Momentum is an invitational forum where some of the most creative minds in the progressive movement come together to challenge, inspire and energize each other. At Momentum 2008 you will: engage with cutting edge ideas, innovative strategies and unexpected experiences, engage in one-on-one discussions with leaders whose diverse experiences inform their work for social change, and engage in a community grappling with the hard issues of making change and creating the space to imagine what's possible. Leaders in the progressive community rarely have the chance to explore things in which they are not immersed, nor do they often have a chance to see challenges outside their own "issue silo". In the complex world where we are pushing for more enlightened policies, exposure to a broad set of approaches and perspectives strengthens us all.

I had a memorable experience a couple of weeks ago in San Francisco at the stimulating Momentum Conference, produced by the Tides Foundation.

Momentum gathered activists, philanthropists, and intelligentsia, drawn primarily by the call to consider strategies for solutions around the most challenging issues of the times, in light of the looming leadership change in the White House. The brainchild of Tides founder and CEO Drummond Pike (also board chair of the Endswell Foundation and a founding board member of Tides Canada Foundation), Momentum was patterned on the renowned TED and Idea City conferences, all with a progressive agenda focus.