Each year our Annual Summer Meeting brings LGBT leaders from across the nation together to share ideas and forge connections. But at this year’s Meeting, we introduced a new session that quickly became a breakout star of the conference: FEDtalks.

For FEDtalks, we invited state leaders and our five Federation interns to take five minutes to share a big idea, talk through an innovative strategy, or offer up an exciting concept. We were amazed at what we got!

FEDtalks topics ranged from effective fundraising to smart strategic planning to building an equality caucus in the legislature -- and everything else in between.

Our five Federation interns were given the opportunity to showcase their work as well. From a traveling online action center and a trans resource guide to working with homeless shelters and educating the community about their rights -- our interns have made some big things happen in just a matter of months.

FEDtalks were such a big hit that we wanted to share them with everyone, not just the folks who joined us at Summer Meeting.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing each individual FEDtalk on our blog -- so keep checking back!

Our first FEDtalk comes from Daniel Williams, Field Organizer/Legislative Specialist at Equality Texas.