DEIBelonging Consultants Gathering

Note: Some participants had to leave early and are not pictured in the group photo.

On April 23rd, we gathered our DEIBelonging consultants network to take a collective breath, ground into our values, and work together to move DEIB forward. While we gathered last year as an informal networking event, we felt we needed more structure this year to address the current political climate and attack on DEIB.

We started the day with brunch and then split up into 4 small groups where we:

• Checked in with each other (led by JP).

• Talked about hope (led by Ilsa).

• Shared challenges and opportunities (led by Richard).

• Used visual explorer cards for self-exploration (led by Judy).

  
  

Each group rotated throughout the morning so that everyone had a chance to attend each session. We concluded the day with a large group discussion facilitated by Caprice, which led to a conversation about language and plans for next steps to continue moving forward collectively.

At the end of our gathering, Caprice asked each of us to share one word describing how we felt. Words like grounded, hopeful, encouraged, grateful, and engaged surfaced. This event was a wonderful reminder of how, in the face of adversity, coming together as a collective and supporting each other is how we get through. We are so grateful to be a part of such an amazing community and are feeling energized to continue this work alongside them.