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The Global ERG Network is powered by Tapestry Partner Solutions, a boutique consultancy focused on organizational transformations and people-centric practices.
Press Release
June 20, 2026
Global ERG Network® Annual Conference Returns to Charlotte with a New Premise: ERGs as Organizational Intelligence
The Global ERG Network hosts its Virtual Summit this week, with a leading researcher as opening keynote.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/
The Global ERG Network® (GEN) has opened registration for the 2026 GEN Annual Conference (GENC), taking place November 10–11 at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, NC. The conference brings together ERG and Council leaders, executive sponsors, HR and talentprofessionals, and senior executives from across industries for two days of strategic sessions, cross-sector learning, and hands-on application.
“Employee groups have insights that are deeplyauthentic,” said Anna Ettin, Executive Officer of Innovation and Generational Transformation at Tapestry Partner Solutions, which powers GEN. “Data shows people feel more connected and psychologicallysafe in their ERG meetings than in others. This creates spaces that are inherently more likely to generateideas, innovation, and problem solving through collaboration. And that’s what happens when we gather at our annual conference.”
Speakers and agenda highlights will be released in the coming weeks.
EVENT THEMES AND PROGRAMMING
Over two days, sessions are designed to move attendees from orientation to action with programming centered on the challenges most urgent for attendees.
ERG and Council leaders will examine how to design structures that sustain over time and across locations, how to turn member insights into language executives need to hear, and how to connect ERG activity to existing business priorities in ways that expand reach and impact.
For HR, talent, and culture leaders, GENC is about finding leading practices to strengthen what already existsin their organizations. They’ll learn how to position ERGs as strategic infrastructure and align group activity with engagement, retention, and leadership development goals in ways that produce outcomes the organization can measure and act on.
Executives will examine where ERGs are informing critical decisions, and where their insights are needed. They’ll study what high-performing group ecosystems look like in practice, and how organizations that have integrated their ERG infrastructure are seeing returns in retention, innovation, and market connection.
Sessions will include small and large group discussions, action-oriented content, and ample time in between to continue conversations that build deep connections across companies.
GEN IMPACT AWARDS GALA
The 2026 GEN IMPACT Awards rankings will be announced at the Awards Gala during the event, closing out an awards season that opened in March and drew applicants from ERG programs across industries andsectors. Award recipients — selected across categories including Top ERGs, Top Enterprise-Wide ERGs & Councils, and Executive Sponsors — were recognized earlier this year. The Gala marks the formal close of that season and celebrates the groups operating at the highest strategic levels.
“The organizations being recognized at the Gala have figured out something important: when ERGs andCouncils are structurally connected to the business, the returns show up everywhere — in retention, in leadership pipelines, in innovation, in belonging. That’s the standard we’re celebrating, and the one we want every organization in this field to be working toward,” said Monica Brunache, ExecutiveOfficer of Innovation and Generational Transformation at Tapestry Partner Solutions.
WHAT PAST ATTENDEES SAY
“The energy was unmatched, filled with brilliant minds and invaluable insights.” — Senior Inclusion Leader, insurance
“It’s important to have a community with people who are working on the same efforts…because inclusion isnot just important for people to feel like they belong, it’s also important for retention and engagement.” — Head of Inclusion & Belonging, global financial services
“The speakers shared real challenges, real examples, and practical suggestions instead of staying at a high-level theory. That grounded honesty made everything feel more relatable and actionable.” — People & Experience Manager, global logistics
“I walked away with fresh, practical ideas for helping my ERG team up and make a bigger impact with other groups.” — ERG Leader, financial services
REGISTRATION AND VENUE
Registration is open now at globalergnet.com/conferences/genc/. Seats are limited; early registration is encouraged as pricing increases closer to the event.
Early Bird pricing is available through August 31, or until all seats are reserved.
Pre-event activations begin on the evening of Monday, November 9, and conference doors open at 8:00am on November 10. Programming closes at 4:00pm on Wednesday, November 11.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations seeking visibility with ERG and Council practitioners and the executives who support them. Details at globalergnet.com/conferences/genc/sponsorship/.
