Community Summit – Allentown, PA

About

The Breakthrough T1D Community Summit is an educational and networking opportunity for all those impacted by type 1 diabetes (T1D). Community Summit will bring our community together to learn from T1D experts, hear about the latest breakthroughs in T1D research, meet vendor exhibitors, connect with others impacted by T1D, and more. The educational program and conversations will be geared towards an adult audience, but we do have limited space in our Youth & Teen Programming available.

Breakout sessions will include a beginner and expert level for each of the following sessions:

Advocat(T1D)ing – a session led by experts in the mental health space sharing helpful resources to advocate for yourself as a T1D, your T1D loved one, or yourself as T1D caretaker.

BEGINNER SESSION: geared toward those who are newer to the T1D experience. Topics will center around care and advocacy: for yourself or your loved one, mental health, and T1D burnout.
Speakers: Ann Marie Barilla, MHSc, RD, LDN, CDCES, BC-ADM; Destiny DeeDee Jackson, Adult living with T1D and Breakthrough T1D Volunteer; Staci Steinfeld, Mom of T1D son and Breakthrough T1D Volunteer

EXPERT SESSION: geared toward those who have long-term experience with Type 1 Diabetes. Topics will center around care and advocacy: for yourself or your loved one, health, and T1D burnout.
Speakers: Destiny DeeDee Jackson, Adult living with T1D and Breakthrough T1D Volunteer; Michele Ezrow, LCSW; Staci Steinfeld, Mom of T1D son and Breakthrough T1D Volunteer

Food for Thought – an informative, nutrition-focused session led by experts in healthy eating and nutrition.

BEGINNER SESSION: will offer a primer/refresher on carb counting and choosing foods to meet your T1D lifestyle and needs.
Speaker: Genevieve Cohen, RD

EXPERT SESSION: will be catered to T1D veterans who are looking for a deeper dive into the nuances of diabetic nutrition, such as the interactions between carbs, protein, fat, and blood sugar levels.
Speaker: Laurie Baker, RD

Performance & Precision with T1D – for looking to build a safe, sustainable exercise routine while exploring fueling, timing, and tech tools that help.

BEGINNER SESSION: covers the essentials: how movement affects blood glucose, simple strategies to prevent highs and lows, and practical tips for navigating activity with confidence.
Speaker: Stephen Burgo, Breakthrough T1D Ride Coach and Adult living with T1D

EXPERT SESSION: designed for seasoned athletes and highly active individuals. This session dives deep into advanced strategies for training with T1D. Perfect for those who want to push performance to the next level while maintaining tight control.
Speakers: Stephen Burgo, Breakthrough T1D Ride Coach and Adult living with T1D; Paige Kutler, RDN

T1D Tech – a session on the latest innovations transforming T1D management. This session explores cutting-edge tools from automated insulin delivery (AID) systems and next-gen CGMs to data-driven apps and emerging solutions.

BEGINNER SESSION: perfect for anyone wanting to feel more confident, connected, and empowered through technology.
Speaker: Alex Agasar, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES

EXPERT SESSION: geared toward anyone wanting to learn more about the unique differences about what systems are on the market to push their tech to its full potential and stay ahead of the latest innovations.
Speaker: Kristin Torres, CRNP, CDCES, CPNP-PC