South Florida Mental
Wellness Summit
& Expo
Exploring wellness through a holistic lens, with meaningful conversations, resources, and experiences designed to support every dimension of wellbeing.
Mental wellness does not live in one corner of your life. It is shaped by your work, your relationships, your rest, your health, and everything in between. That is what Roadmap to Wellness is about.
Over one day you will hear from clinicians, first responders, advocates, and community leaders, take part in hands-on wellness experiences, and leave with resources you can actually use.
Built for
Everyone.
Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors
★ Presenting
Organizing
◆ Diamond
● Gold
● Silver
Not all committee members were available for this photo.
Photo credit: Jason, 954.592.0804, www.8ShadesOfBlue.com
Event Planning
Committee
The 2026 South Florida Mental Wellness Summit & Expo is shaped by a dedicated group of professionals, advocates, and community leaders who volunteer their time to bring the event to life.
Event Chair
Beth Taché
Executive Director, Bloom Connect Project, Inc.
Aruba Javed
MPH Program Coordinator, Baptist Health
Billie Morgan, MS
Senior Director of Community Engagement & Impact, 211 Broward
Corey Brix
General Manager, Legends Global
Cynthia Moreno
CEO, Harmony Development Center
Dr. Maria Brooks
Manager, Broward Sheriff's Office
Dr. Marsha Brown
Clinical Psychologist, Deconstructing Wellness, LLC
Elizabeth Lombardo
Program Director, Area Agency on Aging of Broward County (AADRC)
Gail Moore
Family Services Manager, 211 Broward
Graciela Jimenez, LMFT
Manager, Baptist Health South Florida
Janelle Kelley
Owner, Nellie's Healing Art
Kimberly Young
Coordinator, Mental Health Services, Broward County Public Schools
Lenin Euceda
Senior Marketing & Outreach Manager, Insight Mental Health & Recovery
Norma Wagner
Community Advocate
Renzo Barredo
Financial Advisor, Coastal Wealth
Rose Sklar
Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker
Simone Edwards, LCSW
Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Miami VA
How the Day
Unfolds
Doors open at 8:00 AM and the day runs through 4:00 PM. You will hear from nationally recognized speakers, gain practical tools you can take home, and connect with the organizations doing this work across South Florida.
- Inspiring keynote and speaker sessions
- Breakfast and lunch included
- Interactive activities in the lobby
- Community exhibitors and wellness resources
- Networking opportunities
- Connection & Belonging Panel
Two Spaces. One Summit Experience.
The Summit's keynote, speakers, and educational sessions take place in the Great Hall.
The Wellness Exchange comes alive throughout the day with interactive experiences, exhibitors, wellness resources, and networking opportunities before the opening ceremony, during its dedicated hour after the Impact Speaker Series, during scheduled breaks, and after the afternoon session.
2026 Summit Schedule
at a Glance
A full day of connection, learning, and rest, from the moment doors open to the final passport prize.
Doors Open
Registration, breakfast, and the Wellness Exchange opens.
Opening Ceremony
11:15 AM
Impact Speaker Series
Featuring Andrew “Drew” Masters, Crystal Smith, Darren Bennett, Julie Savitz, MA, and Nicholas Davenport. Meet the speakers →
12:15 PM
The Wellness Exchange
Dedicated time to explore the Wellness Exchange, including community resource tables, interactive and guided wellness activities, Baptist Health Zen Rooms, Crack'd Coffee Talk with First Responders, an interactive art installation, the Student Art Showcase, and the Event Passport experience.
12:45 PM
Lunch in the Great Hall
1:00 PM
Break
2:00 PM
Keynote Presentation
SOUL COLE, “Respect My Rest.” Meet the keynote speaker →
2:30 PM
Break
3:30 PM
Connection & Belonging Panel
Roadmap to Wellness: Centered Within, Connected Beyond
Meaningful connection begins with yourself. This panel will explore how self-awareness and social wellness work together to strengthen relationships, foster belonging, and support overall well-being. Attendees will learn practical strategies to build authentic connections, nurture community, and enhance their health, happiness, and resilience.
