Develop, Engage, Inspire Conference: An Outsider’s Perspective.

1 day, 14 speakers, 100 attendees, and the only 2 people from New York. Written by Jessica Santilli, Senior Art Director + Designer at Heard Creative

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Gracefully navigating the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in today’s political climate can be… difficult. The significant rollbacks on DEI initiatives in the U.S. and the overall spread of misinformation have created unique challenges for those of us who work hard to keep it a priority. At Heard Creative, a fully remote agency based in Rochester, NY, with employees across the country, we constantly seek out educational opportunities that expand our knowledge in how to best support our colleagues. We work hard to create an intentional space where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Dave DiPrimo, Art Director, Designer, and fellow DEI team member at Heard, and I researched many potential learning experiences. One that stood out to us was the Develop, Engage, Inspire Conference hosted by Engage! Cleveland. Recognized as one of the top DEI Conferences in the world, and only about a 4-hour drive from Rochester, we knew this could be a perfect opportunity for us.

But, you may ask, how could it be perfect for us if the event is Cleveland-centric when neither of us lives in Cleveland? As remote employees, we spend a lot of time level-setting with our colleagues about the cities they live in. This conference was an opportunity to learn more about a different place and flex the same metaphorical muscle that we use to understand someone else’s perspective and all the intersecting identities that make them, them. From the extraordinary conference keynote speakers and panelists to the Uber drivers who helped us navigate the city, Dave and I learned about the history, diversity, and inclusion efforts happening in Cleveland.

The conference sessions offered a variety of topics that broadened our DEI-related vocabulary and spaces to self-reflect with other attendees. Kevin Clayton, Executive Vice President – Chief Impact and Equity Officer, Rock Entertainment Group & Cleveland Cavaliers, gave a keynote address that helped us understand the importance of refocusing “DEI” away from the singular acronym because it has become target of much political ire, and instead, bring it back to the rooted focus of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which is to create belonging for all. (It’s important to note that I won a Max Strus bobblehead at this session, and despite learning that the Cavaliers are, in fact, a basketball team earlier that day, I am now a committed fan, and this is my prized possession.)

Dave and I learned from Bethany Studenic and Chinenye Nkemere, from Enlightened Solutions, that the current workforce in the US has more age diversity than ever before. Generational diversity is a major factor in workplace communications because people of different ages can prefer different communication styles, which can cause friction at work if not understood by all. With our Heard DEI team’s intention to bridge gaps between our colleagues, this was a home run session for us. We look forward to rolling out new initiatives that aim to better connect our generationally diverse workforce based on what we learned at this session.

Dave and I left the conference invigorated and inspired to share all that we learned with the rest of our team. We have already begun to plan ways to implement many of the presented concepts and practices and are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from so many different voices. I cannot thank Engage! Cleveland enough for this event, from the wide variety of topics within the umbrella of DEI, to the thoughtful food options and impeccable time management, it was one for the books. Each person that we had the pleasure of connecting with at the conference went above and beyond to make sure that we non-Clevelanders… no Clevandites… maybe Clevandees? I give up, we New-Yorkers felt welcomed, seen, and valued, and abundantly emulated the values that DEI efforts consistently seek to employ.

The Develop, Engage, Inspire Conference provided a clear takeaway for us. Belonging is the goal. Whether those people are employees of our company or another, fans of the same sports team or a rival (Go Cavs! I have a bobblehead now, remember?), live in the same city or across the country, or are attending a conference from a completely different state than where it is being hosted, creating a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and accepted as their whole selves is the most important intention. My outsider’s perspective? Sign up for this conference next year. It was rewarding, valuable, and despite being from New York, I still felt like it built a Cleveland where I belonged.