Despite the momentum behind this country’s most recent racial and social justice reckonings, the message of the people is clear: positive change is not being felt by the communities who need it most. In addition to civic engagement, electoral and policy strategy, a burgeoning practice of governance holds the greatest promise of enabling true community-driven democracy, giving people the power to affect meaningful change via this country’s democratic systems. Across the country today, policymakers, advocates and grassroots leaders–supported by like-minded philanthropic partners–are employing collaborative governance to build lasting power with, and to win racial, gender, social and economic justice for their communities. In this session, leaders from the legislative, advocacy, organizing and philanthropic spheres will share inspiring stories of this new practice at work, giving the audience glimpses of a future political reality they will find irresistible–one in which participants in the system are treated as fellow humans, not enemies; in which intersectional problems are met with intersectional responses; and in which the people most impacted by policy have true power in shaping it.