2026 National Convening:
There’s No Place Like EdLoC
Wednesday, April 29 – Friday, May 1, 2026
JW Marriott Los Angeles | 900 W Olympic Blvd | Los Angeles, California
Registration for the 2026 National Convening is officially sold out. Please email NationalConvening@edloc.org to join the waitlist.
Registration is Sold Out
〰️
Registration is Sold Out 〰️
Explore the Experience
Don’t wait. Come home.
The 10th Anniversary Convening is a homecoming. Whether you joined the Network in 2016 or just found your way to EdLoC this year, this milestone belongs to you. It’s a time to come home. To be seen. To honor what’s been built, reflect on what’s been weathered, and imagine what comes next—together.
For a decade, EdLoC has been a space where leaders of color can be fully themselves, share truth, spark ideas, and build solutions that transform systems. What began in April 2014—when Kaya Henderson, Aimée Eubanks Davis, and Layla Avila convened eighteen prominent Black and Latino education leaders to ask whether a new entity was needed to meaningfully improve the lives of children—has grown into a Network of more than 1,400 leaders nationwide. Through it all, we’ve stayed true to our founding vision: creating the rare conditions where leaders can connect, collaborate, and drive lasting change for young people of color.
Why you should attend
This Convening is a celebration, a strategy session, a reunion, and a recommitment. It’s where ideas sharpen, partnerships form, and collective power takes root. As we come together in 2026, our goals are simple yet powerful:
Deepen our Commitment to Multiracial, Multi-Sector Coalition Building: Honor the strength and impact of our multiracial, multi-sector Network by celebrating the leaders, values, and vision that have fueled this movement and will continue shaping generations to come.
Convene with Purpose: Bring leaders across race, sector, and geography together in spaces designed for connection, strategy, and collective action—while reaffirming our commitment to protecting and supporting our members, especially in moments when their safety and well-being are under threat.
Catalyze Action for Collective Impact: Strengthen our ability to shape public narratives and influence policy by equipping members with tools, skills, and collective strategies that center equity and long-term change.
Invest in the Future we’ve Dreamed of: Mobilize capital, tools, and collective expertise—from funding to skill-building—to power bold, disruptive solutions built by and for our communities.
Reclaim what brings us Joy: Create space for joy as both resistance and restoration to imagine and build what’s next.
Hotel Room Block closes April 9
Additional Hotel Option. Once the JW Marriott room block reaches capacity, we recommend securing accommodations within walking distance to remain fully engaged in the Convening experience.
Hotel Figueroa is just a 4-minute walk from the JW Marriott and approximately 16.8 miles from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), making it a convenient option for attendees. View Website
Who attends
This event is intentionally designed for senior leaders of color who are focused on dismantling systemic barriers faced by young people and communities of color in pursuit of academic and economic success. We are educators, policymakers, nonprofit executives, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, financial experts, community development professionals, and social impact leaders. The Convening is designed for EdLoC members and is also open to guests who share EdLoC’s values, are inspired by EdLoC's mission, seek to influence change in their fields, and are invited to attend by a current EdLoC member.
How the Convening
is shaped
Each National Convening is shaped by the insight, expertise, and lived experience of EdLoC members. We’re grateful for the time and thoughtful feedback we receive from our members. Your input directly informs the sessions and networking opportunities we design, the speakers we invite, and the conversations we center. This is a space built by and for you, and we want to make sure it reflects what matters most to you.
This past summer, for this 10th Anniversary convening, we initiated a formal process to gather session ideas and recommended speakers to reflect the questions leaders are navigating in this moment. To build on all the member input received, we brought together a volunteer advisory committee of members to provide creative guidance on how to honor this milestone in a way that reflects the values and vision that brought us here. Please join us in thanking these members for their leadership in shaping the 10th Anniversary Convening. This process will reopen ahead of our next National Convening.
2026 National Convening Member Advisors
-
Fumie Ichikawa
Director of Operations Policy, Indianapolis Public Schools
-
Kimi Kean
Co-Founder and CEO, Families in Action for Quality Education
-
Jameelah Stuckey
Senior Manager, TNTP
-
Raj Thakkar
Founder & CEO, Charter School Business Management and FOREsight Financial Services for Good
FAQs
-
The 2026 National Convening will be held at the JW Marriott Los Angeles located at 900 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
The 2026 National Convening will begin on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. PT and end on Friday, May 1 at 1:30 p.m. PT after lunch. The theme this year is "There’s No Place Like EdLoC.”
