The Convergence Leadership Summit took place this weekend, with intentions of "empowering the next generation of leaders from the Men of Color Success Network and the Women of Color Network."

"Having events like this where you can converse with other people who have also been the first in the room of their kind of their background and getting to share the stories of their struggles of what's similar between you and them. It gives you a sort of point of reference that you may not have otherwise have access to," Lewis said.

After breakfast on Saturday, attendees formed teams in a competition involving pasta and marshmallows. It was just one of the ways they could connect with each other.

The summit offered workshops, panels, and keynotes, all designed to provide those attending with practical skills and deep insights. For some, the speakers were particularly inspiring.

"Quoting Mr. Tyso, the keynote speaker again, is to "dream big." That's kind of all I had when I first came to the U.S. back in 2010 is my own two hands and the community that raised me. They taught me that as long as I'm able to do what I do to keep being an ambitious and even if I failed during that process," Colgate University student Bryan Phan.

"Getting to meet different people that are in such incredible fields and knowing that I've got the same starting place is also probably the most encouraging aspect of this entire event, because it is just so much about the different ways that you can end up in incredibly successful positions and the different ways that people define success," Lewis said.