The idea: Get all the leadership program participants and other emerging and established leaders in one room, and see what happens.

Don’t miss it, and for $10, it’s a deal. (And, donations to the Oregon Food Bank are appreciated.)

Well, join us this May 11, 5-7 p.m. at the Gerding Theater to meet, build relationships, friendships and connections among emerging and established leaders in the greater Portland-Vancouver region at an event called EMERGE. Click here to register and join us.

Attendees are encouraged to come and meet some new friends from other leadership programs in the region. In addition to the $10 cost, everyone is asked to bring a couple of cans of food to support the Oregon Business Hunger Initiative and the Oregon Food Bank. Additionally, attendees are encouraged to find a couple of other friends (emerging and established) from other parts of the region and get together for small group dinners around the Pearl District and other parts of Portland, and take advantage of this regional asset of great restaurants in Portland.

Special thanks to the Portland Business Alliance with the generous sponsorship of NW Natural, Pacific Power, Regence, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Wells Fargo, Opus Northwest, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Portland General Electric and US Bank.

The invitation list for EMERGE will include participants and alumni from the following programs: Leadership Portland, Leadership Hillsboro, Hillsboro Young and Innovative, Leadership Clackamas County, Leadership Beaverton, Latino Leadership Development Program, Leadership Lake Oswego, Leadership Tualatin, Leadership Clark County, American Leadership Forum, Greenlight Greater Portland Emerging Leadership Program, NEW Leadership Oregon (PSU), NW Business for Culture and Leadership/Art of Leadership.

-Donald L. Krahmer, Jr., Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt and Board Liaison, Leadership Portland, Portland Business Alliance