America at 250: To Form a More Perfect... Community
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Our rural communities face a barrage of external forces that challenge their economies, climate, civic cohesion, and humanity. Jane Lindholm (Vermont Public) will moderate a panel featuring Vijay Singh (CEO of Vermont Public), Michael Wood-Lewis (Front Porch Forum Founder and CEO), Dan Smith (President of Vermont Community Foundation), and Django Grace (Columbia University student organizer and advocate) to discuss how our communities can persist as healthy and resilient places to live, work and grow.
Hosted by Jill Lepore, and held in the North Barn at Retreat Farm. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the event will start at 7pm. Tickets for those under 25 are free, but please reserve a ticket for space purposes. There is no food or beverage service at this event; complimentary water and lemonade will be provided. There is no pre-assigned seating.
About the moderator:
Jane Lindholm is an award-winning journalist, host, producer and public speaker. She is the creator of But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids, and longtime former host of Vermont Edition. She is an alumna of NPR and APM’s Marketplace. Jane is driven by the desire to understand how the world works and why people do the things they do. She brings curiosity, empathy, and a healthy dose of skepticism to her work.
About the panelists:
Vijay Singh is the CEO of Vermont Public. He began his career in documentaries, then spent years bouncing between storytelling and the commercial world of Hollywood and software startups, eventually carrying that marriage of story and tech into public media leadership at the height of its digital transformation. He believes public media is fundamentally about community education and connection, and is a place where neighbors trade understanding instead of just opinions. He's set on building on an already strong foundation to keep Vermont Public a cornerstone of Vermont life for generations to come.
Michael Wood-Lewis, along with his wife, Valerie, founded Front Porch Forum in 2006 to serve their hometown of Burlington, Vermont. By 2013, FPF had grown to host forums in every community in the state. Today, a majority of Vermont households subscribe to Front Porch Forum. Members have shared millions of postings among nearby neighbors about all sorts of topics: lost dogs, car break-ins, plumber recommendations, school budgets, block parties, helping neighbors in need, and more.
Dan Smith is a native of Middlesex and an 8th generation Vermonter, and has served as President and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation since 2016. In that time, the Foundation has increased its impact, adapting to focus on addressing Vermont’s opportunity gap and the vitality of rural communities, as well as guiding community responses to the Covid 19 pandemic and the floods of 2023, 2024 and 2025. The throughline of his career has been a constant focus on the strength of Vermont communities and the wellbeing of Vermonters. Dan returned to the state after graduating from law school in 2002. The bulk of his career has been spent in economic development, higher education and now community philanthropy. Prior to joining the Vermont Community Foundation, Smith was asked to step in as president of what was then Vermont Technical College, where he stabilized enrollment and strengthened the college’s financial picture while deepening partnerships with employers in key state industries. Smith now lives in Burlington with his wife Lindsay, an obstetrician with Maitri, and their three sons. They spend as much time as possible on the lake, on a mountain or in the woods.
Django Grace describes himself as an environmentalist, skier, chiller, and lifelong Brattleborian. He graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 2024 and will enter his junior year of college at Columbia University this fall. He plans to study political science and environmental policy, and eventually hopes to work in the Vermont Legislature.
This event is a part of America at 250, a series of community conversations hosted by Jill Lepore and co-presented by Retreat Farm, Vermont Public, and Vermont Community Foundation.
Hosted by Jill Lepore, and held in the North Barn at Retreat Farm. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the event will start at 7pm. Tickets for those under 25 are free, but please reserve a ticket for space purposes. There is no food or beverage service at this event; complimentary water and lemonade will be provided. There is no pre-assigned seating.
About the moderator:
Jane Lindholm is an award-winning journalist, host, producer and public speaker. She is the creator of But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids, and longtime former host of Vermont Edition. She is an alumna of NPR and APM’s Marketplace. Jane is driven by the desire to understand how the world works and why people do the things they do. She brings curiosity, empathy, and a healthy dose of skepticism to her work.
About the panelists:
Vijay Singh is the CEO of Vermont Public. He began his career in documentaries, then spent years bouncing between storytelling and the commercial world of Hollywood and software startups, eventually carrying that marriage of story and tech into public media leadership at the height of its digital transformation. He believes public media is fundamentally about community education and connection, and is a place where neighbors trade understanding instead of just opinions. He's set on building on an already strong foundation to keep Vermont Public a cornerstone of Vermont life for generations to come.
Michael Wood-Lewis, along with his wife, Valerie, founded Front Porch Forum in 2006 to serve their hometown of Burlington, Vermont. By 2013, FPF had grown to host forums in every community in the state. Today, a majority of Vermont households subscribe to Front Porch Forum. Members have shared millions of postings among nearby neighbors about all sorts of topics: lost dogs, car break-ins, plumber recommendations, school budgets, block parties, helping neighbors in need, and more.
Dan Smith is a native of Middlesex and an 8th generation Vermonter, and has served as President and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation since 2016. In that time, the Foundation has increased its impact, adapting to focus on addressing Vermont’s opportunity gap and the vitality of rural communities, as well as guiding community responses to the Covid 19 pandemic and the floods of 2023, 2024 and 2025. The throughline of his career has been a constant focus on the strength of Vermont communities and the wellbeing of Vermonters. Dan returned to the state after graduating from law school in 2002. The bulk of his career has been spent in economic development, higher education and now community philanthropy. Prior to joining the Vermont Community Foundation, Smith was asked to step in as president of what was then Vermont Technical College, where he stabilized enrollment and strengthened the college’s financial picture while deepening partnerships with employers in key state industries. Smith now lives in Burlington with his wife Lindsay, an obstetrician with Maitri, and their three sons. They spend as much time as possible on the lake, on a mountain or in the woods.
Django Grace describes himself as an environmentalist, skier, chiller, and lifelong Brattleborian. He graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 2024 and will enter his junior year of college at Columbia University this fall. He plans to study political science and environmental policy, and eventually hopes to work in the Vermont Legislature.
This event is a part of America at 250, a series of community conversations hosted by Jill Lepore and co-presented by Retreat Farm, Vermont Public, and Vermont Community Foundation.
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Where is it happening?
45 Farmhouse Square, Brattleboro, VT, United States, Vermont 05301
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherRetreat Farm
