Often, we’re told we can’t win with kindness. We’re told that “kindness is a weakness” or that we won’t be seen as professional, successful, or taken seriously if we wear our hearts on our sleeve. Even in nonprofit communications, we focus on our missions’ dire needs and struggles. What if that wasn’t the case? What if we led with kindness? What if we were led by the power of humans to help each other?

In Maggie Kane’s keynote, meet someone who not only leads with kindness but also is her business plan. Maggie is among the thousands behind the nonprofit A Place at the Table, Raleigh’s pay-what-you-can cafe. Customers at this cafe serving fresh, healthy, good food have multiple options: pay the suggested amount for your meal, pay-what-you-can, pay with a Place card, are a family needing a meal, or volunteer for your meal. This innovative approach has helped serve over 180,000 meals, received over $300,000 in meals donated, and 9,000 “pay it forwards” (when a customer buys a $10 voucher for someone else’s meal).

In her inspiring presentation, Maggie will dish out stories about the kindness she experienced on her journey to open an innovative cafe. Her being open to help from others has paved the way for local friends pitching in with renovations and donors stepping up with unexpected generosity. She will share her tips on managing with kindness to build the best (and kindest) staff around and recruit volunteers who show up daily to do dishes & roll silverware.

Maggie’s stories vividly show how kindness can fuel community movements. Through her down-to-earth anecdotes, she reminds us that a little bit of kindness can go a long way in making the world a better place, one meal at a time.