Our 3rd Annual Convening a Huge Success

This past July, leading innovators in immigrant economic development celebrated a successful 3rd Annual Welcoming Economies (WE) Global Network Convening in Dayton, Ohio. With over 300 attendees from nearly two-dozen Rust Belt cities who are pursuing new strategies to welcome immigrants to rebuild central cities and spark regional economic growth, the WE Global Convening demonstrated the growing energy and momentum in these local practices.

Rust Belt leaders congratulated the WE Global Network on its Convening of 300 professionals in Dayton, and support the efforts of the Network and local initiatives that welcome, retain, and empower immigrant communities.

Watch the video here:

2015 Program

WE 2015 Program CoverFor the 3rd Annual Convening, we took a page from the Welcome Dayton playbook and grouped our workshops to mirror Welcome Dayton’s five focus areas: Business and Economic Development, Community Culture and Arts, Education, Government and Justice, and Health and Social Services. Welcome Dayton uses these focus areas as a holistic approach to strategize, plan, and implement their work in immigrant integration.

View the session descriptions here, or click to browse the program.

Where did we come from?

The 3rd Annual Convening attracted professionals from 17 states, and together we reached more than 227,000 people using the hashtag #WEConvening on social media, resulting in close to 2 million impressions!

View a collection of #WEConvening posts.

Speakers and Panelists

Check out the impressive lineup of over 40 professionals who shared their expertise with Convening attendees.

Presentations
Keynote
Immigrant Entrepreneurship
Law Enforcement in Diverse Communities: Policies and Practices of Effective Engagement
AFFINITY GROUP: Changing Perceptions of Immigrants in Neighborhoods
Getting started in Immigrant Economic Development: Sharing Experiences Across the Region
AFFINITY GROUP: Entrepreneurship Learning Exchange
Neighborhood Revitalization – The Immigrant/Refugee Opportunity
Innovations in International Student Retention

Think: International

David Fleshler, Associate Provost for International Affairs, Case Western Reserve University; Chair, Global Cleveland

Ohio G.R.E.A.T

Lauren McGarity, Ohio G.R.E.A.T. Director, Ohio Board of Regents

Serving Highly Skilled Immigrants
Cross Ethnic Collaboration – What We’ve Learned and What Lies Ahead
3rd Annual Convening Press