This landing page will be your go-to guide for logistics, travel, and convening details. For best use, open this page on a mobile device.

 

 

Schedule At a Glance

Look Book

Introducing the EngageDEI Cohort

 

Meeting Rooms

Whole group sessions will be held in the RiverBend Ballroom, located on the 2nd floor of the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center. Breakout sessions and office hours will be held in the Blaine Kern rooms located on the 1st floor.

 

Hotel Check-in

Upon arrival to the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center, proceed to the lobby to check in to your room. You will need to present a credit card for incidentals only, as the cost of your lodging will be covered by EngageDEI.

Welcome Mix and Mingle

Join us on Tuesday, May 28th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm in the lobby of the Marriott for an informal meet and greet with fellow EngageDEI participants. Appetizers will be provided courtesy of the hotel.

Convening Meals

Breakfast, snacks and lunch will be served in our meeting space area at the Marriott each day of the convening.

Dinner will be provided the evening of Wednesday, May 29th at 7:30pm during our social event at New Orleans House of Blues.

Promise54 will reimburse up to $25 for dinner the evening of Tuesday, May 28th if you fly into New Orleans that evening. In order to be reimbursed for dinner, you must submit a receipt for each expense, and your total reimbursement amount must not exceed $25. See the travel logistics memo in the “Know-Before-You Go” email for more on the reimbursement process.

Transportation from the Airport

We’ve partnered with Lyft to provide you round trip transportation to and from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center.

  • Ride share groups have been assigned here (http://bit.ly/EngageDEIrideshare) based on flight arrival and airline information
  • Locate your ride share members upon landing; most ride share members are on the same flights
  • One person should go to the Promos section of the Lyft app and enter the promo code: ENGAGEARRIVALS19

Applied credit will be displayed on the ride payment screen. For more detailed instructions about using Lyft and adding a promo code, go here (http://bit.ly/EngageLyft).

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is complimentary in the Marriott guest rooms and meeting rooms. Please follow instructions from the hotel to access guest room internet.

Lactation Room

The Marriott has designated the Magnolia meeting room as a lactation room during the convening. Magnolia is located on the 1st floor, near the Blaine Kern breakout room spaces. Note: All guest rooms are equipped with a refrigerator.

Office Hours

Promise54 Data Office Hours

Bring your questions to data office hours for a quick chat with our Promise54 DEI data specialists, Lyle and Leslye!

Location: Blaine Kern B, 1st Floor

When: Wednesday 7:30am – 8:30am, Thursday 7:30am – 8:30am

 

Beloved Data Office Hours

Rhonda from the Beloved team will be available for office hours as well!

Location: Blaine Kern F, 1st Floor

When: Wednesday 7:30am – 8:30am, Thursday 7:30am – 8:30am

 

Catalyst:Ed Technical Assistance (TA) Matching Office Hours

Leona, Tre, and Bernadette from Catalyst:Ed will be available to discuss the TA matching process in more detail. Stop by with questions!

Location: Blaine Kern D, 1st Floor

When: Wednesday 7:30am – 8:30am, Thursday 7:30am – 8:30am and 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Early Morning Self-Care

One of the core values Promise54 brings as host of the EngageDEI convening is the value of “Be Well.” We believe that to do our best work, we must accept and support each other in all of our humanity. This includes creating time – like these morning sessions - to take care of ourselves and each other, to relax, recharge, and refuel individually and as a team.

Indoor Yoga

Wednesday, May 29th and Thursday, May 30th from 6:00 am7:00 am:

  • Meet at the Julia Room, 2nd Floor, in the hotel

 

Outdoor Run/Walk

*Meet at the lobby of the hotel, at the couches nearest to the check-in area.

Run: 

Wednesday, May 29th and Thursday, May 30th from 6:00 am 7:00 am.

Group Lead: Hollis Salway, Director of Development, CareerWise Colorado

 

Walk: 

Wednesday, May 29th and Thursday, May 30th from 6:15 am 7:00 am.

