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Seizing the moment means showing up for the people doing the work.

At the 2026 Cities United Conference in Memphis, community leaders, violence prevention practitioners, policy advocates, and emerging young leaders came together to share the realities of their work, from pain and setbacks to breakthroughs and triumphs.

During the breakout session WE Inc. collaborated on, Equipping the Youth to Redefine Our Future, younger and older leaders came together to explore how we can better equip young people to shape their communities. The conversation created space to share experiences, learn across generations, and consider how those working alongside youth can put them into practice.

These conversations create space to learn from one another, strengthen relationships, and carry new ideas back home. Because meaningful change doesn't happen in isolation. It happens when the people working toward safer, stronger communities have opportunities to connect, learn, and move forward together.

This is what seizing the moment looks like.

#CU13MEMPHIS #CitiesUnited #YouthLeadership #CommunityLeadership #WEInc

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The Policy Forum hosted by @nextgen.detroit was an incredible experience, capped off by a phenomenal keynote from @lemcartman! 👏🏿

One powerful takeaway that stuck with me:

📝 “There’s a difference between understanding that change takes time and using time as an excuse not to change.”

#DetroitEvents #NextGenDetroit #DetroitPolicyForum #CommunityDevelopment #DetroitLeadership

A powerful reminder that while meaningful progress requires patience, it also demands intentional action and accountability.

Change takes time, but time alone doesn’t create change.

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Lem Cartman is headed to Memphis for Cities United!

On October 22 and 23, Lem will lead two sessions focused on equipping young leaders to redefine the future.

Preparing the next generation requires more than giving young people a seat at the table. It means equipping them with the tools, relationships, and opportunities to help shape what comes next.

Swipe to hear a snippet from Lem’s 2025 Detroit Economic Club breakout session for a glimpse of his approach to leadership and facilitation.

At WE Inc, we believe stronger communities are built when we invest in people and work together toward a better future.

#CU13MEMPHIS #CitiesUnited #YouthLeadership #CommunityLeadership #WEInc

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Today I stepped outside of my comfort zone and into conversations that matter to me.

The more I work alongside youth, families, and community organizations, the more I recognize the gaps between the services we provide and the conditions people are actually living in.

One thing I’m becoming increasingly passionate about is how we approach mental health. We talk about workforce development, housing stability, education, and economic growth, but mental health is deeply connected to every one of those conversations. We cannot continue treating it as a separate issue or waiting until people reach a crisis to intervene.

I believe there is so much opportunity to rethink prevention, equip the people and organizations already working within our communities, and address the conditions that keep individuals and families in survival mode.

I attended today’s policy forum eager to listen, learn, and better understand how meaningful change happens at a systems level. I also challenged myself to speak up and contribute my perspective, even when it felt uncomfortable.

I don’t have all the answers, and that’s exactly why I want to be in these rooms. To learn, challenge my own thinking, exchange ideas, and explore what’s possible.

If we’re serious about building communities where people can thrive, we have to be just as intentional about their mental and emotional well-being as we are about their economic opportunities.

Grateful for today’s conversations, new perspectives, and the reminder that sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone is how you begin stepping into purpose.

#MentalHealthPolicy #UpstreamPrevention #SystemsChange #DetroitForward #CommunityWellbeing

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Meaningful change requires the humility to question what we've always believed, how we've always operated, and the role we've played in maintaining the status quo.

As leaders, we cannot build better systems if we're unwilling to examine ourselves. Sometimes, the very things we defend are the things we need to reconsider.

Growth begins when pride stops getting in the way.

#WEInc #Leadership #Collaboration #SystemsChange #PersonalGrowth

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Success is rarely an individual achievement. Behind every person is a network of people, experiences, and opportunities that helped shape their journey.

At the Inspire Neighborhoods Conference in Fort Wayne, Lem Cartman reflected on how his family taught him the meaning of Ubuntu long before he had a word for it: “I am because we are.”

Our humanity is connected. Our progress is connected. And when we stop treating success as an individual project and start recognizing the people and communities that make it possible, we open the door to something greater.

