General Sessions

Day 1 – 35th Annual Celebration — Welcome Event + Following Reception will be held at Orchestra Hall!

March 27, 2023 at 4pm CST

Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation, Augsburg University, and The Forum combine forces to showcase inclusion and the advancement of equity through the arts, media, philanthropy, and higher education, including conversation with Michelle Miller Burns, Duchesne Drew, and Paul Pribbenow, moderated by Eric Jolly

Day 2 General Session: GROUNDING HYBRID ENERGIES: Cross-Industry Design for Impact + Sustainability

March 28, 2023 10am CST

Cross-industry innovation expert and ideaDJ, Ramon Vullings, shares the power of reframing to unearth innovative DEI solutions. In his keynote Ramon will set the stage for transformative thinking with a message about why remixing of ideas cross-sector is a smart strategy in this era. 

A moderated Q&A with cross-sector industry leaders talking about about their most wicked challenges tees up active participation in three 2-day collaborative cross-industry think tanks.

Think Tanks — New for 2023!

March 28 & 29, 2023

At times, the work of advancing DEI within organizations — and even within industries — can feel isolating. Many feel siloed in their efforts to find new solutions for decades-old challenges. It’s difficult to keep pace with constant and rapid change.

Think Tanks are an exciting opportunity for professionals from across industries to come together and imagine the possibilities of combining forces to maximize DEI impact.

Following his keynote, Ramon Vullings will be joined by Todd Palmer, director of Diversity in Design, to facilitate highly interactive, two-day sessions. Think Tank sessions will help DEI professionals look beyond the borders of their proprietary domains and learn smarter business strategies — collaboratively.

Ramon and Todd will frame the conversation for a healthy debate and help contributors — at all levels, from all generations — feel comfortable to freely participate.

Think Tank Leaders