Workforce Development Conference 2025 a GREAT Success
On April 26, 2025, we held the 3rd Annual Workforce Development Conference at the incredible VenueSix10 building on Michigan Ave. Our event started with a remarkable panel on using ancestral wisdom, and speakers shared with us how to move forward in these times, relying on the histories and narratives that shape us. Nonprofit founders shared their imaginations with us, conveying the creativity and determination required to build a collective future with Afro-Futurism in mind.
An attendee shared: “I think the panel discussions were very informative. It not only gave me confidence and perspective for engaging in the job search as a potential employee, but also as an entrepreneur struggling to get her self-founded business off the ground.”
The conference offered opportunities to get updated headshots, resume reviews, and to do mock interviews, because it is in the spaces where theory meets practice that we are most effective. “Ten Tips on Entrepreneurship” by Taylor Mason, owner of Taylor’s Tacos was an attendee favorite alongside “Category IS: Everything I Needed to Know About Business, I Learned in BALLROOM!” presented by duo DeMario Adams & Skai Underwood of Taskforce Prevention and Community Services.
An essential aspect of the conference for many attendees included healthy conversations about boundaries and taking care of oneself. Nicolette Metoyer’s, our very own Black Queer Cacus Leader, presentation on Navigating the Workplace as a Neurodivergent person, and Channyn Parker’s, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, Who Holds the Holder, The Myth of Limitless Leadership, taught participants about health boundaries, workplace accommodations for disability, and what truly compassionate leadership looks like.
Many participants deemed the conference a success, indicating they learned valuable skills for moving forward with their job search, interviews, and entrepreneurship goals. A number of attendees mentioned they could move forward successfully by embracing ideas about workplace wellness. Overall, the Workforce Development Conference offered opportunities to learn, hone skills, and connect to other Black LGBTQ+ professionals.
Thank you to everyone who made our 3rd annual Workforce Development Conference a success. Our attendees received a vast amount of knowledge and made important connections to facilitate success in their careers thanks to our incredible presenters, our magnificent team, and through their own intentional engagement.
