Never been to Summit? Here’s what to expect.

Fast Company is the official media partner of Summit Detroit.

Summit is an organization that hosts global ideas conferences and immersive experiences. And the programming is always grounded by six core pillars: thought leadership, health and happiness, performance arts, culinary arts, fine art, and impact—all with the express intention to inspire deep attendee presence and build long-term connections both professionally and personally. 

“Many of our Summit community members are building and running large high-profile companies, managing teams, and are surrounded by people and things to do. But our business leaders often feel incredibly lonely in their pursuits,” says Jody Levy, CEO and global director of Summit. “There’s an impact to a Summit gathering that invites commonality and allows these types of high-octane doers the chance to meet one another, relate to one another, and forge lifelong professional and personal friendships.”

This June 5-8, Summit lands in Detroit with an array of speakers, teachers, and artists who will bring their unique perspectives to Summit’s programming pillars.

Thought leadership and impact

Summit community members will be immersed in thoughtful discussions with prolific business and technology leaders including Ev Williams, co-founder of Twitter, Medium, and Mozi; Franz von Holzhausen, chief designer at Tesla; Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Rocket Companies; Tim Urban, cofounder of the podcast Wait But Why; futurist Pablos Holman; and many more. 

For those steeped in social justice, impact, and the humanities, Summit is curating a series of special sessions with influential leaders including Dr. Bernice A. King; Ashley Bell, founder and CEO of fintech platform Ready Life; and former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones discussing his investment in Holladay Bank & Trust, which will become the first Black-owned commercial bank through acquisition. 

Throughout Summit’s programming are sessions that pull from the past to help illustrate the future. For example, Eames Demetrios will take the stage to discuss the legacy of his grandparents, Charles and Ray Eames—widely considered among the most influential American designers of the 20th century—and their longstanding connection to Detroit and their manufacturing innovations born out of wartime. 

“There’s such a direct correlation to this moment that we are in,” Levy says. “There’s an opportunity to reinvent not just how we do things but the materials we use, the manufacturing methods we have access to, and how we will reinvent to sustain a complex manufacturing future.” 

Health and happiness

Summit’s lineup within its health and happiness pillar includes author and psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb; medical diagnostic entrepreneur and cofounder and CEO of Function Health, Jonathan Swerdlin; integrative medicine practitioner Dr. Linda Lancaster; and death expert Elena Brower. There will also be movement modalities and interactive workshops with Primal Moves from Ibiza, Spain; an African- and Caribbean-inspired dance workshop led by Stacy Letrice; and fitness and yoga sessions with acclaimed instructors including Melissa Levy, Jacey Cunningham, Kim Strother, and Ally Bogard. 

Performing and fine arts

Underscoring Summit’s focus on fine art and the importance of live performance are immersive experiences including a conversation on the art of resilience from legendary choreographer and director Bill T. Jones; evening comedy sets from Ben Gleib (yes, he does “roast the entrepreneurs,” Levy promises); and live performances by The Wailers, Aluna, Coco & Breezy, LP Giobbi, Moodymann, and Tony Touch, as well as a popup experience with vinyl listening bar Dante’s HiFi.

Culinary arts

And it wouldn’t be a Summit event without a culinary track, more specifically one that centers Detroit’s culinary renaissance. Featured this year are Javier Bardauil, chef and owner of Barda and Puma Detroit, specializing in Argentinian cuisine; Brad Greenhill, executive chef and co-owner of Takoi, a popular Thai-inspired eatery; Warda Bouguettaya, owner of the James Beard Award-winning bakery Warda Pâtisserie; Alexandra Clark, founder and head chocolatier of Bon Bon Bon Chocolate; and Hamisi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, owners of the East African restaurants Waka and Baobab Fare.

Despite the structure of Summit’s programming pillars, Levy notes no one has to stick to one track or interest. A typical day at Summit can take on a variety of explorations.

“Our community doesn’t come to sit in a space and be a voyeur at a talk. They’re in it, in flow, they get to participate, let their curiosity lead, and the true lessons and connections often happen in the in-betweens, before and after sessions, on walks to venues, meetups, mixers, in line for lattes,” she says. “We get to create an environment for our people to have the choose-your-own-adventure that makes each Summit so unique.”

Adding to what makes this Summit event distinctive is its host city of Detroit.

“Detroit, at this moment, in this time, is thriving,” Levy says. “There are so many people that have come in from around the world: artists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, founders, investors, chefs from all over the globe, musical talent, explorers. There is this thriving creator economy in Detroit that matches the curious and experimental spirit of Summit.”

Learn more about Summit and apply to attend Summit Detroit this June 5-8, 2025. Tickets start at $4,750.

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