How Ice Cream & Donuts Create an Inclusive Culture

I've been creating intentional gatherings in organizations and piloting ways to improve relationships, deepen engagement, and create welcoming cultures. I had no idea two key ingredients to meaningful gatherings would be ice cream and donuts!

Recently, my colleagues and I at NSA Rainbow Speakers along with Accessible NSA crafted an intentional gathering to deepen a welcoming and inclusive culture in our professional association, the National Speakers Association . It's been a journey that's taken several years of authentic conversations with the board of directors, volunteers, and members to find our way towards deeper belonging and inclusion. And there were a few who didn't want the organization to change. Along the way, we grappled with ways to convene, gather, and connect with each other, our allies, and the general membership.

Recently, we created an intentional gathering: an ice cream and donut social at NSA’s annual conference, #Influence24, in Denver with the theme of “You Belong.” But it wasn’t a gathering just for NSA Rainbow Speakers and Accessible NSA.

Instead, we invited everyone attending the conference to stop by for ice cream and donuts complete with a gourmet toppings bar. We didn’t want our resource group's gathering to be just for us. We welcomed allies and anyone who just wanted to stop by, say hello, and grab something sweet to eat between the close of the afternoon sessions and the start of evening events.

Volunteers donated funds to pay for the event so everyone at the conference could participate for free. We weren’t sure if anyone would attend.

WOW! We were pleasantly surprised when people flooded the room for over an hour and a half! Everyone enjoyed mingling and chatting after sitting in conference sessions all day. And yes, the ice cream and donuts with gourmet toppings were a hit! I mean, who can enjoy ice cream or donuts without a smile beaming from their face?

Here’s what I learned about creating intentional gatherings:

1. Have courageous conversations with leaders and members when people don’t feel like they belong or welcome. This takes time, but it's necessary and useful.
2. Focus on the future – the vision of what belonging looks like, feels like, and will mean for the organization. Share that vision, talk about it, get people excited about that future.
3. Take baby steps towards that vision of a culture of belonging. (Hint: there will be bumps in the road along the way, so stay the course.)
4. It takes a community of volunteers, association members, or employees who are willing to take the first steps to move the needle on shifting cultures in organizations.
5. Have a purpose for gathering. Anyone can give away ice cream, but a purpose determines what kind of gathering will be meaningful, what the impact will be, who should be invited and how to resource the gathering.
6. Make gatherings fun, engaging, and easy to attend – and I highly recommend ice cream and donuts to sweeten the event!

Now more than ever, humans are starving for deeper, more meaningful connections outside the videoconference screen. We want to be welcomed, to belong, and to gather in person. And we're hungry for ice cream and donuts, too!

Let's hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments below.

• What have you learned or experienced about intentional gatherings in your workplace or professional organizations?
• What worked? What did not work?
• And what’s the one piece of advice you have for others striving to create meaningful gatherings in organizations and workplaces?

?? Robbie Samuels, MSW ????? ????? Donna Mack, M.Ed. Meridith Elliott Powell, CSP, CPAE #IntentionalInteractions #IntentionalGatherings #Inclusion #Rainbow #Accessibility #Speakers #IceCream #Donuts

?