Register today!

"BELONGING IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA", the 2nd Annual Equity Summit, is an opportunity to engage around themes related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and forge a more inclusive future in northeast Minnesota.
Date & Time
Thursday, November 10, 2022
8:00AM – 3:30PM
Who Should Attend?
All are welcome to attend!
Residents, newcomers, elected officials, educators, law enforcement, environmental advocates, community leaders, business owners, creatives, workforce & economic developers, government, health care, philanthropy, and YOU.
Location
Iron Trail Motors Event Center
919 6th Street South, Virginia, MN 55792
Registration Fee
$20 per person to help cover food costs. No refunds.
Registration closes November 3rd, 2022.
We have 25 scholarships available, if you would like to make use of one of our scholarships, please email Amber Lewis directly at alewis@northspan.org.
Agenda
8:00 a.m. — Registration and check-in.
8:30 a.m. — Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) coffee and breakfast snacks. Learn about Northspan’s Welcoming Community programming in northeast Minnesota and just what the terms “justice,” “equity,” “diversity,” and “inclusion” mean.
9:00 a.m. — Belonging in the Workplace: The Journey Beyond Hiring Diverse Candidates. Hear from keynote speaker Suriya Vijayasarathy on the topic of creating inclusive workplaces for individuals from minority or underrepresented groups.
9:45 a.m. — Panel Discussion: Where We Feel Belonging and Where We Don’t: A Community Perspective. Community members from across northeast Minnesota will share perspectives, experiences, and stories of where our communities are successfully making spaces of belonging, and where gaps persist. The panel will include representatives from Trans Northland, Twin Ports APIDA Collective, Fairview Range Community Healthy Aging Committee, and Voices for Ethnic and Multicultural Awareness.
11:00 a.m. — Lunch and networking. Menu to include a choice of meat or veggie burger with potato wedges and coleslaw. Catered by Kunnari’s Kitchen.
12:00 pm. — Belonging Across the Northland Breakout Sessions. Organizations across the northland in the public and private sectors explain their roles in creating a welcoming community and discuss their current programming or initiatives related to JEDI. Participating organizations will include Kraus-Anderson, Cook County Joint Powers Committee Addressing Racial Equity, American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), Koochiching Technology Initiative, MN North College, Aonehc LLC, Voices for Ethnic and Multicultural Awareness, and more!
3:00 p.m. — Closing Conversation: Where Do We Go from Here? Thought provoking questions and interactive discussions to end our day.
3:30 p.m. — We are Adjourned | Thank You for Joining Us
Speakers bios and resources can be found here: Equity Summit 2022 - Resources - The Northspan Group, Inc.
Covid 19 Information
In accordance with CDC guidelines, we ask that all summit attendees ensure they are not exhibiting any symptoms consistent with Covid 19. We also ask that attendees practice safety measures such as maintaining distance from others when possible, washing hands frequently, and masking in large group settings. Let's work together to stay healthy during this one-day event.