RISE, a youth-led nonprofit that aims to build students’ political power and make higher education more accessible and affordable, will bring together over 100 youth organizations and partners for The RISE Action Convening. Also known as RISECon, the conference aims to amplify the voices of young people in politics ahead of the 2026 election. The three-day event will take place from Oct. 10 to Oct. 12, 2025, in Atlanta.
“This isn’t another conference. This is a gathering of active digital organizers, storytellers, and change-makers who refuse to sit on the sidelines.”
“Participants will leave connected with pros who shape narratives online and off — gaining real insight they can take back to their own communities and put into action.”
Confirmed speakers include community activists Tamika Mallory, Jamira Burley, and Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson.
Conference attendees will learn and test cross-platform strategies to boost interest in youth politics while developing tactics aimed at uniting youth voters and addressing voter suppression.
Leading the effort is Mary-Pat Hector, founder and CEO of RISE. At 19 years old, she is the youngest woman and person of color to run for public office in Georgia. The Spelman graduate founded the organization in 2017 and built a team of 400 youth organizers to spearhead voter engagement in Georgia. She outlined the organization’s goals in a 2023 interview with Ashley Hopkins for
What’s Working.“We train and activate and teach students about how they can organize and be their own advocates on campus, and we also build youth and student political power because we know we can advocate and make noise around issues every single day.“ Hector told the outlet.
Additionally, Hector helped shape President Biden’s student debt relief initiative by organizing a group of HBCU students to meet with White House officials from the National Economic Council and the Domestic Policy Council. Hector was among the youth community leaders to advise President Barack Obama on criminal justice reform.
Hector also serves as a member of Black Youth Vote Georgia, an organization dedicated to promoting voter registration and political participation through music and culture.
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