{"id":12,"date":"2021-10-20T00:13:40","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T00:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2022\/?page_id=12"},"modified":"2026-02-05T09:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:28:21","slug":"founders-welcome","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/about\/founders-welcome\/","title":{"rendered":"Founder’s Welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Founder’s Welcome<\/h1>\n

Greetings,<\/pee>It is my privilege to welcome you to the inaugural National Belonging Institute Conference<\/b>! We are thrilled to have you join us in Los Angeles, California, at the Westin Bonaventure, hosted by the National Belonging Institute<\/b>. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cCollective Voice<\/b>,\u201d highlights the importance of inclusivity and the power of diverse voices in shaping meaningful change. We are excited to have Oprah Winfrey<\/b>, among other distinguished speakers, as one of our keynote speakers, whose leadership and advocacy continue to inspire millions around the world.<\/pee>The virtual National DEI Training Week<\/b> will take place from March 11-13<\/b>, with the full conference happening from April 7-10<\/b>. Throughout this event, we will engage in dynamic discussions, workshops, and keynotes focused on how we can all contribute to creating environments where belonging thrives\u2014places where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to be their authentic selves.<\/pee>As this is our first conference, we are honored to bring together a diverse group of thought leaders, change-makers, and professionals who share a common vision for a future where belonging is the foundation of everything we do. While this is our inaugural event, our mission is clear: to equip organizations with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to foster a culture of belonging and inclusivity in the workplace and beyond<\/pee>We are excited to begin this journey with all of you and look forward to creating lasting connections that will help shape the future of inclusion, equity, and leadership. My hope is thatthis conference inspires you to take what you learn here and share it within your own communities, organizations, and leadership circles, ensuring that belonging becomes a priority everywhere.<\/pee>In closing, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our sponsors for their unwavering support. I also want to thank our speakers, panelists, volunteers, and organizers for their dedication to making this inaugural conference a success. Together, we can create a world where every voice is empowered, and true belonging is a reality for all.<\/pee> Sincerely, Dennis Kennedy Founder & Chairman Belonging Institute Conference dennis.kennedy@diversityfirstmail.org<\/a><\/pee>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Founder’s Welcome<\/h1>\n

Welcome to the Belonging Institute Conference, taking place from April 7-8, 2025, and part of the broader National Diversity & Leadership Conference<\/a>, which runs from April 7-10, 2025. We are delighted to host this gathering of visionary leaders and advocates who are committed to creating environments where everyone feels valued, included, and empowered. Our conference is dedicated to exploring and advancing the concept of belonging within the workplace and beyond.<\/p>\n

The Belonging Institute Conference offers a unique opportunity to dive deep into the essential issues and cutting-edge practices related to fostering a culture of belonging. Over these two days, you will participate in a variety of sessions, interactive workshops, and enlightening discussions designed to deepen your understanding and enhance your ability to cultivate a sense of belonging within your organization. Our goal is to create a space where ideas can thrive and where you can develop practical strategies to make a lasting impact on your workplace culture.<\/p>\n

We encourage you to immerse yourself in the conference activities, connect with fellow participants, and draw inspiration from our esteemed speakers. Together, we will explore how to build inclusive environments where every individual feels a strong sense of belonging, and discover actionable approaches to drive meaningful change. Thank you for joining us in this important endeavor.<\/p>\n

National Belonging Institute Conference[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Founder’s Welcome Welcome to the Belonging Institute Conference, taking place from April 7-8, 2025, and part of the broader National Diversity & Leadership Conference, which runs from April 7-10, 2025. We are delighted to host this gathering of visionary leaders and advocates who are committed to creating environments where everyone feels valued, included, and empowered. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":10,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8949,"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12\/revisions\/8949"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/belongingconference.com\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}