A keynote that names the weight of this work — then hands your audience a way forward.
Dave Closson is the founder of the Coalition Operating System (COS) and speaks to the coalition coordinators, prevention professionals, and funders who carry more than most people see.
The practitioner behind the framework.
Dave spent years inside coalitions — the good meetings, the ones that fell apart, the grants that arrived late, the coordinators who left because no one gave them a system. COS is the operating system he wishes he'd had.
On stage he's direct, warm, and specific. No stock deck. No jargon. Just the honest picture of what coalition work actually costs — and a way to make it lighter and more effective at the same time.
Three talks. Each shaped to the room in front of him.
The signature keynote. Why coalition work feels so heavy — and the six components that let a group of organizations move as one without burning out the coordinator.
For coordinators in their first five years: how to stop being the single point of failure, hand off without dropping the mission, and build something that outlives your grant cycle.
For funders and evaluators: what to look for beyond logic models, and how to structure grants so coalitions can build real infrastructure instead of performing progress.
Ready to talk dates?
Tell Dave about your event, audience, and timeline. He replies personally within a week.
Book Dave for Your Event