A one-of-a-kind convening for creative disruptors who are imagining and creating a more just future

To build a future where we prevent family separation and eliminate systemic harms, we must imagine what’s possible, create bold solutions, and activate together to make our ideas real.

  • Scout

    Throughout the year we look for innovative ideas, people, and organizations that are focused on preventing family separation or eliminating systemic harms. We identify themes that we turn into design challenges, which are the focus of the design labs at Untethered.

  • Imagine

    Every year at Untethered we turn our design challenges into facilitated design labs. We work together in the labs to envision what the future can look like and how we can launch or grow bright spot opportunists for innovation.

  • Create

    After Untethered we identify the most promising idea and develop an 18-month Creative Cluster project to launch or scale the innovation. We develop a plan and raise funds to run the project.

  • Activate

    With a project plan and team in place, we launch the Creative Cluster project. Each project is unique to the design challenge and bright spot innovation. The first project we launched is an affordable housing innovation to prevent entries into foster care.

An experience unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

Join us in Washington, DC, May 6 - 8, 2026 for three days of community building, personal growth, and catalyzing impact for the next 362 days. Untethered 2026 will feature curated topics that represent opportunities to launch or scale innovations that create a more just future for families. These topics are the spark for the Design Challenges, Ignite Talks from people working on these issues, and Design Labs to identify bright spots that are ripe for acceleration. There will also be sessions focused on personal growth and time to reconnect with those you know in the community and to meet new people. Early registration opens January 21, and tickets are discounted until January 31!!

Event Details

  • Wednesday night’s kickoff party will be at the iconic Busboys and Poets at 2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009.

    Thursday and Friday will be held at the historic Union National Building at 918 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004.

  • We recommend flying into Reagan National Airport. It is the closest airport to DC. The hotel and venue locations can be easily reached by the DC Metro or Uber/Lyft.

    It is possible that flying into Dulles International Airport or BWI Airport may be cheaper. They are significantly further from DC than Regan (about 30 miles).

  • We have room blocks at two hotels. The locations are listed below as well as links to reservations for our Untethered 2026 block.

    Motto by Hiton, 627 H Street NW Washington DC 20001

    Click this Imagination Factory link to access the room block.

    Embassy Suites, 900 10th St NW, Washington DC 20001

    Click this link to access the room block.

    https://book.passkey.com/gt/221156052?gtid=868d1f44025a30a0898a81c8dd544c7a

    We are also booking a large house through Airbnb where attendees can stay. If you are interested in this, please email us at create@imgnfactory.org. This will be a more affordable option than the hotels.

  • The theme for Untethered 2026 is 362 Days. We come together every year for 3 days of community building, personal growth, and fun. But these 3 days are also the catalyst to the impact that we’re going to have over the next 362 days. How we leave Untethered 2026 is just important as how we spend your time at Untethered 2026!

    Day 1: Wednesday May 6

    Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

    Location: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St NW, Washington DC 20009

    The opening night is all about connecting with old and new friends, having fun, and beginning to “untether”.

    Program:

    • Registration

    • Heavy appetizers and one drink on us

    • Live performance by Slam Anderson and a special guest

    • Untethering activity

    Day 2: Thursday May 7

    Time: 8:30pm - 4:00pm

    Location: National Union Building, 918 F St NW, Washington DC 20004

    Day two is all about looking within, being reflective, identifying what impact you want to spark the next 362 days of the year, and having fun.

    Program:

    8:30am: breakfast and coffee

    9:00am: Opening & Grounding Experience

    9:45am: Community Building

    Break

    11:15: Creative Cluster Project Updates

    • Capture and Spread: Affordable Housing Innovation to Prevent Family Separation

    • Design and Launch: A World Without Termination of Parental Rights

    • Design and Launch: Incubator Program for Early-Stage Founders and Under Resourced Ideas

    Lunch

    1:15: Breakout Sessions

    • Sound Healing and Breath Work with Sonia and Sarah Cohen

    • Playing in the Gap in Between: Rehearsal for the Future of Child and Family Well-being with Crystal Williams

    • Hyperlocal Community Organizing with Movement for Family Power

    • 362 Activation: Designing an Untethered Local Chapter with Mollie Warren and Tiffany Ingram

    • Ctrl+Alt+Dlt: Aligning Your Work with Your Values with Kellie Green

    • SoJourney to Light with Ali Smith

    Break

    3:00pm: Ignite Talks

    • Mandatory Reporting: How might we scale compassionate family care plans and medical/legal partnership during pregnancy and at birth when substance use is involved that provides appropriate medical care and social supports so that families go home safely together without CPS reports or removals?

    • Access to Care Without Relinquishing Custody: How might we eliminate the requirement of relinquishing legal custody (i.e. family separation) as a pathway for children receiving mental health treatment and build a family-centered alternative?

    • Raising an Innovation Fund to Unlock Solutions: How might a new innovation fund in the child welfare sector unlock new solutions that keep families together and eliminate systemic harm, and what values would guide its management and impact? 

    3:45: Closing

    Day 3: Friday May 8

    Time: 8:30pm - 3:00pm

    Location: National Union Building, 918 F St NW, Washington DC 20004

    Day 3 is all about designing for the impact we want to have over the next 362 days and making commitments to ourselves.

    Program:

    8:30am: breakfast and coffee

    9:00am: Opening & Grounding Experience

    930am: Creativity Warm-up Exercises

    9:45am: Design Labs

    • Mandatory Reporting: How might we scale compassionate family care plans and medical/legal partnership during pregnancy and at birth when substance use is involved that provides appropriate medical care and social supports so that families go home safely together without CPS reports or removals?

    • Access to Care Without Relinquishing Custody: How might we eliminate the requirement of relinquishing legal custody (i.e. family separation) as a pathway for children receiving mental health treatment and build a family-centered alternative?

    • Raising an Innovation Fund to Unlock Solutions: How might a new innovation fund in the child welfare sector unlock new solutions that keep families together and eliminate systemic harm, and what values would guide its management and impact? 

    Lunch

    1:00pm: Design Lab Share outs

    2:00pm: Untethering Activity

    2:30pm: Closing Activity

    See you in the community….

Join us as we let go of what holds us back and step into a future we build together.

Our 2026 Sponsors