Jammin’ Sessions

Session Description:
This is an inspiring session that probes into the unique path of rising from entry-level roles to executive leadership, all while embracing the adventure of global travel and meaningful community impact. Drinal will share personal stories, key lessons, and actionable strategies on how to lead boldly, leverage diverse experiences for professional growth, and make a difference in community. This session will leave you motivated to break through your own barriers and craft a career—and life—without limits.

Speaker Bio:
Drinal (Dra-Nell) Foster is a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo and is responsible for driving global forward-leaning employee engagement and employee experience strategies for building a high-performance workforce in Technology. Drinal started her financial services career three decades ago on the frontline as a bank teller. Throughout her career, she has led various business functions and geographically disbursed teams across the globe. She brings 20 years of advanced leadership experience in the fields of Human Resources, DE&I and Treasury Management. She has over 20 years of impactful community service leadership from a variety of non-profit organizations across the Twin Cities.

Drinal is an award-winning leader who in 2024 received the prestigious Women of Power “Power 50 – Women of Influence” award from the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. for her exceptional leadership in business and in the community. She was also recognized by Twin Cities Business Magazine as a Notable Women in Banking and Finance. In 2023, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal named Drinal as an influential business leader and gave her top honors with the distinguished Women in Business award. She was honored with the “2023 Celebrating The Sistas” community leadership award for outstanding achievements in Minnesota. In 2019, she was selected as a Minnesota Young American Leader Program in partnership with Harvard Business School & the University of Minnesota.

Session Description:

Join Belén Rodríguez, Founder of Minnesota-based Quebracho Empanadas, as she shares her journey of identifying and validating a disruptive venture in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) space, charting a path for national expansion, and ultimately making the decision to close it all down. This will be an exciting conversation on entrepreneurship, the grit needed to develop and scale a startup, and the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned in today’s dynamic market.

Speaker Bio:
Argentina-native Belén Rodríguez is a third-generation entrepreneur and previous startup founder with a passion for exploring innovative venture ideas and unlocking growth. She brings nearly two decades of combined experience in startup development, brand and team management, and multi-cultural communications. As an entrepreneur, Belén has received numerous accolades, most recently being named a 2024 Top 100 Entrepreneur by Twin Cities Business Magazine and being awarded the 2023 Top Prize for the Food/Bev/Ag Division of the prestigious University of Minnesota’s MN Cup Competition.

Session Description:
Pastor Chris Bellanger shares his journey of being raised in the inner-city of Minneapolis in extreme poverty. He will help us understand the hurdles and barriers he faced to refocus, retrain, and redirect his mind, and how he spends all of his time working to help others do the same in their lives.

Speaker Bio:
Pastor Chris uses his own journey of growing up in the inner-city and coming out of extreme poverty to help others face similar challenges. He works as the City Director for LINC (The Learning Innovation Catalyst) Twin Cities, a national non-profit ministry. LINC provides training and coaching for boots on the ground, gospel-centered, entrepreneurial local leaders. These leaders are given the tools needed to launch a non-profit, business, or church plant.

Pastor Chris is also the Founder / Executive Director of Unite Twin Cities, a non-profit that helps the unsheltered by providing resources and sharing the gospel. He also serves as the location Pastor of Free Grace United Church, a diverse community church in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Chris teaches a Community Action course to 9th-12th graders at the Hope Academy in South Minneapolis, which covers how to create a non-profit organization and make a positive impact on their communities.

We live in a world that seems a bit bruised, beaten down and in need of a whole lot of compassion. Chris’s compassion comes from the challenges of childhood and a lifetime of struggle. His first 27 years were riddled with difficulty, and his compassion for the city of his childhood is in his DNA, always searching for the next person he can help guide in their purpose.

Session Description:
Stephanie Szostak, French-American actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Iron Man 3, and the ABC hit series A Million Little Things, will speak on being an outsider, overcoming failure, mental fitness, and living with authenticity. Ten years into her career, Stephanie experienced imposter syndrome, which pushed her to address her mindset and develop a personal Playbook as a daily practice of mental fitness.

Her book, SELF!SH: Step Into a Journey of Self-Discovery to Revive Confidence, Joy, and Meaning, offers a template for others to create their unique Playbook to cope, grow, and elevate their mindset.

Speaker Bio:
Stephanie Szostak is a French- American actress, author, speaker, and proud ambassador of Give an Hour, a national mental health non-profit. Szostak left her native France to study business and play Division 1 golf at The College of William & Mary. At twenty- nine years old, she left the corporate world behind to give the acting world a try. Today, she is best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Iron Man 3, Dinner for
Schmucks, and the ABC hit series A Million Little Things.

Ten years into her career, Stephanie suffered from imposter syndrome which pushed her to address her mindset and develop a personal Playbook as a daily practice of mental fitness—to think better, feel better, and do better. She shares the Playbook approach in her book Self!sh, offering a template
for others to create their unique Playbook to cope, grow, and elevate their mindset.

Transforming her own setbacks, rejection and loss, Szostak speaks on themes such as being an outsider, overcoming failure, and mental fitness. She brings forward relatable, poignant, and entertaining stories, that inspire and empower audiences of all ages to embrace their authenticity and thrive through adversity.
Knowing she is where she is only thanks to the help of many, Stephanie thrives to support others on their lifelong journey of discovery, learning, and growth. As part of her commitment to mental health, she donates half of her proceeds from her book Self!sh, to the mental health organization, Give an Hour and is actively working on launching the Self!sh app.

Stephanie has been featured in Vanity Fair, Oprah, Forbes, US Weekly, People Magazine, Glamour, and Marie Claire, to name a few. She has also appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The John O’Leary Podcast, Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner, and Whine Down with Jana Kramer, amongst others.

Session Description:
LaDonna Hoy, Founder and Executive Director Emerita of Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (IOCP) will share the story of how eight west suburbs have found their way to build a vibrant community where everyone counts, and all systems and sectors work together for the good of all.

Speaker Bio:
Since her 2021 retirement from IOCP, she has been serving as Coordinator and Community Liaison for Outreach Development Corporation. This community-based nonprofit housing organization functions as an effective catalyst for mobilizing public and private investment in local housing solutions, and advocates for policy conducive to the preservation and development of affordable housing in the communities served by Interfaith Outreach.

Session Description:
A SUPER JAM doesn’t get any bigger than this! The Prouty Project is thrilled to host a round of golf at a to-be-announced top Twin Cities venue, where 100% of all funds raised will be donated to No Barriers, an organization that empowers people with significant and persistent barriers to believe what’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way.

Speaker Bio:

Erik Weihenmayer is one of the most celebrated and accomplished athletes in the world. In 2001, he became the only blind person in history to climb Mount Everest. When he stood on the top of Carstensz Pyramid in 2008, he completed his quest to climb all of the Seven Summits-the tallest peak on each of the seven continents.

Erik is the author of the bestselling memoir, Touch the Top of the World, which was made into a feature film, as well as The Adversity Advantage, which shows readers how to turn everyday struggles into everyday greatness. His latest book, No Barriers:

A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon is more than an adventure story; it illuminates how we move forward in our lives towards growth and purpose – despite the barriers that get in our way. He is an internationally recognized speaker and brings his message of living a No Barriers Life to audiences around the world.

Session Description:
This SUPER JAM brings us together at The Twin Cities Film Fest where we’ll be sponsoring a film. SAVE THE DATE and we’ll share more information on this year’s film as the date approaches!