Impact 2025: Where Wisconsin Leadership Meets Real Results

How a Fond du Lac conference is transforming leadership training across Wisconsin—and why it matters for you!

Leadership Development Challenges Facing Organizations

Organizations everywhere are navigating a common challenge: tighter leadership development budgets at a time when strong leadership is increasingly important. Recent data shows a trend:

• Leadership training budgets dropped 75% from $1,247 per manager in 2023 to just $312.50 in 2024 (Research.com).
• The 2023 median spend was only $444 per person (HR Daily Advisor).

For Wisconsin-based organizations—from Green Bay manufacturers to Milwaukee nonprofits—this budget reality creates an opportunity to get creative. How do you develop transformative leaders your team needs while being mindful of costs?

The answer came together on May 7, 2025, at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac.

Impact 2025: Making Leadership Development Accessible

Sophia Partners’ Impact 2025: Transformative Leadership Conference (formerly the Aspiring Servant Leaders Conference) brought together over 150 committed leaders from across Fond du Lac County, Fox Valley, and surrounding communities. This wasn’t just another leadership seminar—it was a full-day experience designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations succeed.

What Made This Wisconsin Leadership Conference Different

Unlike expensive corporate training programs, Impact 2025 offered:

• Breakout sessions tailored to workplace challenges
• Live panel discussion with keynote speakers
• Guided team impact planning session for all attendees
• Networking opportunities with fellow professionals
• Practical tools to implement immediately

Three Leadership Insights That Transformed Teams

Leadership Moments That Matter

Katie Moder (Regional Special Education Network Director at CESA 6) addressed every leader’s challenge: limited time, unlimited demands.

Her key insight resonated across industries: Meaningful leadership often happens in the smallest windows of time.

Attendee takeaways:

• Leadership is not a meeting — it’s a series of moments.
• Micro-interactions build trust, foster engagement, and reinforce culture.
• Consistent small actions lead to transformative impact over time.

Redefine Your Servant Leadership

Jon Kidwell (Founder/CEO of Leadwell, author of Redefine Your Servant Leadership) challenged today’s “always available” work culture.

His message hit home for leaders juggling multiple responsibilities in the workplace and at home: Being present matters more than being constantly available.

Attendee takeaways:

• Recognize the detrimental effects of the “always available” mentality on their work, teams, and personal well-being.
• Understand how prioritizing presence strengthens team relationships.
• Identify practical strategies for being present in their daily interactions and work habits.

The Happiness Recipe

Becky Morrison (Happiness Coach of Untangle Happiness, author of The Happiness Recipe) presented happiness as a leadership strategy—not a luxury.

Her approach resonated with a practical leadership style: Happiness isn’t a side effect of success. It’s a cause.

Attendee takeaways:

• Happiness drives performance and resilience, and it’s one of the smartest investments you can make —for yourself and everyone you influence. 
• Happiness has the ability to reset your energy, help you reconnect with purpose, and create a ripple effect of thriving — from the inside out.
• Real leadership begins with how you show up for your own well-being.

Six Breakout Session Lessons for Leaders

The conference’s breakout sessions addressed real challenges facing organizations:

Leading with Purpose: A Roadmap to Servant Leadership Integration 

Featuring Rema Momberg & Kristin Steede:

This session explored Verve, a Credit Union’s journey of embedding servant leadership into their credit union’s culture, leadership development, and HR processes.

Cultivating Inner Work and Vulnerability to Get the WHOLE Team Up the Mountain

Featuring Nick Pretasky:

At the core of every team’s action, challenge, or success is something very human. Effective leaders have a keen awareness and deep appreciation for how to positively influence human behavior. This session was all about asking yourself the right questions.

Compassionate Conflict Resolution 

Featuring Kate Zurn:

This session focused on how we can build curiosity in the face of conflict. Understanding helps build the compassion that is often needed to resolve difficult conflicts, both personally and professionally.

Everyday AI: The Leadership Challenge to Balance Change & Compassion

Featuring Jennifer Olson:

This session was a journey through AI in our everyday lives, with practical tips for leaders who want to apply a good lens of compassion and rigorous development within their organization.

Servant Leadership: A Journey 

Featuring Kevin Galske:

This session shared how a journey of self-discovery can help uncover your purpose, vision, and beliefs and equip you with the tools to lead with clarity, confidence, and authenticity—fostering both personal and professional transformation.

Multiplying Leadership: How Mid-Level Leaders Coach, Care, and Communicate

Featuring Dr. Kim Fenske:

Mid-level managers face the unique challenge of leading teams while developing the next generation of leaders. This session equipped leaders to transform everyday conversations into coaching moments that drive both performance and personal growth.

Why Wisconsin Needs More Leadership Development

Organizations thrive when leaders find a balance in elevating both people-centered and performance-focused approaches. From Wisconsin’s manufacturing heritage to its growing tech sector, we recognize that caring for people and achieving results go hand in hand!

The Impact 2025 Conference proves that effective leadership development can be:

• Accessible to organizations of all sizes
• Affordable for realistic budgets
• Practical for immediate implementation

Join our Growing Leadership Development Movement

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About Sophia Partners 

Sophia Partners is a community-benefit, non-profit organization dedicated to building a network of transformative servant-leaders who unleash the potential in people to create collaborative and thriving spaces and places! 

We believe people who have the knowledge and resources to make teams, organizations and communities better … DO! We provide accessible & affordable programs, services and resources for leaders to grow.

Ready to develop your leadership potential?

• Visit: sophiapartners.org
• Email: hello@sophiapartners.org
• Connect with Wisconsin’s servant leadership development partner

We provide leadership development across Wisconsin: Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Madison, and surrounding communities.