March 23, 2026
Dr. Theresa Welbourne to Keynote Virtual Summit; Strategic Roadmap Helps Redesign ERG & Council Infrastructure
WINSTON-SALEM, NC, UNITED STATES, March 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/
The Global ERG Network® (GEN) announced that Dr. Theresa M. Welbourne, leading researcher on Employee Resource Groups and strategic human capital, willdeliver the keynote address at the 2026 GENVirtual Summit on March 24.
Dr. Welbourne is the Executive Director of the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute and Professorof Management at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. She runs the largest research study focused on ERGs—examining how they drive innovation, firm-levelgrowth, and their evolution into Strategic Resource Groups. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Inc. Magazine, and she is well published in academic journals.
“Dr. Welbourne’s research validates what we’ve observed and experienced for two decades: ERGs areinvaluable parts of the workforce infrastructure,” said Anna Ettin, Executive Officer of Innovation andGenerational Transformation at Tapestry Partner Solutions, which powers GEN. “Her insights on employee energy, leadership pipelines, and innovation acceleration align perfectly with where the market is – and is headed.”
At the Summit’s closing session, the GEN team will host an “Ask Me Anything” hour on the trends surfaced in their 2026 Insights Report. Drawing on live questions, the discussion deep dives into what the data reveals about the current state of ERGs and Councils, what’s working well, and what must evolve. The eventconcludes with guided action planning, so attendees leave oriented toward execution, collaboration, and impact beyond the Summit.
GEN IMPACT AWARDS ARE OPEN
Organizations have until April 17 to submit applications for the 2026 GEN IMPACT Awards. Categories include Top 3 ERGs, Top Enterprise-Wide ERGs & Councils, and Executive Sponsors. Award recipients will beannounced in August; rankings to be announced during the Awards Gala at the 2026 GEN Conference in Charlotte, NC, November 10-11.
“If your ERG is driving retention, surfacing talent, or building leadership pipelines, you deserve recognitionfor that work,” said Monica Brunache, co-owner of Tapestry Partner Solutions and GEN. “These awards spotlight groups operating at the highest strategic level.”
Full details and submission criteria are available on the GEN website; there is no cost to apply.
GEN ANNUAL CONFERENCE PREVIEW
The details of the 2026 Annual Conference will be released this week. The event is planned for November 10-11 in Charlotte, NC, and brings together executives, program managers, and ERG leaders from across industries and sectors.
Registration and sponsorship opportunities will open in April. More information is available at globalergnet.com/conferences.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP: MOVING IDEAS TO INFRASTRUCTURE
GEN is expanding the availability of the Strategic Roadmap, designed for organizations ready to move from improvised ERG and Council activity to intentional infrastructure and ecosystems.
The Roadmap includes:
- Executive-ready diagnostics that benchmark ERG maturity, risks, and misalignments
- Year-by-year implementation plans sequenced by priority and feasibility
- Co-creation with leadership teams to facilitate alignment and surface barriers
- Future-state system design for governance, metrics, and talent integration
“Most companies are under-leveraging one of their most powerful assets,” said Ettin. “ERGs are often expected to run on passion instead of being powered by structure. They’re disconnected from strategy, siloed under HR, and considered optional instead of operational. The Strategic Roadmap changes that.”
The offering is designed for organizations struggling to scale ERGs across teams or regions, ready to connect ERGs and Councils to talent strategy and business outcomes, or seeking insights to retain and develop their next generation of leaders.
Organizations can schedule a readiness call to explore fit, timeline, and outcomes.
February 18, 2026
Global ERG Network Opens 2026 GEN IMPACT Awards Season—Recognizing Employee Groups and Councils Driving Business Results
Applications for the 2026 GEN IMPACT Awards open on March 2, recognizing ERGs and Councils that are delivering meaningful impactsand organizational outcomes.