Senior Director of Community Engagement and Impact, 211 Broward. Certified Crisis Worker and Information and Referral Specialist with a background in mental health and disability advocacy.
Incoming Health Science student at the University of Florida, founder of Minds Matter, and varsity lacrosse captain. Plans to become a Physician Assistant.
25+ years of experience in the food and catering industry, with a resilience story rooted in hard work, family, and friendship.
President & CEO of Students for Change. Master of Public Affairs in Community Advocacy; trains student and community leaders in fundraising, program development, and advocacy.
Mental health advocate, keynote speaker, and Clinical Outreach Representative with Discovery Behavioral Health, specializing in adolescent mental health, suicide prevention, and eating disorder treatment. Board member, Kennedy Kids Foundation. Co-host of Pop In with Lenin & Steph.
4:00 PM
The Wellness Exchange
Final opportunity to explore the Wellness Exchange, connect with participating organizations, and complete the Event Passport.
Event Concludes
Event Passport prizes awarded.
Impact Speaker Series
Five voices, five stories of resilience. The Impact Speaker Series brings lived experience to the Great Hall stage, from first responders to clinicians to advocates who turned their own hardest moments into purpose.
Lieutenant Drew Masters has served with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue since 2012 and in the fire service since 2008. As Peer Support Team Coordinator since 2013 and former Broward County CISM Coordinator, he has led efforts to support firefighter mental wellness from within the department.
Lt. Masters has responded to major incidents including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, the Surfside collapse, and Hurricane Ian. Having overcome his own near-suicide experience, he now shares his journey of resilience to advocate for first responder mental health, leading with compassion, strength, and dedication to those who serve.
Crystal Smith is a licensed psychotherapist, flow state specialist, and professional flow artist. For more than 13 years she has worked across community mental health, trauma therapy, foster group homes, schools, and private practice, alongside 15 years teaching and performing flow arts nationwide.
A pioneer in the emerging field of Flow Psychology, Crystal integrates neuroscience, evidence-based psychotherapy, flow arts, mindfulness, and somatic practice into a holistic model for healing. She owns a private practice in Jupiter, Florida, and founded StayCalm Wellness Products to make mental health tools engaging and approachable.
Darren Bennett has turned profound loss, including the deaths of both parents and all three of his siblings, into a mission of resilience. After facing his own suicidal despair while serving as a local pastor, he chose to heal, and to help others do the same.
Today, Darren is a nationally recognized resilience speaker, the author of three Amazon bestselling books, associate chaplain at one of the nation's largest first responder agencies, and national lead chaplain for the American Jail Association. Through his organization, Pain to Purpose, he helps students, first responders, and leaders choose to fall forward.
Julie Savitz spent 24 years as a middle school guidance counselor working with special-needs students before becoming a life coach specializing in helping people navigate their “second chapter” of life. She also works with a psychology firm supporting students with executive functioning skills.
A single mom and 18-year resident of Weston, Julie brings both professional expertise and lived experience to conversations about resilience, planning, and wellness in midlife.
Nicholas Davenport is a mental performance coach, researcher, strength coach, and educator, and founder of MB1, a human performance company making mental performance practical and accessible through coaching, cognitive training, technology, and applied wellness experiences.
His work spans elite sport, law enforcement, military, corporate wellness, and education, including collaborations with the Broward Sheriff's Office, Aetna, U.S. Navy Special Warfare, the U.S. Army, IMG Academy, the UFC, and the City of Miami Gardens. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bethune-Cookman University and a master's degree in Exercise Science with a specialization in Sport Psychology from Pennsylvania Western University.
Explore. Connect.
Experience.
The Wellness Exchange brings the Summit experience beyond the Great Hall, creating space to explore, participate, and connect throughout the day.
From community resource tables and interactive wellness activities to art, guided experiences, and opportunities to recharge, there is something to discover around every corner.
What Can You Experience?
