Annual Symposium-Women Growing Justice

Keynoter for this year:       
Erika Allen is the Co-Founder, Farmer and Operations CEO for the Urban Growers Collective. She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA in art psychotherapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Integrating the creative and therapeutic techniques with food security and community development has enabled Erika to establish multiple urban farms and agriculture training and education programs. She is passionate about social justice and working with multicultural groups in the elimination of racism and oppression. Erika served as Commissioner for the Chicago Park District from 2012 – 2017 and serves on the boards of Chicago Food Policy Action Council and
Neighbor Space, as well as a founding member of the Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative. Erika is a visual artist and consults with individuals and organizations to support visioning and planning of social change objectives. Erika Allen founded and was the Director of Growing Power – Chicago for 15-years prior to the closing of the organization in 2017. Integrating the creative and therapeutic techniques with food security and community development have enabled Ms. Allen to establish nine urban agriculture and food system
projects in Chicago, IL. Her specialties include project planning, and visioning for community food systems design and direct marketing training. Erika has provided technical assistance and planning support for thousands of new and limited resource farmers and local food pioneers to strengthen farm businesses. She actively works to create healthy and diverse food options in inner-urban city and rural communities. Ms. Allen is a Post Carbon Institute Fellow. Erika served
on the Illinois Food, Farms and Jobs Act Council appointed by Illinois Governor Quinn and served on Chicago Mayor - Rahm Emmanuel’s transition team – Energy, Environment and Public Space Committee. She completed the Latino Policy Forum – Multicultural Leadership Academy (2016-2017).

The Art of Risk-Taking presented by Caitie Whelan of Lighning Notes

Agenda coming soon.

Evening Youth Program at Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh will feature a Career Panel