Group Lead: Vanessa Peterson, Director, DEIA NWEA

Arrival Day: Tuesday, May 28th

All day

Participants Arrive in New Orleans

6:00pm8:00 pm

Mix and Mingle (Lobby)

Day One: Wednesday, May 29th

7:30 am8:30 am

  • Breakfast (Riverbend Ballroom)
  • Survey Data Office Hours - Beloved Community (Blaine Kern B)
  • Survey Data Office Hours - Promise54 (Blaine Kern F)
  • Technical Assistance Office Hours - Catalyst:Ed (Blaine Kern D)

8:30 am9:00 am

Welcome & Opening Words (Riverbend Ballroom)

9:00 am10:00 am

Keynote: Students, Diversity Talks and Q&A Moderator, Kiara Butler (Riverbend Ballroom)

10:00 am10:15 am

BREAK

10:15 am11:30 am

Plenary: Data Grounding & Community Building - Xiomara Padamsee, Promise54  (Riverbend Ballroom)

11:30 am11:45 am

BREAK

11:45 am1:15 pm

DEEP DIVE BREAKOUTS

Balancing Burden and Power: Developing Strategies for Engagement in DEI Conversations as People of Color - Lucerito Ortiz & UnSuk Zucker, Promise54 (Blaine Kern C)

Navigating My White Identity as a Leader in this Work - Abigail Smith, BlueSkyEd & Justin Cohen, Wayfinder Foundation (Blaine Kern E)

Leveraging the Immunity to Change Framework to Address Barriers to Engaging in Bold Conversation around Race in the Workplace - Tracey Benson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Blaine Kern D)

Behind the Scenes of TNTP's DEI Journey: A Case Study - Tequilla Brownie, TNTP (Blaine Kern F)

1:15 pm2:15 pm

  • Lunch (Riverbend Ballroom)
  • Survey Data Office Hours - Beloved Community (Blaine Kern B)
  • Survey Data Office Hours - Promise54 (Blaine Kern F)
  • Technical Assistance Office Hours - Catalyst:Ed (Blaine Kern D)

2:15 pm3:45 pm

DEEP DIVE BREAKOUTS

What Are We Really Saying?: Building Shared Definitions of What Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mean to and in Your Organization - Dawn Albert, Alison Brock McGill, & Kimberly Osagie, Promise54 (Blaine Kern C)

Identifying and Interrupting Bias in Recruitment and Hiring - Cornelius Lee, Monisha Lozier, & Tiffany Williams-Virden, Promise54 (Blaine Kern E)

Equitable Performance and Promotion Systems - Jennifer Mayer-Sandoval & Jovian Zayne, Becoming Better Together, LLC (Blaine Kern D)

Inclusive Leadership and Holding Power Responsibly - Carrie Ellis & Eric Polite II, Becoming Better Together, LLC (Blaine Kern F)

3:450 pm4:00 pm

BREAK

4:00 pm4:20 pm

Action Planning Prep (Riverbend Ballroom)

4:20 pm5:20 pm

Keynote: Trabian Shorters, BMe Community (Riverbend Ballroom)

5:20 pm5:30 pm

Closing Words

5:30 pm7:30 pm

Break

7:30 pm-10:00 pm

Dinner and Game Night!

 

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Day Two: Thursday, May 30th

7:30 am8:15 am

Breakfast: Field-Level Affinity Groups (Riverbend Ballroom)

8:15 am8:30 am

Opening Words (Riverbend Ballroom)

8:30 am9:30 am

Keynote: laura brewer, How To Make Love (Riverbend Ballroom)

9:30 am9:45 am

BREAK

9:45 am1:00 pm

ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT

*Breakout Rooms as Assigned

9:45 am11:00 am: Guided Action Planning

11:00 am12:25 pm : Action Plan Consultancies

12:25 pm1:00 pm: Refinement & Submission

1:00 pm1:45 pm

Lunch (Riverbend Ballroom)

1:45 pm2:45 pm

Keynote: Glenn Singleton, Courageous Conversations About Race (CCAR) (Riverbend Ballroom)

2:45 pm3:00 pm

Closing (Riverbend Ballroom)

3:00 pm4:00 pm

  • Survey Data Office Hours - Beloved Community (Blaine Kern B)
  • Survey Data Office Hours - Promise54 (Blaine Kern F)
  • Technical Assistance Office Hours - Catalyst:Ed (Blaine Kern D)

Brianna Rose Brooks (they/them), 2018, colored pencil and gouache on paper. Read more about the artist and the artwork here.