-
EdLoC will share the details of the agenda and spotlight speakers and social gatherings on EdLoC Connect and on social media over the coming months. Follow us for updates on social media. Members can login to EdLoC Connect for exclusive content updates.
-
Yes! EdLoC Connect is the app that will be used for National Convening. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play to stay connected.
-
To honor the event, session materials won’t be distributed. Instead, we’ll share a recap video so you can revisit highlights and insights after the Convening.
-
EdLoC members whose dues are paid can register at a discounted rate using EdLoC Connect starting September 29, 2025. Guests of current EdLoC members are welcome to join the Convening by invitation only. The guest registration period is from February 2, 2026 to April 17, 2026.
-
Your registration includes access to:
Convening Sessions: Access to nationally recognized speakers through interactive presentations, multi-sector panels, and thoughtfully curated breakout sessions.
Hotel Accommodations: Two-night stay at the JW Marriott Los Angeles.
On-site Meals: All meals, snacks, and beverages for the three-day Convening are included. Upon request, the catering staff can meet all dietary restrictions, and food allergies.
Entertainment: All attendees are invited to attend a welcome and closing reception and curated networking opportunities.
Swag: Custom event swag designed to make the event extra special.
-
Unfortunately, we cannot accept personal or business checks, and we cannot split the registration payment across two or more credit cards. Only one credit card can be accepted at the time of registration.
-
Please email us at nationalconvening@edloc.org, and we will resend this to you!
-
Yes! Please email your changes to us at nationalconvening@edloc.org.
-
If you need to change or modify your Convening registration and/or hotel reservation, please email us at nationalconvening@edloc.org.
-
If you are no longer able to join us, kindly let us know by emailing us at nationalconvening@edloc.org.
Cancellation: If your cancellation request is received before January 1, 2026, you will be refunded 100% of your registration fee. If your cancellation request is received between January 2, 2026, and February 26, 2026, you will be refunded 75% of your registration fees. If your cancellation request is received between February 27, 2026, and March 28, 2026, EdLoC will refund 50% of your registration fees. Any cancellation requests received after March 28, 2026, will not be eligible for a refund.
-
Yes, EdLoC has a limited number of scholarships available on a first-come, first-serve basis to EdLoC members who meet one of the following criteria:
A full-time student
Staff or Founder of an early-stage nonprofit with a demonstrated financial need
School or District employee with a demonstrated financial need.
The scholarship waives the registration fee only. Travel to and from the National Convening is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.
If you meet the criteria listed above and would like to request a scholarship, please send an inquiry to nationalconvening@edloc.org. In your email, include:
a. Your eligibility (e.g., full-time student; staff/founder of an early-stage nonprofit; school or district employee).
b. A brief written statement (300 words max) that addresses:
Why attending the 2026 National Convening is important for you and your work.
How covering the registration fee would make it possible for you to participate.
Any financial barriers you face that would otherwise prevent attendance.
We do not require any personal financial documents (e.g., tax returns, pay stubs). Your honest statement will be reviewed as part of the scholarship consideration process.
-
If you need accessibility services, please be sure to indicate those when you register for the Convening. If you need to modify accessibility requests closer to the event, please email us at nationalconvening@edloc.org.
-
Please ensure that you outline any allergies or restrictions when you register for the Convening.
-
No, travel expenses will not be reimbursed by EdLoC. Individuals are responsible for all travel-related expenses to and from the Convening. We recommend using ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft.
-
All guests are required to present a credit card or debit card at check-in to cover any incidentals incurred during their stay.
-
Yes, please book directly on the hotel’s website (JW Marriott Los Angeles). Our team will be able to connect your extended reservation with the one you made during your Convening registration.
-
For general questions about the Convening, please email us at nationalconvening@edloc.org
-
Yes. Guests of current EdLoC members are welcome to join the Convening by invitation only. Guests will need to provide the first and last name of the EdLoC member who invited them and a credit card. The guest registration period is from February 2, 2026 to April 17, 2026.
-
EdLoC remains committed to the safety and comfort of our attendees. In addition to standard venue security protocols, our team will continue to actively monitor city-specific developments and update safety precautions for the Convening as needed. We will coordinate closely with our hotel partners, local officials, and trusted public safety channels to assess any potential risks in the area leading up to and during the Convening, including public safety alerts, emergency deployments, and immigration enforcement activity. If any developments arise that may impact the Convening, we will communicate with attendees promptly and provide appropriate guidance.