What does it take to lead a complex scientific association through rapid change and actually come out ahead? In this episode of Built to Connect, Jackson speaks with Christie Tarantino-Dean, CEO of the Institute of Food Technologists and former head of Association Forum, to explore what great association leadership looks like when the stakes are high and the pace of change is relentless.

Christie shares how decades of watching associations grow — and struggle — shaped the board culture she built at IFT, why the best innovation often starts with a simple concierge service, and how a Jobs-To-Be-Done research framework led to the launch of CoDeveloper, IFT's own AI-powered tool for food science product developers.

And she leaves us with a reminder that every association leader building something new needs to hear: "You need the operational thinkers, but you also need some that can dream of what is possible."

Topics covered:

• From Association Forum to IFT: the lessons that stuck
• Board governance: what to model and how to build credibility fast
• IFT's board onboarding process: setting members up from day one
• From member research to AI product: the origin story of CoDeveloper
• Planting seeds: how IFT connects young people to a career that matters
• Beyond the annual meeting: what member engagement can actually look like

What if the association business model is fundamentally broken — and has been for decades? In this episode of Built to Connect, Jackson sits down with Dr. James Young, founder of Product Community and two-time chief learning officer, to challenge the way associations think about revenue, member engagement, and the value they deliver to their communities.

James introduces concepts like the "forever member journey," compound value, and micro-community design as a path toward a more engaged, financially resilient model — one where members don't just consume value, but actively create it.

James's one piece of advice for every association leader: stop putting all your eggs in one basket, and start co-creating longitudinal journeys with your members instead of just serving them.

Topics covered:

• Why the association business model is broken
• Community as a differentiated value proposition
• The "forever member journey" & serving the next generation of members
• Good revenue vs. bad revenue
• Small experiments, cohorts & compound value
• Real-world models: New Century College & impact networks
• What associations should stop doing and what comes next

Is the traditional association model still fit for purpose in 2026? In this second episode, Jackson is joined by Thad Lurie, SVP of Digital and Technology at American Geophysical Union and recipient of the Association Trends Trailblazer Award, to explore what it really means to lead innovation inside an industry that has traditionally favored stability over speed.

Thad shares the communication-first philosophy behind some of the most ambitious AI pilots in the association space, why incremental experimentation beats "fail fast" in association culture, and what AGU's real-world experience with declining attendance reveals about the pressures facing scientific associations today.

And he closes with something every association leader should reflect on: "Associations worry too much about what was and not enough about what will be."

Topics covered:

• Why communication matters more than technology in driving successful innovation
• Running incremental, low-risk experiments in a consensus-driven culture
• The membership value proposition and whether the annual meeting model is sustainable
• Trust, identity and why peer-reviewed associations are positioned to win in the AI era
• Rethinking the pipeline content model in favor of a platform approach
• Personalization as a tool for member value, not engagement manipulation

Episode 1: Built to Connect | Debra BenAvram, CEO of AABB

What does it take to transform a global association from the inside out? In our inaugural episode, Jackson sits down with Debra BenAvram, CEO of AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies), to explore how she's redefining what it means to lead a $20M nonprofit in a rapidly evolving industry.

Debra shares the leadership philosophy behind dropping staff turnover from 45% to 6%, why she spent her first 90 days doing one-on-ones with all 60 employees, and how AABB successfully rebranded — during COVID — without losing its identity. She also opens up about the gut-wrenching decision to cancel their 6,000-person annual meeting with 48 hours' notice when Hurricane Ian struck, and what it taught her about revenue diversification and member connection.

The conversation closes with a provocation every association leader needs to hear: "Associations worry too much about making every single person happy and not enough about finding the best opportunities that deliver both business results and mission results."

Topics covered:

• Building culture as a new CEO with no institutional equity
• Launching AABB's first biotherapy certification (CABP)
• Navigating a legacy rebrand without alienating members
• Crisis planning and business continuity
• Rethinking the annual meeting as the sole connection point