy, and storytelling. With a background deeply rooted in equity work, Amanda has built a career amplifying the impact of mission-driven leaders and institutions, particularly within underrepresented communities. Amanda served as the Executive Director for the 7uice Foundation, the nonprofit founded by NBA star Jaylen Brown, where she led transformative initiatives focused on racial equity, education, and economic empowerment. Her strategic and creative leadership helped position the Foundation as a bold voice in the athlete activism space. Through Social Impact Engineer, Amanda now leads a multidisciplinary team that has supported initiatives backed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, NBA Coach Jason Kidd, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and members of Vice President Kamala Harris’s team, among others. Her agency helps foundations, celebrities, and public figures design sustainable social impact strategies—ranging from nonprofit formation and campaign design to narrative development and public engagement. Amanda’s approach is