Workshops

2024 Fall Conference

The Virginia Diversity Network is excited to announce our 2024 Fall conference on October 9th, 8:30-2:00 pm at the Roslyn Center. Join us for a transformative day centered around empathy, curiosity, and purpose. We’re excited to welcome Michael Tennant, author, keynote speaker, and founder of Curiosity Lab. Michael has turned personal tragedy into a mission-driven journey, harnessing the power of empathy to foster happier, healthier, and more inclusive communities.

In this workshop, Michael will share key insights from his book, The Power of Empathy, and guide us through his proprietary Five Phases of Empathy™ model, designed to break down emotional barriers and unlock the energy and support needed to achieve your most important goals. Following his keynote, we will dive into two hands-on workshops, exploring the first two phases of his Five Phases of Empathy™ model.

Phase 1: The Language of Feelings
Learning Objectives: Improve deep listening skills, increase somatic awareness to strengthen intuition, and recognize body language in yourself and others. In this phase, participants will learn tools to boost emotional awareness, active listening, and bias recognition. We’ll use the Actually Curious conversation card game—specifically, the Our Future Edition, curated for young people and their support systems.

Phase 2: The Importance of Intention
Learning Objectives: Identify deeply felt core values and purpose, and explore how to support values alignment within the collective and your respective organizations. In this session, participants will complete a values exercise to identify their five core values and craft a personal purpose statement. At the end of the workshop, a few volunteers will have the opportunity to share their values and how they intend to put them to work in their community.

Stay tuned for information about our Spring Conference on April 9, 2025