Bend Young Professionals program rebrands as Bend Emerging Talent

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) The Bend Young Professionals program announced Tuesday it has rebranded to Bend Emerging Talent. The change reflects the organization’s evolving mission and values, emphasizing inclusivity, community engagement and the spirit of service.

Established in 2007 as the Young Professionals Network, the program evolved in 2018 into Bend YP, a program of the BendNEXT Foundation (the philanthropic arm of the Bend Chamber) with the addition of a professional development curriculum. This program has provided employers with options to invest in staff development, engagement, and retention—especially for those employees in early to mid-career positions.

“This rebrand to Bend Emerging Talent reflects our commitment to inclusion and our understanding that people may enter the workforce later, for a variety of reasons, and still appreciate access to our programs and events. We will continue to offer engaging learning and networking experiences to foster both professional and personal growth,” shared Louise Shirley, Leadership Programs Manager.  

Eleven Ambassador and Advisory Council (AAC) volunteers help to guide, implement, and champion Bend ET programming to ensure its relevance, vibrancy, and success. AAC members played an important role in shaping the rebrand, working with BendNEXT and Bend Chamber staff to decide on the brand direction. They first unveiled the new brandmark during the annual Summit back in May, to a positive reaction from attendees. 

The mission of Bend Emerging Talent is to equip and empower Bend’s emerging talent to connect personally, grow professionally, and strengthen their role in a thriving, inclusive, and collaborative business environment and community. 

Bend Emerging Talent is not membership-based, though all-access Passports are available annually, and people are welcome to attend one, some, or all events. The program will continue to offer its core events:

• Expert Labs: professional development workshops with tangible takeaways. Participants gain valuable insights from local changemakers. 
• Socials: opportunities to network and hear from regional speakers who will help attendees stay informed and get involved in the community. 
• Summit: a dynamic annual conference to elevate emerging talent to the next level. 
• Mentorship Program: Passport holders have access to mentorship from Leadership Bend Alumni. 

“Shifting away from the name Young Professionals makes it clear that our high-impact programming is available to all in the early to mid-stage of their career—our region's Emerging Talent. I look forward to seeing how many more people will become engaged in our community and benefit from the Bend ET program,” shared Chad Young, AAC Co-Chair.

"The rebrand to Bend Emerging Talent is exciting and reflects the wide scope of who we are and who we impact. Our inclusive events and programs accelerate professional and personal growth, and I'm honored to be part of this highly impactful group," said Tanner Hupka, AAC Co-Chair.

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The mission of BendNEXT Foundation is to strengthen our businesses, economy, and our community through workforce development and retention, leadership development, and activating partnerships to tackle our region’s most pressing issues. Our initiatives address obstacles to a robust workforce, including employee needs for housing, affordability, childcare and other essential supports as well creating a business culture of belonging in an informed and connected community.   

The mission of the Bend Chamber is to create an environment where businesses, their employees and our community excel together through collaboration, advocacy, resources and leadership to meet Bend’s business challenges.