The Power of Belonging

The Loudoun Chamber’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee is proud to present the 2nd Annual DEIA Summit, featuring Keynote Speaker Raul “Danny” Vargas, President of VARCom Solutions and Chairman of the Virginia Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights.

The “Power of Belonging” summit will address many of the challenges facing diverse-owned businesses and will offer insights to help every company improve its diversity and inclusion performance.

The conversation with Mr. Vargas, who is also the Chairman Emeritus of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, will be led by Lori Montenegro, the Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief at Telemundo.

The event will then transition to facilitated breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, all centered on the Power of Belonging and how issues related to DEIA matter so much in business.

Please join us for this exciting event on Friday, September 15th.

Event Timeline:

• 7:30am – Registration and Networking
• 8:30am – Event Kickoff and Interactive Exercise
• 9:00am – Keynote Presentation and facilitated conversation with Danny Vargas and Lori Montenegro
• 9:50am – Q&A
• 10:10am – 1st Workshop
  • Breakout Room 1 – “What is DEIA? Why Does it Matter to Your Business?” – Sponsored by M&T Bank 
    • Presented by: Lisa Williams, To Learn Just Notice Consulting
  • Breakout Room 2 – “Access to Capital for Diverse Businesses” – Sponsored by Northwest Federal Credit Union
    • Presenters:
      • Alice Frazier, President and CEO of BCT – The Community’s Bank
      • Cherylyn Harley LeBon, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson
      • Melissa “Lisa” Oliva, Deputy Director/Senior Business Advisor, U.S. Department of the Treasury
  • Breakout Room 3 – “How to Establish an Inclusive Culture – Strategies for Creating a Culture of Inclusion ” – Sponsored by Inova Loudoun Hospital and the CEO Consulting Group
    • Presenters:
      • Deborah Leben, Executive Career Coach, DL Coaching
      • Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, Director of DEI, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
      • Lisa Kimball, CEO, The Arc of Loudoun
      • Sam Clarke, Vice President, Equality Loudoun
• 11:20am – 2nd Workshop
  • Breakout Room 1 – Repeat Morning Session
    • Sponsored by M&T Bank
  • Breakout Room 2 – Repeat Morning Session
    • Sponsored by Wells Fargo
  • Breakout Room 3 – Part 2, “How to Maintain an Inclusive Culture – Ongoing Support for a Culture of Belonging”
    • Sponsored by Backflow Technology
• 12:35pm – Networking lunch
• 1:00pm – Panel Discussion moderated by Angela Mitchell, President and CEO, ARM Consulting LLC
  • Panelists:
    • Andrew Stocker, Mid-Atlantic Vice President, MetLife
    • Bruce Rahmani, President, Falcon Heating and Air Conditioning
    • Chauvon McFadden, Principal, Crimson Wealth Strategies
    • Susan Mitchell, Founder and CEO, Athari Biosciences
• 2:00pm – Closing Remarks

The Loudoun Chamber strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including those with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Event Manager, Ashley-White Brothers, awbrothers@loudounchamber.org.