Economic Inclusion Summit 2017

(Previously the Diversity & Inclusion Summit)

Our ability to tap into the skills and talents of all our residents is one of the most pressing problems our communities face today.  Barriers both structural and social can make it difficult for companies to reach all their potential customers and hire all their potential employees, and this also leaves people seeking services and searching career opportunities that they could potentially fill.  And as our population continues to grow increasingly diversified, this creates both a difficulty and an opportunity.

The Economic Inclusion Summit, hosted by the Alliance & Chamber’s Diversity & Inclusion Partnership, is an annual conversation around the need to tap into the consumer and workforce potential of our entire population.  Our economy stands to benefit significantly from the opportunities created by breaking down the barriers that exist to economic involvement, and doing so requires a broader awareness of the underlying issues around economic inclusion.

This year’s keynote presentation is an interactive theater experience by Breaking Ice, a Minneapolis-based theater troupe that performs professional, customized theater experiences for organizations and businesses to address difficult issues – often based on misunderstanding or cultural differences.  It’s a powerful, dramatic, and entertaining way to step back and get a fresh perspective while gaining a more intimate understanding of how individuals relate to each other. 

All of this is framed around a broader conversation about economic inclusion, providing both context and direct takeaways to help your organization tap into a broader consumer and workforce base in the Cedar Valley.

Whether you’re setting organizational strategy as a company executive or owner or you’re a team member tasked with implementing more effective policies for consumer and workforce attraction, the Economic Inclusion Summit is a discussion around how to do both in a growing and diversifying market place.