When we replace “I” with “we,” what we cannot do alone becomes possible together.

#WEInc #InspireNeighborhoods #Ubuntu #Leadership #Collaboration

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“Nothing brings people together like a good meal.” 🍽️🤝🏾

At the State of Black Food, @lemcartman of @weincglobal and I talked about the power of food to connect communities, spark ideas, and create opportunities beyond city lines.

Here’s to more cross-city collaborations, open minds, and a willingness to build together. There’s so much we can accomplish when we stop working in silos and start sharing the table. 🌱✨

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Education is more than what happens in a classroom.

It happens when someone takes the time to teach, encourage, challenge, listen, and create space for someone else to grow.

For Martell, that has meant creating opportunities for young people to explore technology, build, and learn through hands-on experiences.

For Lem, it has meant creating spaces like his leadership camp where young people can discover their voice, develop their leadership, and see what’s possible for themselves.

Their work with young people reflects something we believe deeply at WE: investing in people is investing in the future.

This World Teachers’ Day, we’re celebrating the educators, mentors, coaches, facilitators, and community leaders who do that work every day.

To everyone helping someone learn, grow, and become: thank you.

Happy World Teachers’ Day.

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Meet @lemcartman, Founder and Chief Strategist of @weincglobal, and the 2026 Policy Forum keynote speaker!

WE Inc. is a social impact consulting firm that has supported 14 organizations across the country and helped deploy more than $16 million in resources toward marginalized communities. Through this work, the organization brings institutions, communities, and people together to turn ideas into collective action.

As a strategist, civic leader, and public speaker, Lem's work bridges healthcare, public policy, community development, and youth leadership. His national and international experiences have strengthened his commitment to developing young leaders who think globally and act locally.

Lem serves as Manager of Community Relations within Corporate Government Affairs at Henry Ford Health. In this role, he helps advance community engagement tied to the Future of Health development and a $600 million reinvestment agreement with the City of Detroit.

Prior to joining Henry Ford Health, Lem helped lead a trauma recovery program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago that achieved an average 20 point improvement in PTSD symptoms, which is more than double the national average. His background includes experiences spanning Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as speaking at the International Youth Conference in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly.

Lem is a nationally recognized 25 Under 25 honoree, Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, Mackinac Future Leader, and member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community. He has brought his perspective to stages including the Detroit Economic Club, IBM Innovation Summit, New Leaders Council National Convention, and Cities United.

Originally from Chicago's South Side and now rooted in Detroit, Lem centers his leadership on a simple belief: young people should not only be prepared to inherit the future, they should have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions being made today.

We are excited to have Lem join this year's Policy Forum and look forward to his keynote address.

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Pics from last year's Southern Chicago Grand Opening

#Chicago #Chicagobusiness #chicagoareaphotography

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WE Inc. was honored to be at the 20th Presidential Inauguration of Rev. Brian Konkol at Valparaiso University on September 25, where Lem Cartman served as the alumni speaker.

In a warm and thought-provoking address to the Valpo community, Lem challenged us to remember that our light matters most in the places where it may be hardest to see.

And wherever we go, we never go alone. We carry the people who believed in us, supported us, challenged us, and poured into us along the way. We may arrive as one, but we carry the impact of thousands with us.

More from Lem’s address coming soon.

#WEInc #ValparaisoUniversity #Leadership #CommunityImpact #PersonalGrowth

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Two days from now, Lem Cartman will be at Valparaiso University for the 20th Presidential Inauguration, delivering a keynote as the university welcomes its new president.

Swipe through for a look back at two previous moments Lem has shared from the stage at Valpo, including MLK Day and a commencement ceremony.

From honoring the legacy of Dr. King to celebrating the next generation of graduates, these conversations have always been about more than a speech. They’re opportunities to challenge, encourage, and equip people to think differently about their role in the world.

We’re looking forward to being back at Valpo on September 25.

#WEInc #Leadership #ValparaisoUniversity #PublicSpeaking #CommunityImpact

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