Online
2026 Annual Conference
Igniting Community &
Driving Innovation
October 15 -18, 2026
Detroit, MI
Four Days.
Transformative Experience.
Every day of the 6th Annual DNPs of Color Conference is intentionally designed — from the opening mindfulness to the closing celebration. Here's what to expect.
Attendees can earn up to 15.0 accredited contact hours / CEUs.
General Session / Mindfulness / Signature
Panel
Break / Transition / Networking
Keynote / Gala / Social
Hack-a-thon
Day 1
Thursday, October 15
Wright Museum Auditorium
Detroit, Michigan
Morning - Arrivals & Opening
7:00 am - 8:00 am
Auditorium
Setup & Volunteer Check-In
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Registration + Vendor Engagement
Vendor Hall
8:45 am - 8:55 am
Opening Mindfulness
8:55 am - 9:00 am
Welcome by Conference Co-Chairs
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Inaugural DOC “Welcome to my City”: Welcome to the “D”
9:10 am - 9:15 am
Transition
General Session - Auditorium
9:15 am - 9:45 am
Igniting Community Through a Scalable Nurse Practitioner Engagement Model
Mini Podium
9:45 am - 10:15 am
(In)Equity by Design: Applying Artificial Intelligence to Nurse Staffing Decisions
Mini Podium
10:15 am - 10:35 am
Break + Vendor Engagement
Vendor Hall
10:35 am - 11:05 am
Rooted in Belonging: Strategies for Cultivating Inclusive Nurse Mentors
Mini Podium
11:05 am - 11:35 am
A.P.P.L.I.E.D. A Standardized Competency Based Framework for Wound Repair Education
Mini Podium
11:35 am - 11:40 am
Transition
Midday
11:40 am - 12:10 pm
Community-Driven Innovation for Health Equity
Leadership Lesson Signature
Health-equity innovation begins with disciplined listening—not technology for its own sake. In this action-oriented session, DNPs learn a practical 90-day method for moving from a community-defined inequity to measurable systems change. Participants will use lived experience, disaggregated data, evidence, and workflow analysis to select a high-leverage problem, co-design solutions with community members, and translate bedside patterns into language that boards, funders, and policymakers can act upon. The session also addresses responsible use of AI and digital tools while preserving clinical judgment and dignity.
Attendees will leave with: the outline of a concrete health-equity innovation sprint that can be launched immediately in a practice, academic, or community setting.
12:10 pm - 1:25 pm
Lunch + Vendor Engagement
Sponsored by VINDICO
1:25 pm - 1:35 pm
Mindfulness Reset
Afternoon
1:35 pm - 2:05 pm
Technology Enabled Humanization of Pressure Injury Prevention: Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Sub-Epidermal Moisture Scanning for Person Centered Care in Diverse Populations
Mini Podium
2:05 pm - 2:35 pm
Designing Our Collective Future: Impact of African American and Black ERGs in Pediatric Healthcare
Mini Podium
2:35 pm - 2:55 pm
Break
2:55 pm - 3:25 pm
BEEMS: Designing a Nurse Led Workforce Vital Signs Model to Detect Strain Before the Crisis
Mini Podium
3:25 pm - 3:55 pm
The LEAD-IMPACT Framework™: A Conceptual Model for Igniting Community-Engaged Scholarship in Nursing
3:55 pm - 4:00 pm
Transition
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Building Belonging in Science through the NIH funded TRAIN program.
Mini Podium
4:30 pm - 4:35 pm
Closing by Conference Co-Chairs
Evening Event
Mix & Mingle – Motown Karaoke Theme
Networking & Nonprofit Fundraiser - Marriott Renaissance Hotel
Day 2
Friday, October 16
Wright Museum Auditorium
Detroit, Michigan
Early Morning
7:00 am - 8:15 am
Registration, Breakfast + Vendor Engagement
Vendor Hall
7:30 am - 7:55 am
Sunrise Mindfulness
7:55 am - 8:00 am
Transition
Opening
8:00 am - 8:10 am
Welcome – Founder & CEO
8:10 am - 8:20 am
Mindfulness Intention Setting
8:20 am - 8:25 am
Transition
General Session
8:25 am - 8:55 am
8:55 am - 9:00 am
Transition
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Designing the Future of Men’s Health: Advancing Prostate Cancer Awareness and Action
DiMENsions in Nursing Panel
- Increase awareness of risk, early detection, and treatment choices for prostate cancer
- Normalize informed decision-making (shared decision-making) and reduce fear/misinformation about prostate cancer
- Provide clear “next steps” for men who are unsure about screening or newly diagnosed with prostate cancer
10:00 am - 10:20 am
Break + Vendor Engagement
Vendor Hall
10:20 am - 10:50 am
10:50 am - 10:55 am
Transition
10:55 am - 11:25 am
11:25 am - 11:30 am
Transition
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Historical Panel
presented by Nurses You Should Know
A powerful conversation honoring the nurses, stories, and legacies that have shaped our profession. This panel brings history forward, highlighting voices too often overlooked and exploring how their contributions continue to influence nursing today.
