Mission:  To equip and empower Bend’s young professionals to connect personally, grow professionally and elevate our community.

Bend YP is back in person with strong events that engage young professionals in education and connection.

Kicking off the year was a StrengthsFinder for Teams workshop, facilitated by Joanne Mathews, as a part of the YP DevLabs series. Thirty young professionals and their teams completed a pre-workshop questionnaire to determine their strengths, then spent an evening learning how to best capitalize on them within their organizations.

The following week saw over fifty YP Passport holders convene at Crater Lake Spirits to network, learn how to take advantage of their membership benefits, and hear from Bend Chamber CEO Katy Brooks about the importance of investing in yourself and your peers.

February wrapped up with the first YP Social of the year at Tetherow Resort, which sold out well in advance. Bend YPs are back and ready to network and enjoy each other’s company again.

More exciting events to engage young professionals are on deck for March and April. A morning Expert Chat on March 9 features Matt Ertle, Owner/Strategic Partner of PrideStaff. Matt will outline key aspects of career growth, including the importance of establishing tenure, navigating promotions, the future of the job market, and more. This is an excellent opportunity for YPs to hear from an industry expert on what they can do to be successful.

The second YP Social of the year is scheduled for March 30 at Desert Rose Cactus Lounge, and on April 7, DevLabs return with Anthony Poponi’s presentation, Challenging Times Require Leadership Flexibility, where YPs will learn about their leadership voice, the importance of a growth mindset, and how to build their mental fitness. This cadence of educational and social events, plus access to leaders and experts continues throughout the year and includes a day-long conference, the YP Summit, on June 17.

All Bend YP educational events are designed to have clearly defined objectives and actionable learning goals. Many are perfect opportunities to take learnings back to the workplace for team “teach backs,” making the impact more far-reaching and providing ways for employees to develop their presentation and leadership skill sets.

In this tight labor market, investing in young professional development can make the difference between an employee who remains engaged and onboard and one who departs for other opportunities. Bend YP is an excellent and accessible way to help grow and connect your early to mid-career staff members.

For more information or to become involved with Bend YP, reach out to Jenn Greco, Leadership Programs Coordinator at jenng@bendchamber.org.