PANEL - Sewing Circles & System Change: Make, Mend, & Mobilize

The goal is to equip attendees with knowledge and actionable insights to become part of the solution.

Gain more than just a deeper understanding of the issues and local solutions - expand your network, soak up valuable resources, and walk away with practical steps to address textile waste.

LOCATION & PANELISTS TO BE ANNOUNCE SOON!

--->More tickets available here.

The event will begin with mingling, followed by a panel discussion lasting up to an hour, a Q&A session, and concluding with networking opportunities. Light snacks and refreshments provided.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Historical Awareness & Legacy: Gain a deeper understanding of how mending has shaped movements for labor rights, gender equality, and social justice, inspiring attendees to view their own making practices as political tools for collective change.
• Legislation, Policy, & Advocacy: Learn and analyze how policy is necessary for systemic change, plus specific steps, resources, and groups for advocacy.
• Community-Led Action & Organizing: Hear from community leaders for practical inspiration and guidance on starting or strengthening community-driven mending and repair initiatives that merge making with activism.

This quarter’s theme, Sewing Circles & System Change, is guiding the discussion. As a leading resource for growing communities, we aim to shed light on the often-overlooked and undervalued impact of mending.

Mending and community organizing have this chicken-and-egg relationship—each feeds into the other, making it hard to tell which truly comes first. Historically, mending was never just about patching up a hole in a sock; it was about sustaining people, relationships, the planet, and collective survival. Mending, as an act, keeps communities intact, and strong communities, in turn, make space for the kind of resourcefulness that mending requires. It’s a cycle—like community organizing itself—where every stitch is both practical and deeply political.

By featuring experts and industry insiders, our 2025 panel series seeks to connect New Yorkers with the companies and changemakers driving progress. Through thoughtful discussions and impactful questions, panelists will share the work they are doing to address textile waste and offer ways for attendees to get involved.

Run of Show

6:00 ~ Arrive, check in

6:15 - 7:15 ~ Panel

7:15 - 7:45 ~ Q&A

7:45 - 8:00 ~ Mingle

8:00 ~ End

Not your typical panel—we’re diving into the questions you want answered, sparking real conversations, and building a community of curious minds and changemakers!

Also check out other Business events in New York, Craft events in New York.