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.
WELCOMING RECEPTION
DAYTON VISUAL ARTS CENTER A BEAUTIFUL SPACE TO WELCOME GUESTS TO DAYTON
A PACKED HOUSE
The 3rd Annual Convening reached capacity with 300 guests!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER FELICIA ESCOBAR, WHITE HOUSE
IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLENARY DISCUSSION with David Kallick, Fiscal Policy Institute
CROSS ETHNIC COLLABORATION PANEL
Eva Hassett, International Institute of Buffalo, and Ba Zan Lin, Burmese Community Support Center
WE GLOBAL NETWORK HONORED TOM WAHLRAB with a handmade sculpture made my Welcome Dayton’s own Martha Jeanette Rodriguez
NETWORKING DINNER AT CARMEN’S DELI & BISTRO featuring local performances
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
For 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!
Speakers and Panelists
Check out the impressive lineup of over 40 professionals who shared their expertise with Convening attendees.
Presentations
Keynote
The White House Task Force on New Americans
Felicia Escobar, Special Assistant to the President for Immigration Policy, White House Domestic Policy Council
Bringing Vitality to Main Street
David Kallick, Director of FPI’s Immigration Research Initiative, Fiscal Policy Institute
Immigrant Entrepreneurship
State of Detroit’s Commercial Corridors
Sam Butler, Director or Planning and Technical Programs, Michigan Community Resources
Connecting Effectively with Marginalized Entrepreneurs
Herman Nyamunga, Director, Global Enterprise Hub & Small Business Development, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
Law Enforcement in Diverse Communities: Policies and Practices of Effective Engagement
Immigrant Engagement in Mankato, MN
Todd Miller, Director of Public Safety, Mankato, MN
Advocacy and Partnerships
Jessica Ramos, Immigration Attorney, ABLE
AFFINITY GROUP: Changing Perceptions of Immigrants in Neighborhoods
Changing Community Perceptions of Immigrants
Christine Sauve, Welcoming Michigan Coordinator, Welcoming Michigan – Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
Getting started in Immigrant Economic Development: Sharing Experiences Across the Region
Introduction to Welcoming America’s Guide to Immigrant Economic Development
Steve Tobocman, Director, Global Detroit
AFFINITY GROUP: Entrepreneurship Learning Exchange
Entrepreneurship Learning Exchange
Steve Tobocman, Director, Global Detroit
Neighborhood Revitalization – The Immigrant/Refugee Opportunity
Snapshot: Ohio Demographics
Alison Goebel, Associate Director, Greater Ohio Policy Center
Neighborhood Revitalization in Detroit
Raquel Garcia Andersen, Director of Partnership and Community Outreach, Global Detroit
Neighborhood Revitalization in Ohio
Aaron K. Sorrell, Director, Department of Planning and Community Development, City of Dayton
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
Retaining International Students: Pathway to Silicon Valley
Steve Tobocman, Director, Global Detroit/Michigan Global Talent Retention Initiative
Serving Highly Skilled Immigrants
Five Things You Need to Know about WIOA
Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Policy Analyst, National Skills Coalition, IMPRINT
IMPRINT: Immigrant Professional Integration
Stacey Simon, Director, IMPRINT
Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, State of Michigan
Mike Zimmer, Director Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, State of Michigan
Cross Ethnic Collaboration – What We’ve Learned and What Lies Ahead
Case Study: Buffalo NY
Eva Hassett, Executive Director, International Institute of Buffalo
3rd Annual Convening Press
Integrating Immigrant Workers; Nationwide Pilot Programs
WE Global – Leading Rust Belt Immigrant Innovation
Cities that welcome immigrants reap benefits, national official says
Dayton has no plans to stop welcoming immigrants
At Dayton Immigration Speech, Reform Is The Elephant In The Room
Group aims to build immigrants’ economic impact
Obama Immigration Assistant To Speak At Dayton Conference
Thank You to our Sponsors
