Isles Fall Forum 2026 : Connect. Learn. Act

The Isles Fall Forum is an annual educational event where community members, local leaders, and experts come together to address critical challenges facing our neighborhoods. Your participation and support help us build stronger, more resilient communities through collaborative learning and actionable solutions. 

Opening Keynote: Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, LD 32

1st panel: Smart, Sustainable Redevelopment: Finding Common Ground amongst Housing, Environmental & Stakeholder Concerns. Oftentimes, there are many competing interests for land use that are all great! This session will explore how to bring use concepts like Participatory & Legal Design and other land use Best Practices to find consensus among competing stakeholders, including the actual end user or occupant. Panelists will cover tools and strategies like Vacant & Abandoned Property Conversions, Land Trusts and elements of Community Development such as Urban Ag alongside Urban Conservation.

• Alex Rivera, Director of the Center for Economic and Workforce Development, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Kean University

• Otha Caldwell, Director of Urban Agriculture, Isles

• Daniel Wiley, Community Engagement Lead, Seton Hall Law Legal Design Lab

2nd panel: Workforce Development is Economic Development: Strategies that Work to Grow Earning Power and Economic Growth. Learn about proven job training initiatives that address the wealth gap here in New Jersey and create healthy, resilient communities. Hear from panelists working on the ground, and with policymakers working with the State, to create and maintain real jobs in an environmentally responsible way, and from community leaders using unique approaches to drive economic development by creating economic opportunity.

• Kristine Kennedy, Executive Director, Camden Special Services District

• Allison McCloud, Executive Director, NJ League of Conservation Voters

• Joseph Kezumka, Owner/Executive Producer, NJ Punk Rock Flea Market

• Brady Rivera, Organizer, Capital City Anime Fest

3rd panel: Community-Driven Solutions: Community Violence Interruption (CVI), Civic Engagement and Participatory Budgeting. Having agency and ‘say’ within your local government allows you to affect positive change that local residents want for their communities. Experts will discuss how community-based efforts address violence, urban inequality, and how setting budget priorities at City Hall are being achieved using tools like neighbor-to-neighbor interactions, participatory budgeting, and other approaches to engage community members directly in the policy making that impacts their lives.

• Tyrell Smith, CEO & Founder, Trent-Town Market

• Dr. Patrick Sharkey, Professor of Sociology & Public Affairs, Princeton University

• Caitlin Fair, Director, East Trenton Collaborative

• Perry Shaw, Trenton Community Street Teams Director

Closing Remarks: Derel Stroud, Deputy Mayor, Neptune Township & Chief of Staff, LD14

Can’t attend in person? for virtual ticket options click HERE.