With the second annual Baltimore Homecoming Conference kicking off tomorrow October 16-18, 2019, Robbin Lee and team are gearing up for the amazing event. The goal is to bring people back to
Baltimore to learn and experience the city beyond the headlines. The hope is to inspire, reengage and reconnect those who have left the city.
I had the opportunity to chat with Robbin to learn more about Baltimore Homecoming, the people and celebrities who are involved and to dig deeper into what they hope to accomplish.
Finally, Robbin shares her career advice for other women and how she as a millennial landed such a big job at such a young age.
What is Baltimore Homecoming?
Baltimore Homecoming is a gathering of Baltimore’s most accomplished natives and alumni from around the U.S. and the world.” That’s right, innovators, intellectuals, artists, business owners, community leaders, makers and doers are returning home to Charm City to talk about what is going on in Baltimore and how a difference can be made through partnerships, investments and collaboration.
The vision for Baltimore Homecoming, Inc. (a nonprofit organization) came from Co-Founders Nate Loewentheil and JM Schapiro. After learning how Detroit was able to mobilize reinvestment in the city and steer the city’s turnaround through the Detroit Homecoming, JM and Nate teamed up to do the same for Baltimore.
Goals of Baltimore Homecoming: Reengage and Reshape the narrative
The Goals for Baltimore Homecoming are two-fold.
1. Get People reengaged and reinvesting in the city.
“Keep in mind that reinvesting doesn’t have to mean opening your wallets financially. It also means joining a board, becoming a mentor, discovering a new Baltimore artist that you may want to collaborate with, connecting alma maters with Baltimore partners. There are many ways to “invest” in the city. What we do at Baltimore Homecoming is to facilitate a menu of opportunities and ways to get involved and reinvest in Baltimore.”
2. Reshape the national narrative in Baltimore.
“Too often the headlines circle around our rising crime and violence. Not often enough, do the headlines highlight the strengths of our city and the amazing people behind the projects that are really moving the needle and pushing the city forward every day.
It is our job to help reshape the narrative by exposing those people and projects to our attendees and national alumni so they can take those stories back home with them (i.e. New York, Chicago, California, etc.) to help spread good news about Baltimore and the great things happening in our city.”
Robbin, how did you become Involved in Baltimore Homecoming?
I fell in love with the mission of Baltimore Homecoming. While I liked my job in D.C., I wanted to do something deeper and more meaningful. When I got the call from JM and he presented this opportunity to me, I jumped at the chance to work and give back to the city that has helped to shape me as the young adult and young professional I am today. (I am a proud UMBC graduate… Go Dogs!)
Conference Details
Homecoming 2019 kicks off October 16-18th. While the full agenda is only available to invited guests, you can find a list of some of our amazing speakers here which include:
- Award-winning director & filmmaker, Barry Levinson
- MLB Hall-of-Famers Baltimore Orioles 3rd baseman (“55-57”) Brooks Robinson & Vice Chairman Emeritus for the Atlanta Braves John Schuerholz
- Senator Barbara A. Mikulski
- Creator and former host of Discovery’s Channel’s Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe
- Mayor C “Jack” Young
- Baltimore alumni & 2019 Homecoming co-chairs Duff Goldman, Angel McCoughtry, Lance Reddick, Melanie Whelan
And many more…. “These leaders are making such a difference in our city. Our goal is to put people on the ground to talk to our national audience.” This year we are also very excited to have our Police Commissioner speak. We feel that it is important for our attendees to hear from civic leadership.
In addition to listening to the speakers, the alumni attendees will also partake in one of four field trip tours so they may see firsthand the great work Baltimore is doing. These smaller more intimate field trip options include:
Humanim, The Choice Program at UMBC, Center Stage, Green Mount West Community Center, Made in Baltimore and UM Bio Park.
Robbin’s career advice for other women
Connect and communicate with your mentors (aka “Boss Ladies”)
Mentorship is key. There have been numerous “Boss Ladies” in my life that have mentored me and help to shape me. I’ve always taken note of the women who have inspired me through my journey. I’ve had the privilege of meeting our 2018 Homecoming Heroes who include Erricka Bridgeford of Baltimore Ceasefire, Major Monique Brown of the Baltimore Policy Department, Brittany Young, Founder and CEO of B-360 to name a few. Keeping in touch with these ladies and keeping my ear to the ground on what they are doing as their commitment to Baltimore continues to grow is important to me.
I am also so inspired by Jessica Long. She is one of our world’s most decorated International Paralympic Swimmer. She rocks shorts and dresses like no other. Her commitment and dedication to her sport is unparalleled. Jacqueline Green, is a famous dancer with Alvin Ailey and is just incredible. Joyce Scott is the grandmother of the arts in Baltimore. She has a lovely spirit and you can just feel the creative energy exuding from her.
There are so many women who have helped to shape and inspire me along the way. Every woman must find those positive, driven, inspiring female role models to surround themselves with.
Do work you are passionate about
While our work at Baltimore Homecoming is just a fraction of what will make the future of Baltimore City brighter, I am thrilled and excited to be a part of that movement. It is my hope and goal that a few years from now, we can see significant change as we continue to shine a light on what is amazing in Baltimore.
Prove people wrong
I have always been motivated to prove people wrong and show the world that young people can make a difference. I have always tried to break barriers and be the youngest person at the table. Don’t be afraid to speak up, stand up and go for it.
Time Management, Attention to detail and Building relationships
Building relationships is so important in a day and age where I don’t think we do it enough. Our relationships tend to be super transactional and our communication style often fleeting via email, texts and social media. When you go out of your way and pay attention to the relationships you make, and nurture those relationships, it will reward you in great dividends down the road. Those relationships are what brought me to Baltimore Homecoming. Treasure every person you meet.
Maximizing your time and efficiency will set you apart from the average worker. Focus and do great work. Rise beyond the traditional standard of detail.
To learn more…
Making a difference and effecting change is what Baltimore Homecoming and Robbin Lee and team our doing. To learn more about the event, please visit Baltimore Homecoming’s website. If you are interested in attending next year, don’t be shy about reaching out to Robbin. Learn and see firsthand the great work Baltimore is doing.
Thanks so much for reading.
Hugs & Handshakes, Lauren Rebbel
