For 17 years, Safanya Searcy, director of unionwide capacity at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), has been in the rooms where campaigns are won and lost. She's led efforts to elect champions, trained organizers, built political programs in majority-minority communities, and prepared union members to run for office. 

In this keynote conversation, "You Can't Win What You Don't Build: What 17 Years in the Labor Movement Have Taught Me About Leadership, Power, and Lasting Change," she shares lessons from the field and the pivotal moments that shaped her career. Safanya will discuss why she shifted from running campaigns to building the capacity of the people who run them and will offer a candid look at what works, what doesn’t, and why lasting change depends on investing in people. Expect practical advice for students entering the labor movement and social justice work, along with a clear-eyed perspective on what it takes to build power that endures.

Part of the ILR School's 2026 Union Days.