Gain Insight. Find Connection. Explore Ideas.
Let’s move Fairfield County forward, together.
The Equity Lab, powered by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, is a new and growing community resource for learning, connection, and innovation. Through events, workshops, local research projects, and other opportunities for community dialogue, the Equity Lab aims to bring together people who want to transform systems so that all our neighbors have an equitable opportunity to thrive. Learn more about our strategy to advance equity.
In Community Conversation Series
This speaker series is designed to ignite fresh perspectives, inspire actionable solutions, and foster collaboration through compelling conversations with thought leaders and social advocates who are actively engaged in addressing the pressing issues facing our region and our country. The series is powered by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and our partners and sponsors.
2025-2026 Events and Trainings
Is your nonprofit or community organization engaged in equity work? Join us for upcoming trainings that will advance your efforts and connect you with peers.
FUTURE EVENT DETAILS COMING SOON!
Explore Data
Learn more about opportunities for advancing equity in Fairfield County by exploring research that we’ve conducted in partnership with community leaders.
• Fairfield County 2023 Equity Report
• Health Equity In Connecticut 2023
• [Executive Summary] Fairfield County Community Wellbeing Index 2023
• Fairfield County Community Wellbeing Index 2023
• Our Immigrant Neighbors Report
• Essential Equity: Women, COVID-19 and Rebuilding Connecticut
• Fund for Women & Girls 2019 Research Recommendations Overview
• Count Her In: A Status Report on Women & Girls in Fairfield County
• Count Them In: A Landscape Analysis of Fairfield County Organizations Supporting Women & Girls
• Resource Guide for Women, Girls & Fairfield County Communities
Dig Deeper
Read more about our partnerships with changemakers in our community, and our shared vision for a strong future for Fairfield County.
• Introducing the Community Equity Incubator
• Creating Opportunity for Youth
• Honoring a Champion for Progress
• Strengthening Nonprofit Leaders
• Advocating for Systems Change
• Tackling the Local Housing Crisis
• Empowering Job Seekers to Succeed
• Reimagining Black Maternal Health
• Collaborative Solutions to Changing Community Needs
• An In-Depth Look at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Workplace Culture
• Empowering Leaders of Color to Advance Equity in Connecticut
• LISTEN: Mendi Blue Paca on Fairfield County’s Fight Against Economic Inequality & Racial Disparities
• Introducing Fairfield County Forward: A Community Strategy
• Introducing the Connecticut Urban Opportunity Collective
• Collaborating for Education Equity
Past Events
March 13, 2025
In Community: A Conversation with Kwame Owusu-Kesse
We recently welcomed Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), for an inspiring In Community Conversation event. Kwame shared how HCZ is transforming Harlem and communities nationwide through their pioneering place-based model. Recognized on TIME100 Next, he offered valuable insights on driving meaningful change—even in uncertain times.
December 4, 2024
In Community: A Conversation with Louise Story and Ebony Reed
The Westport Library hosted an engaging session of our In Community Speaker Series, presented by The Community Foundation’s Equity Lab in partnership with Team Westport and The Westport Library. The event featured Louise Story and Ebony Reed, authors of Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap, offering insightful discussions on one of the most pressing issues of our time.
May 28, 2024
In Community: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones
Thank you to all who joined us for a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. She discussed her career covering racial injustice and the enduring legacy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade on our culture, our politics, our economy, and our institutions.
In addition, we delved into her powerful recent New York Times Magazine piece, The ‘Colorblindness’ Trap: How a civil rights ideal got hijacked, and how the history of Black advocacy and activism can inform how we stand up to demand a more racially just society.
Produced in partnership with The Equity Lab, powered by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF) and Connecticut Public.
February 29, 2024
In Community: A Conversation on Racism in Medicine” with physician/author Dr. Uché Blackstock.
Thank you to all who joined us at our second In Community Speaker Series event, featuring physician and author Dr. Uché Blackstock. As an ER physician and later a professor of academic medicine, Dr. Blackstock has an insider’s view on the stark systemic barriers that Black patients and physicians face. Connecticut Public co-sponsored the event.
“At its heart, LEGACY is a call to action for every single reader, regardless of their background or their profession,” said Dr. Blackstock. “We all have a part to play in making this country a more equitable and healthier place to live for Black people and people of color. My hope is that LEGACY will create a movement of people who feel galvanized to advance health equity.”
October 12, 2023
In Community: A Conversation on Poverty Featuring Author Matthew Desmond
Thank you to all who joined us at our first In Community Speaker Series event showcasing Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond. He discussed the challenges of poverty in our nation and shared ways to spark change in our community. Co-sponsored by Connecticut Public the event brought to light the staggering statistics that have unfortunately become the reality in our battle against poverty.
“The end of poverty is something to stand for. Something to sacrifice for… We do not need to outsmart this problem. We just need to out hate it.”
-Matthew Desmond, Oct 12, 2023, Norwalk, CT*
