Engage! Cleveland, a professional development and networking organization for young and emerging professionals, will hold its third annual Develop, Engage, and Inspire Conference (formerly the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference) to bring together community leaders and changemakers this Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stillwater Place at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Organizers say the conference is held at a critical time for conversations about belonging in Cleveland. The event has evolved its branding while maintaining its core mission: To attract, engage, and retain emerging, diverse talent to Greater Cleveland, says Engage marketing and communications manager Belle Mercurio.

"With all of the executive orders that have come out earlier in the year, we noticed a really big pullback of interest and sponsorship around [the phrase ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’],” she explains. “And we really just wanted to keep as many people attending as possible."

Instead, Mercurio says the organizers focused this year’s conference messaging on action-oriented themes.

"We wanted to try to flip it in a way that was still interesting while also still hitting home that mission of diversity, equity and inclusion," she notes.

Engage! Cleveland president Ashley Basile Oeken says the re-focused format opens doors for open discussions and sharing during stressful times in the United States.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the dialogue and raising awareness about this important topic in the Cleveland community,” she says. “Now, more than ever, it’s important, given what’s going on in the world right now. We offer a non-political space to have conversations to learn and grow and have that dialogue.”

Wednesday will feature six dynamic sessions, including panel discussions and intimate fireside chats. The agenda includes sessions like "Diversity Equity Inclusion is Not DEI," led by the Cavs’ Clayton, which promises to challenge conventional labels.

“It’s going to be a really great mix, not looking at any policies but how you can be leading for every setting you’re sitting in and make it tangible for everyone,” says Abby Petty, Engage! Cleveland events manager, who adds that speakers include representatives from non-profit, corporate, and higher-end sectors, while the panel held after lunch is made up of community development leaders.

Notable speakers include Edward Hubbard, executive director of the NAACP Cleveland Branch, Kevin Clayton, chief impact officer with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and representatives from the Cleveland Guardians, Sherwin-Williams, College Now of Greater Cleveland, University Hospitals, and Shaker Heights School District.

"Rather than diversity, equity and inclusion, we're looking at all of those through the lens of belonging," Mercurio explains, adding that the conference’s motto, "Building a Cleveland Where You Belong," sets the tone for discussions spanning many sectors and industries.

Additionally, conference officials have teamed up with Playhouse Square for the national tour opening of "The Notebook," running at the Connor Palace Theatre through Saturday, Sept. 27.

"We're doing a bundle deal where it's kind of like extend your day and end your night at Playhouse Square," says Mercurio. While the touring production doesn't feature the blind casting that made the Broadway version groundbreaking, the partnership aligns with the conference's inclusive vision.

"The goal of our conference this year is to consistently keep our mission of this ‘Takeover Tuesday’ initiative that we started with in 2020," Mercurio explains. "Our mission at the end of the day is to really make the connections with these individuals in the community that are doing this work and bring that to our audience so that it's more accessible and easier to digest."

Mercurio says she expects the conference to attract around 100 attendees from across the region's business, education, and nonprofit sectors.

"It's going to be a really exciting day,” she says. “It'll be packed—we've got everything down to the minute, but it's going to be a really great conversation."

Registration is now open for the Develop, Engage, and Inspire Conference and costs between $125 for just the conference and $155 for the conference and “The Notebook” bundle.