Dialogue Labs 2024

ILA's Dialogue Lab

26 - 28 January 2024
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA, USA

Limited to 150  attendees

ILA thanks the University of San Diego for hosting the Dialogue Lab!

As the intensity and urgency of our global challenges grow, we – as scholars, community leaders, entrepreneurs and practitioners of leadership – hear a persistent question gnawing at our souls: Are we doing enough? Are we responding to this moment with all the courage, creativity, and commitment that we can summon? Are our efforts to intervene bold, innovative, and informed by the latest insights from the field of leadership and regarding how the world works and how change happens?

The ILA Dialogue Lab (D-Lab) will be January 26- 28, 2024 in San Diego, California. Our central convening inquiry is this: How might we exercise leadership that responds meaningfully to the issues of this moment? 

D-Lab Design Team

  • Janis Bragan Balda, Senior Lecturer, Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley*
  • Ira Chaleff, Author, first chair of the ILA Followership Community*
  • Cheryl Getz, Associate Professor, Leadership Studies, University of San Diego*
  • Mike Hardy, Professor, Coventry University, UK; Board Chair International Leadership Association
  • Max Klau, Author, Scholar*
  • Laura Osteen, Assistant Vice President, Tulane University*
  • Kathryn Goldman Schuyler, Author; ILA Global Conference Chair 2020*
  • Katherine Tyler Scott, Managing Principal, KiThoughtBridge*

*Former ILA Board Member

D-Lab Planning and Logistics

  • Arturo Anaya Servin, Ph.D. in Leadership Studies candidate
  • Angel Hu, Doctoral Student, Coach, Facilitator, Fellow, University of San Diego
  • Natalie O’Neal, Graduate Student, USD MA Higher Education
  • Rachel Shellstrom, First Year Onboarding Coordinator & Masters Student, USD
  • Hannah Gray-Chambers, USD Alum, MA Higher Education Leadership
  • VinSché Gray, Adjunct Professor, Program Coordinator, & Leadership Facilitator, University of San Diego
  • Teriin Lee, Leadership Studies doctoral student
  • Nallely Manriques, Lecturer, Leadership Studies doctoral student

Schedule At-A-Glance

Friday 26 January

14:00 – 15:00: Participant Arrival to University of San Diego

  • Welcome, check-in and community building
  • Come with curiosity and openness

15:00: Welcome Ceremony – land acknowledgment – Indigenous ritual

17:30: Dinner Together: Shared Meal with Local Community involvement

19:00: Evening Event – Invitation to Leadership Learning Journey

Saturday 27 January

08:30: Depart for San Diego Immersive Experience with Trailblazing Women Entrepreneurs and Community Leaders

09:00 – 13:00: Spanning Boundaries: Leadership Learning Journey

13:30: Return to University of San Diego

14:00 – 14:30:
Reflection time! Wisdom through shared learning

15:30 – 18:15:
Inquiry Sessions: Small Group Learning Dialogues pre-selected from proposal submissions

  • Inquiry Session 1 (1.25 hours)
  • Inquiry Session 2 (1.25 hours)

18:30 – 20:00: Dinner Together: Shared Meal with the Local Community

Sunday 28 January

08:15: Breakfast – open to all

Optional: Reflection, meditation or centering practice

09:00 – 10:15: Inquiry Session 3

10:30 – 12:00: Continuing the Journey

  • Taking it home - reflecting on the deeper questions that emerged in our gathering: Connecting (getting together), communicating (sharing our feelings), and Convening (organizing future connections).

12:00 – 13:15: Lunch and reflection on the D-Lab experience (Feedback session)

13:15 – 14:15 Focus Forward and Closing Ritual

3-Step Application and Registration Process

Limited to 150 participants

Applications and Registration Opening Soon!

Key Deadline
Accept Invitation and Complete Payment: 22 December 2023

1st Step: Application

We are limited to 150 attendees and our intent is to welcome everyone who is interested and committed to the purpose and goals of the D-Lab pilot. Please complete the application at the link below to let us know your interest, and to apply for an available spot in the D-Lab pilot. Should the number of applicants exceed 150, acceptance will be determined by degree of alignment and the contributions made to the purpose of the gathering.

We are still accepting applications on a rolling basis.  Please complete your application before moving to step 3.  

2nd Step: Inquiry Session Proposal (Optional)

We are no longer accepting Inquiry Session proposals. 

At the D-Lab gathering, we will be centering powerful questions and meaningful inquiry. To that end, attendees are invited to submit a proposal to lead an experience that we are calling an Inquiry Session.