- Examine the contributions of historically underrecognized nurses who have shaped nursing practice, leadership, and advocacy.
- Connect lessons from nursing history to opportunities for advancing the profession and shaping its future.
Midday
12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
Lunch + Vendor Engagement
Sponsored by ANYLAM PHARMA
1:45 pm - 1:55 pm
Mindfulness Regroup
1:55 pm - 2:00 pm
Transition
Afternoon
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Keynote Presentation
2:30 pm - 2:35 pm
Transition
2:35 pm - 3:05 pm
Increasing Adolescent Mental Health Literacy Through Peer-to-Peer Education
Mini Podium
3:05 pm - 3:10 pm
Transition
3:10 pm - 3:40 pm
3:40 pm - 3:50 pm
Break + Vendor Engagement
Vendor Hall
3:50 pm - 4:50 pm
Signature Panel: Community & Innovation
Explore how collective leadership, collaboration, and innovation can shape the future of nursing while identifying strategies to strengthen communities and drive transformative change across education, practice, policy, and research.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to analyze opportunities for collaboration and apply innovative strategies to strengthen their organizations, communities, and the nursing profession.
Moderator: Dr. Danielle McCamey
4:50 pm - 4:55 pm
Transition
4:55 pm - 5:00 pm
Closing – Conference Co-Chairs
Evening
Student Happy Hour / Dinner
Students
Day 3 - Morning
Saturday, October 17
Wright Museum Auditorium
Detroit, Michigan
Early Morning
7:20 am - 7:30 am
Sunrise Mindfulness
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast: Hip-Hop Public Health Story Telling Experience
Sponsored by Bridge BioWhere hip-hop, health, and storytelling collide. This interactive experience explores the power of culture and creative expression to translate complex health information into stories that resonate, educate, and inspire action. Through the lens of Hip-Hop Public Health, participants will experience how music, narrative, and culturally relevant messaging can amplify community voices, advance health awareness, and transform the way we communicate about health.
- Describe how hip-hop and culturally relevant storytelling can make complex health information more accessible and engaging.
- Apply creative storytelling strategies to amplify community voices and inspire health-focused action.
Concurrent Sessions - 8:30 a.m. onward
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Yellow Room
Hack-a-thon (4 Hours)
Max 75 participants
This interactive, hands-on workshop introduces human-centered design as a practical framework for innovation. Participants will explore the lived experiences of DNPs, identify unmet needs, and work in teams to develop and pitch solutions that strengthen the future DNP experience.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Apply human-centered design methods to identify unmet needs and opportunities.
Facilitator: Rhonda Manns
Auditorium
Poster Pitch
9:30 am - 9:45 am
Break
9:45 am - 12:00 pm
Reclaiming Our Narratives: Storytelling, Legacy, and Healing
Every leader has a story—and every story has the power to heal, inspire, and transform. This reflective, interactive workshop invites participants to reclaim their narratives by exploring the legacies they have inherited, the lives they are building, and the impact they hope to leave behind. Through guided writing, storytelling, and shared reflection, attendees will engage in a restorative experience that blends healing, self-discovery, and community.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on the experiences that have shaped their personal and professional journey.
- Explore storytelling as a tool for healing, leadership, and legacy.
- Develop a personal narrative that reflects the legacy they hope to leave.
Facilitator: Beth Toner
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Yellow Room
Hack-a-thon Report Out
Auditorium
Mini Podium #16 (Bonus)
12:35 pm - 12:40 pm
Closing Remarks – Board Chair
Day 3 - Evening
Cocktail Hour & Gala
Wright Museum
Saturday, October 17
Gala Evening
6:00 pm - 6:10 pm
Pre-Brief (if necessary)
Cocktail Hour + Networking
Step-and-Repeat Photos - Board of Directors Official Photo
7:30 pm
Guests Seated – Dinner Service Begins
7:45 pm - 8:00 pm
Welcome + Land / Ancestor Acknowledgment
8:00 pm - 8:15 pm
DOCs Nonprofit Fundraising Vision + Pitch
8:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Scholarship & Award Presentations
Brief mic moments for distinguished awardees
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Group Photo – All Awardees
DJ – Dancing – Celebration
Day 4 AM
Day 4 AM
Section Heading
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Walking Tour: Resilience, Culture, and Flavor
Session Subtitle
Test
From the tour guide: “Step outside and experience the rich history, groundbreaking architecture, and vibrant culture of Downtown Detroit. Starting and ending at the Renaissance Center Marriott, this guided 2 hour walking tour highlights profound contributions of immigrants, Black Detroiters, and diverse communities who helped shape the Motor City. Along the way, we’ll visit iconic landmarks like the Gateway to Freedom Underground Railroad Monument and The Fist (Joe Louis monument), explore activated art alleys, and enjoy some local culinary fare.”
Approximately 1.8 miles, flat terrain. The tour route utilizes paved sidewalks with curb cuts, ADA-accessible buildings, and accessible public transit. The tour will include sit-down breaks, restroom access, and some transit segments.