Inclusive Cultural Leadership Summit (ICLS) 2026

The Inclusive Cultural Leadership Summit (ICLS) is the daytime leadership convening of Celebrate Delaware Together Day (CDTD) 2026, bringing together leaders and changemakers from healthcare, education, business, and interfaith/community sectors to strengthen belonging, collaboration, and outcomes across Delaware.

Designed to move from awareness to action, the summit will feature a keynote address, cross-sector panel discussions, and meaningful dialogue focused on some of today’s most pressing shared challenges—burnout and retention, trust and access, and equity-driven community impact.

Participants will engage with leaders who are shaping solutions across Delaware’s communities while exploring practical strategies that can be applied within organizations and across sectors. The summit creates space for thoughtful conversation, new partnerships, and collective leadership.

Attendees will leave with actionable insights, stronger networks, and a renewed commitment to lead in ways that uplift people, strengthen communities, and advance inclusive leadership across Delaware.

Outcomes

By the end of the summit, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze key drivers of burnout and workforce turnover across sectors and identify inclusive leadership practices that promote well-being, psychological safety, and retention.

2. Apply practical communication and culturally responsive leadership strategies to strengthen trust, belonging, and collaboration within teams and communities.

3. Recognize structural and cultural barriers that limit equity and access and explore partnership-based approaches to improve outcomes across organizations and communities.

4. Build cross-sector connections with leaders from healthcare, education, business, and interfaith/community organizations to exchange ideas and develop shared solutions.

5. Leave with at least one clear, actionable step they can implement to support healthier workplaces, stronger relationships, and greater community impact across Delaware.

Who Should Attend ICLS 2026

ICLS is designed for leaders, professionals, and community stakeholders who influence culture, outcomes, and well-being across Delaware, including:

• Healthcare: Nurse practitioners, nurses, physicians, administrators, quality leaders, public health professionals, and community health partners
• Education: K–12 and higher education faculty, administrators, counselors, student support services, and DEI/student success leaders
• Business & Corporate: Executives, managers, HR leaders, people operations, small business owners, and workforce development partners
• Interfaith & Community: Faith leaders, nonprofit leaders, community advocates, civic organizations, and cultural association leaders
• Government & Partners: Local/state leaders, agency representatives, and community-facing service providers

If you lead people, serve communities, or shape policy and practice—this summit is for you.

Attendees will leave with practical, cross-sector strategies to:

• Prevent burnout and strengthen retention by building psychologically safe, supportive workplace cultures.

• Lead effectively across differences using communication tools that strengthen trust, respect, and belonging.

• Improve access and advance equity through partnership-based and community-centered leadership approaches.

• Apply real-world solutions immediately within healthcare, education, business, and community/faith settings.

• Build collaborative relationships across Delaware that support long-term impact beyond the summit.

Dr. Eunice B. Gwanmesia, aka Dr. G. is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging strategist, nurse leader, educator, award-winning best-selling author, and the Founder & CEO of Eunity Solutions. She also serves as President of Eunity Delaware, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to advancing unity, belonging, and cultural connection across the First State. With 27 years of healthcare experience, Dr. G has a proven record of building inclusive cultures that strengthen well-being, trust, and retention.

A dynamic keynote speaker, facilitator, and community convener, Dr. G has led trainings, conferences, and leadership workshops across healthcare, education, business, and community settings, translating evidence-based insight into practical, action-oriented strategies. Her work is rooted in bridging sectors, empowering leaders, and turning belonging into measurable outcomes and lasting impact. As host of the Inclusive Cultural Leadership Summit, Dr. G brings both professional expertise and a deep commitment to building stronger, more connected communities across Delaware.

Burnout is no longer confined to a single profession—it has become a cross-sector challenge affecting healthcare teams, educators, business professionals, and leaders across community and faith organizations. Recent national data highlight the scope of the issue: 52% of employees report feeling burned out at work, 45.2% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2023, and nearly 60% of teachers say they feel burned out. Nonprofit leaders are feeling the strain as well, with one national study finding that 95% expressed concern about staff burnout.

This panel brings leaders from multiple sectors into one conversation to explore what is driving burnout, what meaningful retention truly requires, and how inclusive leadership practices—such as psychological safety, respect, workload clarity, and supportive accountability—can create cultures where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to stay.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how organizations can move beyond simply managing burnout to building workplace cultures that sustain well-being, strengthen trust, and improve retention.

Maternal health disparities remain urgent and unacceptable. According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in 2023 was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 14.5 for White women—more than three times higher. National data continue to show that Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, underscoring the need for sustained attention and coordinated solutions.

This spotlight panel highlights evidence-based strategies to improve maternal health outcomes, including respectful maternity care, bias interruption in clinical settings, continuity and coordination of care, expanded postpartum support, and stronger community partnerships—such as doulas and wraparound services.

While maternal health disparities are often discussed as a healthcare issue, they are also a community and systems leadership issue. This conversation invites cross-sector collaboration among healthcare providers, policymakers, educators, and community leaders to protect mothers, strengthen families, and advance equitable care across Delaware.

Trust is the bridge between services and outcomes—whether in schools, healthcare systems, workplaces, or community organizations. When trust breaks down, access suffers and outcomes decline.

Recent data signal growing disconnection. Gallup reports that only 37% of U.S. employees strongly agree they are treated with respect at work—one of the lowest levels recorded. Trust gaps also appear in service access and experiences. A 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation report found that Black adults and individuals who have experienced discrimination are less likely to trust healthcare providers, highlighting that equity must address not only access to services but also how people are treated when they receive them.

This cross-sector panel brings together leaders from education, healthcare, business, and community organizations to explore how trust can be rebuilt through inclusive leadership. Panelists will discuss practical approaches to reducing barriers, strengthening belonging, improving service experiences, and building partnerships that make support easier to find—and easier to use.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Delaware State University, 1200 North Dupont Highway, Dover, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App