An Inquiry Session is a 60-90 minute small group gathering in which a conference attendee (the session “host”) will invite participants to explore a specific, clear question in a way that has been thoughtfully designed to hold space for that dialogue. These sessions will not be presentations of data or research; rather, they will be collective inquiries into meaningful questions, planned and implemented in thoughtful ways by each host. This manner of inquiry may be through discussion or through other forms of expression such as music, poetry, and/or movement.

Submitting an Inquiry Session Proposal is OPTIONAL. You are welcome to attend the D-Lab without submitting a proposal. If, however, you have a question burning in your soul that you would like to invite others to explore, we hope you’ll consider submitting a proposal. Inquiry Session Proposals should be submitted with your application, we will send Inquiry Session acceptance notifications with your invitation to attend by 11 December 2023.

Inquiry Session FAQs

3rd Step: Accept your Invitation to Attend through the Confirmation and Payment Form

Invitations were sent out 11 December, if you receive an invitation, please confirm your intent to join us in San Diego through completing the Confirmation and Payment Form.  If you have not completed your application form yet, please use the link in step 1 to apply today.  

Registration Rates Price
All rates in USD
General Attendee
$350
Students
$150

Limited scholarship opportunities are available.  Please email Janis at janis.balda@utrgv.edu with subject line “D-Lab Scholarship” to learn more.

Inquiry Session FAQs

Please use this Form to submit your proposal. The deadline for submission is 4 December 2023. You will be notified about whether your proposal has been accepted by 11 December 2023.

We are planning 90 minute time slots. You are welcome to use the full 90 minutes or may propose a session that only uses some of this time.

We have a Proposal Review committee that will make these decisions. The criteria they will use are:

  • Clarity: Is the question at the heart of the inquiry clear and powerful?
  • Relevance to our Central Question: The question at the heart of this entire gathering is: “How might we exercise leadership in ways that respond meaningfully to the challenges of this moment?” We are looking for proposals that have a clear relevance to this question.
  • Thoughtful Hosting Plan: As you’ll see, the proposal asks for an explanation of how the host will create the space for this particular inquiry. We’re looking for plans that are thoughtful, creative, and intentional.

Will every Session be selected?
Since this is the first of its kind we cannot predict how many submissions we will receive. Based on the selection space and time available, we can host limited Inquiry Space Sessions that meet the selection criteria. We hope you will plan to join us even if your proposal is not selected.

There will be an inclusive open space methodology to determine the session on the morning of Day 2.

Hotel & Travel

Planning your visit?
Whether you’re arriving by car, plane, or public transportation, the link below provides detailed directions for various modes of transport, parking options, and a selection of nearby hotels to suit your stay.

Conference Host Hotel

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St Paul Downtown
411 Minnesota Street
Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55101, USA

Room Rate: $149 USD/+taxes

Space is Limited!

Or contact the hotel directly at +1-651-291-8800 and reference ILA’s LEA Conference, Group Code: 147. 

The booking deadline to receive discounted rates is 7 July 2023.

The DoubleTree By Hilton St. Paul Downtown hotel provides upscale, boutique-style accommodations and is situated in the heart of Saint Paul’s thriving arts, cultural, and downtown business districts, just minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). 

The hotel offers an indoor skyway to adjacent retail space, restaurants, businesses, and government centers. The hotel sits just blocks away from the Saint Paul RiverCentre, Xcel Energy Center, museums, and theaters. 

Hotel Poaching Advisory 
Please be aware of inappropriate solicitation or poaching from unauthorized third-party housing agencies.  

If you experience unauthorized solicitations, please report it to conferences@ilaglobalnetwork.org. ILA will demand a cease and desist.  

Host City

Saint Paul combines urban amenities with historic charm. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, Minnesota’s Capital City is a short 8 mile drive from the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport.

Explore the Twin Cities, Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Arrive early or stay after and plan a visit to tour Prince’s home, Paisley Park, the Mall of America or go on a Wabasha Street Cave tour and learn about Saint Paul’s history with gangsters, ghosts and more.

Travel

Air Transportation

Centrally located in North America, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is an international gateway for air transportation. Only eight miles from downtown Saint Paul, the airport is a Delta Air Lines hub, operating an average of 1,250 flights daily, serving 163 markets (136 domestic, 27 international).

We are pleased to partner with Delta Air Lines to offer special discounts for the International Leadership Association’s Leadership Education Academy (LEA). 

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is a Delta Air Lines hub. 

Click Here to book your flights.

OR call Delta Meeting Network® at 1.800.328.1111* Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (EST) and refer to Meeting Event Code: NY27X 

*Please note: there is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via the reservation 800 number.