Opening Keynote - May 7

Darneshia Allen - Training and Technical Assistance Integration Manager - ZERO TO THREE

Darneshia Allen has amassed over 30 years of experience working with young children. Her extensive background includes intensive engagement with families in urban communities and a wealth of experience in Early Care and Education.

At present, Darneshia enjoys the privilege of creating content and curriculum aligned with research that supports the mission and vision of Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE, reflecting evolving practice trends and best-practice strategies in her capacity as Training and Technical Assistance Integration Manager. Over her 14-year tenure with ZERO TO THREE, Darneshia has generously shared her knowledge and expertise. She has delivered presentations on the safety and well-being of infants and toddlers, along with their families, who have been affected by adversities and overwhelming stressors leading them into the child welfare system. Her platform extends to state and national conferences, where she regularly addresses multi-disciplinary audiences inclusive of Child Welfare, Dependency Courts, Early Care and Education, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Policy Advocacy, and renowned national conferences such as the Children’s Defense Fund and NCCAN.

Closing Keynote - May 9

Joe Waters - Co-founder & CEO - Capita

Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita. An independent, nonpartisan think tank with a global focus, Capita works to build a future in which children and families can realize their full potential in a just, peaceful, prosperous society on a healthier, cleaner, and safer planet. Since starting Capita in 2018, Joe has developed forward-leaning initiatives exploring how the great cultural, planetary and social transformations of our day affect our youngest children (0-8 years old) and our communities.

From the impacts of climate change to parental loneliness and social disconnection, Capita’s work catalyzes creative new ideas and solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges impacting families. A 2021 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow, Joe’s commentary on issues facing families has been published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Investor’s Business Daily, The Hill, Newsweek, Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Charlotte Observer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nonprofit Quarterly, Early Learning Nation, and other outlets.

He has been an invited speaker at the White House’s first forum on social impact finance, the Aspen Forum on Children and Families, the Lego Idea Conference, Think Future, and the World Forum on Early Care and Education. He is a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Felician Center, which helps those who struggle to meet their basic needs in South Carolina’s rural Pee Dee region.  Joe also serves as a Senior Advisor at Openfields, a Greenville, South Carolina-based consulting firm. Prior to starting Capita, Joe was the Executive Vice President of the Institute for Child Success where he led pioneering work helping governments pay early childhood service providers for outcomes.

He and his wife Molly Benedum, a family physician, live with their son Al in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Please finalize cancellations within 5 days of the first day of the Smart Start Conference. If for some reason, a cancellation has to be made, please contact conference@smartstart.org. Please note that there is an admin fee of $10.00 associated with canceling. Registrations can be transferred to another person at no cost. Please contact conference@smartstart.org to transfer a registration to another person.