The third annual Emerge Summit, which brings together young professionals around the region for a day of education and collaboration, will take place tomorrow, Friday, March 18, featuring actress Greta Gerwig as a keynote speaker.
A collaborative effort between Metro EDGE and the Sacramento Metro Chamber, this year’s Emerge Summit will challenge the city’s young professionals to “be the change” in the city.
“I think young professionals think that because they’re young, that they are not in the position to be leaders,” says Christine Calvin, this year’s chair of Metro EDGE. “The young people in this region have taken huge growth strides in the past couple of years. What we want to do now is empower them to turn around and step up to the plate and not learn anymore about being on a board, but get on a board.”
The Memorial Auditorium will open its doors at 10:30 a.m. with the “Changemakers Space,” where attendees will be exposed to performances and exhibits from area artists who are helping shape the region’s arts scene, including a dance demonstration from the Sacramento Ballet, music from violin virtuoso Joe Kye and exhibits from muralist Jake Castro and painter Maren Conrad.
Actress-director Greta Gerwig—a Sacramento native who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the title character in 2013’s Frances Ha, and will make her solo directorial debut with Lady Bird, a film about a Sacramento high school senior that will be filmed here in the capital city—will take to the Memorial Auditorium stage at 3 p.m. to talk about how she is being the change by creating her own projects outside of Hollywood and, in this case, bringing one to her hometown.
“What I love about Greta, and what I think the audience is going to love about her is how Sacramento she is,” says Calvin. “She’s so down to earth and so casual, and I really like to see that community pride and community spirit in here.”
Jay Sales, who works as an innovation strategist for Vision Service Plan (VSP) Global, will begin the day at noon with a discussion about the relationship between design and technology, and the challenges that come with being an innovator in his field. Participants will then disband to breakout sessions. The 12 seminars, which occur in blocks at 1:15 and 2:15 p.m., include a bus tour that divulges the developments that are changing the city’s skyline, and a conversation with Railyards developers Denton Kelly and Alan Hersh and Republic FC president Warren Smith about growing an around-the-clock city.
“I hope that people come away with a renewed and deepened sense of place,” says Calvin. “I’m hoping that they are motivated or inspired to be the change to take the next step in making Sacramento a better place, whatever that means to them.”