Community Resource Tables
Meet local nonprofits, organizations, advocates, and wellness professionals who are here to share resources, answer questions, and connect you with support available in our community.
Interactive & Guided Wellness Activities
Hands-on experiences built around movement, reflection, and creativity, plus guided sessions that invite you to slow down and connect in a different way.
Baptist Health Zen Rooms
Need a moment to step away from the energy of the Summit? The Baptist Health Zen Rooms offer a dedicated space to pause, reset, and recharge throughout the day.
Coffee Talk with First Responders
Grab a cup of coffee and join an informal conversation with the first responders who serve our community. This year the conversation moves off the stage and into the Wellness Exchange, making room for real dialogue instead of a presentation.
Interactive Art Installation: The Mental Wellness Tree
Don't just look at the art. Be part of it. Attendees are invited to add a leaf or flower to the Mental Wellness Tree with a message of hope, encouragement, gratitude, or reflection. Together, these individual contributions create a growing display that celebrates connection, resilience, and our shared commitment to supporting mental wellness in our community.
Student Art Showcase
Take a moment to experience the creativity and perspective of local students. Student artwork will be displayed throughout the Wellness Exchange during the Summit.
The Event Passport
Pick up a passport at registration and collect stamps as you visit exhibitors and activities throughout the Wellness Exchange. Completed passports are entered for prizes awarded at 4:00 PM.
Connection &
Belonging
This year's panel takes on social connection and belonging, and how much our relationships shape the rest of our wellbeing.
Rather than a row of clinicians, the panel leans on peer and community voices. Real people speaking from real experience, with a mental health professional moderating to keep the conversation grounded.
On the Panel
A varied panel of community and peer voices, moderated by a mental health professional. Panelists to be announced.
Questions &
Answers
Everything you need to know about the 2026 South Florida Mental Wellness Summit & Expo.
An annual one-day event hosted by Bloom Connect Project, Inc. at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines. Speakers and panels in the Great Hall, plus a Wellness Exchange of community resource tables and hands-on experiences. Breakfast and lunch are included.
The 2026 theme is "Roadmap to Wellness," focused on exploring wellness through a holistic lens that looks at every dimension of overall wellbeing.
Everyone. No credentials, no clinical background, no prior connection to the work required.
No. While mental wellness remains a central focus, the 2026 Summit takes a holistic approach and explores many dimensions of overall wellbeing.
Yes. Throughout the day, The Wellness Exchange offers networking and collaboration opportunities that encourage meaningful connection between attendees, sponsors, community organizations, and community leaders.
An open, informal conversation with the first responders who serve our community, held in the Wellness Exchange over coffee rather than from a stage.
The Summit is hosted at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Sponsor vendor tables for the 2026 Summit are sold out, and the program booklet closed to new ads on September 1, 2026. Sponsorships are still open at every level and include stage recognition, website and on-screen logo placement, and social media features. Visit our sponsorship page to learn more.
Summit 2025
In Photos
See what hundreds of South Florida community members experienced at the inaugural 2025 Summit.
Growing Every Year.
What started as an idea became a community. Here is where we have been, and where we are going.
Action
The inaugural South Florida Mental Wellness Summit & Expo brought together professionals, organizations, advocates, and community members from across South Florida for a day focused on resilience, healing, empowerment, and meaningful connection. Hundreds of attendees gathered at the Charles F. Dodge City Center to be part of something that had never been done before in our community.
Wellness
Building on the momentum of the inaugural summit, the 2026 event expands the conversation through a more holistic wellness lens, exploring how every area of our lives shapes our overall mental wellness. Join us October 22, 2026 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines.
Learn more about the Summit
Attendees
What to Expect at the South Florida Mental Wellness Summit
A first-timer's guide to the full day.
Attendees
Who Should Attend the South Florida Mental Wellness Summit?
Mental health professionals, community members, businesses, and families.
Sponsors
Why Businesses Sponsor Mental Wellness Events in South Florida
What sponsoring this event means for your brand in the community.