Once a month, a diverse group of young professionals from various backgrounds, interests and parts of the city, gather on Indiana Avenue at the local Urban League office. While a bit of socializing does occur, their purpose is far deeper. Newly elected President Adrianne Slash says The Exchange presents an opportunity for people to share knowledge and expertise, interact with city leaders and become civically engaged in the inner-workings of the community. Slash is a longtime member of the organization, and her father, Joe Slash, was the president of the Indianapolis Urban League for 12 years before retiring in 2014.
The Recorder caught up with Slash following the group’s first meeting of the year to learn more about what The Exchange does and what their plans are for the future.
Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper: For our readers who are unaware, tell us about The Exchange. What does the organization represent, who is involved and what kind of activities do you conduct?
Slash: The Exchange, previously known as the Indianapolis Urban League Young Professionals, is an auxiliary organization dedicated to bringing the next generation of leaders into the Urban League movement. We are a local representation of the National Urban League Young Professionals, with a very local feel. When we relaunched in 2014, we realized that many people under 40 do not consider themselves to be young professionals, rather growing professionals. The Exchange is an opportunity for growing professionals from all fields to exchange expertise, thought, experiences and more in one place to expand the Urban League movement. We exist to support the Indianapolis Urban League, which was founded in 1965 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, interracial community-based social service/civil rights organization.
What are your plans as president of the organization?
In the first two years of our relaunch, we did a lot of things right and gained a lot of momentum. What became apparent to me as I became president was that people love engaging with us, yet still have no understanding of the Urban League and what it does, or more importantly how special the Indianapolis Urban League really is. With that in mind, as president it is my goal to align more with the IUL, inspire our contributors into action through our meeting presenters and event experiences, and grow our impact in Indianapolis.
Why is it important for young professionals to be civically engaged? What are the personal benefits and what is the community impact?
Professionally as program and event director for Leadership Indianapolis, it is apparent to me daily that the community needs insight and energy from young professionals. The work that we do at the IUL it is no different. In order for the city to see progress, it will need the progressive insight from its newest leaders. The only way to get that done is to organize and invite others in. By organizing, The Exchange has created an environment where our city can engage with us and our talent pool is easily located.
By being engaged, we have the opportunity to impact our city and be a part of the changes we’d like to see, rather than coach via social media those whose work it is to make change. We are participating in conversations surrounding city planning and events that are coming to the city, working to support and influence hate crimes legislation and working on arts and culture opportunities for the city. The benefit of creating the city we’re proud to brag about is just one of many. The impact to the city is hearing from us, and being able to not just assume what we want, but know what we want and need, to love being a resident here.
How can people join and be involved in The Exchange?
Anyone who contributes $50 or more and is between the ages of 21–40 can be a part of The Exchange. I love that our chapter is colorful and representative of all professions, both blue and white collar. Many people tend to attend a general meeting or event prior to contributing. Our monthly general meetings are the third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Indianapolis Urban League. These meetings are focused on the five empowerment strategies of the IUL and typically feature a guest presenter. Our chapter is nationally recognized as a Chapter of Distinction, the Central Regional Chapter of the Year and the Rookie Chapter of the Year. People can also like us on Facebook by searching “The Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League” and contact us at theexchange@indplsul.org to be added to our mailing list.
