Global Summit XVII sponsorship
Support the JES's mission of fostering dialogue for the Erie region on a global level.
Our audiences continue to show up to explore critical topics—from politics and global affairs to cutting-edge science, technology, sports, and more. And thanks to our sponsors, we’ve kept ticket prices unchanged since day one, ensuring that access to these powerful learning experiences remains open to all.
This year, we kicked off this year’s Global Summit with President Barack Obama. We also welcomed renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and community leader Jim Kelly, Vice President Mike Pence, and acclaimed historian Lindsay Chervinsky, plus many additional distinguished speakers who will engage and inspire audiences of all ages.
Whether you’ve sponsored the Global Summit before, supported other JES initiatives, or are considering a sponsorship for the first time, thank you for helping our community grow and thrive. Your support makes it possible for us to offer inclusive, high-quality programming that fosters civic engagement and civil dialogue—providing residents across Erie County with access to the ideas, conversations, and learning opportunities that matter most, especially in times when thoughtful public discourse is so urgently necessary.
If your organization is interested in becoming a Global Summit XVII sponsor, please contact Christine Gerlock by phone at 814-459-8000 or by email at gerlock@jeserie.org.
March, Run, Vote: Graphic Storytelling and the Fight for Democracy
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States dismantled the Voting Rights Act, one of the defining pieces of legislation of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. As many wonder what is next, the answer may lie in a surprising place: comics and graphic novels, a form which once inspired a key leader of the movement. Civil Rights leader and former Congressman, John Lewis was inspired in his youth by a comic book titled, "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story." This work taught him (and countless others across the globe) the tenants of non-violent resistance. With Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, Lewis would return to the medium to share his story with the world in the three volumes of his graphic memoir, "March" (2013-2016), which would tell his story and that of the Civil Rights movement in graphic form. Like the early comics of the movement, Lewis' story not only documents history, but also offers a playbook for a post-Voting Rights era. Join Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell as they reflect on what makes comics especially significant in our age digital age redefined by generative AI. Can a hand-drawn medium once again be one the most revolutionary tools as well as inspiration and a manual in our march forward?
Location: Gannon University Waldron Campus Center - 628 Peach St, Erie, PA 16501
Date/Time: Thursday, October 29th 7:00-8:30pm
Admission: Early Bird Pricing - General Admission $25.75 / Preferred Seating $51.50
*If you do NOT receive an email from info@jeserie.org within 24-48 hours regarding your registration, please check your spam or junk folder. Thank you!
Andrew Aydin is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award winner, and multiple Eisner Award recipient best known as the creator and co-author of the acclaimed graphic memoir series March and Run, chronicling the life and legacy of civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis. A longtime aide and policy advisor to Lewis, Aydin helped pioneer the use of graphic storytelling as a tool for civic education and social change. His work has earned numerous honors, including the National Book Award, Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the Sibert Medal, and the Printz Award. A graduate of Trinity College and Georgetown University, Aydin is a frequent lecturer, nonprofit leader, and advocate for civic engagement through storytelling. In 2024, he founded the Appalachia Comics Project to amplify underrepresented Appalachian voices, and in 2025 launched DC Comics' critically acclaimed series Taste of Justice.
Nate Powell is a National Book Award-winning cartoonist who began self-publishing as an Arkansas teenager in 1992. Creating both fiction and nonfiction, his work includes Fall Through, Save It For Later, Come Again, civil rights icon John Lewis's March trilogy, Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire, Lies My Teacher Told Me, and stints on The Twilight Zone, Sweet Tooth, and Black Hammer. He has published comics and writing for The Washington Post, The Nib, Popula, Lit Hub, Booklist, In These Times, Scholastic, CNN, and The Weather Channel. Powell's work has received multiple Eisner and Ignatz Awards, ALA and YALSA distinctions, the Comic-Con International Inkpot Award, the Jack & Roz Kirby Award for Independence, the CXC Transformative Work Award, and is a two-time finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next graphic novel, Diana, will be released October 6, 2026 by Abrams ComicArts. Visit http://www.nate-powell.com/ www.nate-powell.com for more information.
