The Diversity Leadership Conference is a free, half-day conference hosted at the University of Washington each year to encourage students to strengthen their leadership skills and cultural awareness, engage in critical dialogues about activism and social justice, and network with peers and professionals from similar backgrounds and experiences.
This year, we are excited to present the 11th annual Diversity Leadership Conference, with the theme “Building Belonging: Empowerment in Times of Change” – despite the current state of our global world, we hope to inspire moments of unity and strength in our collective power. While it is easy to focus on negative aspects of our unfolding reality, we want to name and take space in recognizing the positive & empowering important work people have already been and will continue doing. Together, we will engage in a rich array of impactful conversations and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills, with an emphasis on owning the power of our various identities and communities as we work to ground ourselves in power as we approach the coming years.
Conference Registration
Registration for both DLC 2025 and our Community Networking Session is officially open! The conference is open to all UW students, and for interested UW Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Partners, we have a networking session hosted from 5-6pm at the ECC.
Deadline to RSVP is Tuesday, February 18th at 11:59pm PT.
Workshop Sessions
DLC 2025 included the following workshops presented by UW students, staff, and faculty members, and our important community partners:
Sessions
Conviviendo Con: Two Underrepresented Graduate Students Looking to Empower and Uplift our Communities and Dismantle Power Imbalances
Alison Marín, Adriana Paredes
Healing power of words
Josh Griffin
How Exposing Students to the Public Sector Leads to a More Just Society
Dahn Bi Lee-Hong, Ava Michler, Michael Soudmand
Nurturing Your Soul with Love: A guide to Deep Self-Care in Times of Change
Bettina M. Jones
From Campus to Career: Learn How to Highlight Your Leadership Skills
Sarah Boland
Rooted in Resilience: Cultivating Self-Care and Self-Love in Times of Uncertainty*
(*physical session – yoga)
Allison Spooner, Kimberly K’uh Hollins
LatAm Cultures & Societies*
(*Spanish session w/ english translation)
Luis amado, amigos de seattle
Mutual Aid Networks for Resistance and Thriving in a Crisis and Always
Peter Bloch Garcia
Finding Our Space in Sustainability: Conversations with BIPOC Student Leaders for Navigating the Climate Justice Movement
Kort Maeda, Boe Zhou, Maddy Laoprasert
Words in the Dark: Storytelling as a Public Health and Social Justice Practice
Mira Menon, Maddie Ong
Words that Heal: The Transformative Power of Self-Compassion and How It Shapes Our Sense of Belonging
Ashley Elliott
Disability Rights Research & Advocacy at UW
Alexandra Crooks
Queering Educational Spaces
MJ Powers
Thriving in the Fight: Regenerative Leadership Practices to Actualize your Power for a Positive Future in Spite of Adversity
Peter Bloch Garcia
Labor Justice 101: Building Intersectional Worker Power through Solidarity and Advocacy
Kimaya Mahajan, Sofia Torres, Soohyung Hur
Formerly Incarcerated Students & Higher Education
Christopher Johnston, Omari Amili
How to Effectively Share Your Leadership and Academic Journey in a Scholarship Application
Simon Tran, Olivia Albiero, Robin Chang
Centering Belonging in Leadership
Sasha Duttchoudhury, Tyneshia Valdez
Minding my Mental Health: Caring for Self in the time of Chaos, Confusion and Uncertainty
Alanah Dillard
Banishing Bias: How Multiple Perspectives Challenge White Supremacy
Victor Begay
DLC Committee
Our 2025 Committee consists of UW community members who do a lot of important work on campus:
EJ Pinera – Leadership Engagement Manager, Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center
Joey Fuller – Academic Adviser, Educational Opportunity Program
Michael Soudmond – Program Manager for Student Civic Leadership Development, CELE Center
Jacquelyn Acosta – Area Director, HFS Residential Life
Byron Brooks – Leadership & Equity Specialist, HFS Residential Life
Aurora Mizoe – Leadership Program Assistant, Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center
Additional Resources
View information about last year’s DLC here.
Follow DLC on Instagram!
If you have any questions about DLC, please feel free to contact the Kelly ECC Leadership Engagement Manager, EJ Pinera at epinera@uw.edu.