NC, UNITED STATES, February 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/
The Global ERG Network®(GEN) has announced applications will be opening for the 2026 GEN IMPACT Awards,recognizing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Councils, and Executive Sponsors that are making meaningful impacts and delivering measurable organizational outcomes.
The awards evaluate nominees on their ability to Innovate, Measure, Progress, Activate, Collaborate, and Transform (IMPACT)—reflecting the strategic contributions ERGs and Councils make for individuals, organizations, andcommunities—such as deepening cultural resilience, strengthening retention, and building talent pipelines.
“Organizations that treat ERGs as strategic infrastructure see the returns,” said Anna Ettin, Executive Officer ofInnovation and Generational Transformation at Tapestry Partner Solutions, which powers GEN. “Not only can these groups accelerate leadership development, but they surface risks early, and keep employees connected through uncertainty. The GEN IMPACT Awards spotlight the groups doing this work at the highest level.”
2026 Award Categories Include: Top 3 ERGs, Top Enterprise-Wide ERGs & Councils, Executive Sponsor ofthe Year. Organizations may begin the process now by completing an Intent to Apply submission, in advance ofapplications opening from March 2 through April 17. Award recipients will be announced in August and honored at the 2026 GEN Conference in Charlotte, NC from November 10 – 11.
Virtual Summit Registration Now Open
GEN also announced that registration for the 2026 GEN Virtual Summit is open, bringing together HRleaders, business executives, and ERG leaders for system-level conversations on workforce strategy.
Sessions bring forward “what’s next” with new perspectives on long-standing challenges, and newapproaches for emerging opportunities. The programming amplifies the contributions of ERGs as intelligencesystems, leadership pipelines, and retention infrastructure—moving well beyond community building into enterprise strategy.
The Summit focuses on four strategic priorities:
Experience into Impact – Linking human experiences to organizational success Retention by Design – Building workplaces people choose to stay in
Leaders Are Grown, Not Hired – Activating ERGs as leadership pipelines Engagement ThatDelivers – Maximizing the connections that create momentum
The virtual format allows participation across regions, roles, and schedules—eliminating travel barriers whilemaintaining the depth of insight GEN events are known for. Registration is open; bulk tickets and sponsorship packages are also available.
“The Summit is about activating the system already within your walls,” noted Monica Brunache, co-owner of Tapestry Partner Solutions and GEN. “When organizations elevate ERGs and equip every employee to lead from where they are, they strengthen their foundation for sustainable growth.”
2026 GEN Insights Report Identifies Critical Infrastructure Gaps
In January, GEN released the 2026 GEN Insights Report: Top 10 Employee Resource Group and CouncilNeeds, drawing on hundreds of submissions from ERG leaders, executive sponsors, and HR partners acrossindustries. The report surfaces where ERGs are functioning as organizational infrastructure—and where existing systems are failing to support them.
Three findings stand out as immediate priorities:
Leadership sustainability is at risk. ERG and Council leaders are operating under increasing strain asresponsibilities expand without corresponding structural support. The report identifies a clear shift from task ownership to system stewardship as the differentiator in resilient ERG ecosystems—whereleadership continuity is designed in advance rather than treated as a succession afterthought.
Impact measurement remains disconnected from business systems. ERG leaders face mounting pressure to demonstrate measurable outcomes without clear guidance on what should be measured or how successshould be defined. Organizations that close this gap design initiatives with business outcomes in mind from the outset, making measurement a natural extension of the work rather than reporting overhead.
Frontline and deskless employees are structurally excluded. Shift-based, field, plant, and deskless workersremain persistently underrepresented in ERG participation—not due to lack of interest, but becauseengagement models are built around office-based assumptions that don’t account for how these populations experience their workday.
“This report isn’t about what ERGs should do differently—it’s about what organizations must build to support the work ERGs are already doing,” said Ettin. “When volunteer leaders are expected to operate at strategic levels without strategic infrastructure, burnout becomes predictable.”
The insights report is publicly available and serves as the foundation for GEN’s 2026 Spark Series and ongoing thought leadership.