North Star Connect
June 6, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Swinomish Casino & Lodge
Join us for our first inaugural symposium and be part of creating a thriving Skagit County for all!
Network and Collaborate: Connect with people from various sectors making a difference in our community, including government, tribes, healthcare, education, community service, recovery, and more.
Learn and Engage: Increase your knowledge and skills by attending one of the many workshops led by renowned behavioral health and housing experts and other local leaders.
Agenda available soon!
Many thanks to our event sponsors, North Sound BH-ASO and Recovery Café Skagit!
Registration
Space is limited. Register to attend today!
Learn more about the keynote speakers!
Learn more about the keynote speakers!
Tanaya Winder is an author, singer-songwriter, poet, and motivational speaker with an intertribal lineage from the Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Duckwater Shoshone Nations, where she is an enrolled citizen. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico. Winder’s poetry collections include "Words Like Love" and "Why Storms Are Named After People and Bullets Remain Nameless".
Her performances and talks combine storytelling, singing, and spoken word to explore various expressions of love and the concept of “heartwork.” Tanaya specializes in youth and women empowerment, healing trauma through art, creative writing workshops, and mental wellness advocacy. Learn more about her work here.
Gregg Colburn is the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed University Professor and Associate Professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. He publishes research on topics related to housing and homelessness and is co-author of the books, Homelessness is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns and Affordable Housing in the United States. His research has been featured in leading media outlets, including The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, and National Public Radio.
Gregg holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, and a M.S.W. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Prior to academia, he worked as an investment banker and private equity professional. At the University of Washington, Gregg teaches classes in housing, urban economics, and finance. Gregg serves as co-chair of the University of Washington’s Homelessness Research Initiative and is a member of the National Alliance to End Homelessness Research Council.
Interested in being an exhibitor at this event?
North Star’s big vision – a thriving Skagit County for all – requires collaboration and collective effort. As such, we are seeking to partner with local businesses and organizations to exhibit at this event.
As an exhibitor, you will have the opportunity to promote your work and share resources with ~250 attendees. It is also an excellent opportunity to showcase your commitment to a healthy, thriving Skagit County and connect with a diverse audience passionate about helping our most vulnerable neighbors.
Space is limited! Sign up to be an exhibitor today.
