7 unlikely pairings you’ll see at Summit Detroit

Fast Company is the official media partner of Summit Detroit.

At Summit events, unlikely pairings of innovative yet seemingly disconnected people regularly take the stage. In the past, Summit attendees have heard Kendrick Lamar and Quentin Tarantino discuss their creative processes; investor Brad Gerstner do a deep dive into Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi’s background and upbringing; and Al Gore and actor and entrepreneur Jaden Smith unite over their work combating the climate crisis. 

This signature feature of Summit events will be no different at Summit Detroit this June 5–8.

“Summit becomes the conduit for all of these amazing intersections to happen,” says Summit CEO Jody Levy. 

Check out just some of the unique pairings coming to Summit Detroit: 

Picking winners in the AI arms race with Brad Keywell and Dick Costolo

Venture investor and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and serial entrepreneur Brad Keywell will share the criteria they use to evaluate AI startups, the signals that separate hype from substance, and what most investors get wrong about the space. They will also reflect on the broader implications of AI: the good, the bad, and the potentially catastrophic.

How autonomous vehicles, reusable rockets, and humanoid robots will define our solar system for the next 200 years with Franz von Holzhausen and Kiko Dontchev

In their first-ever stage conversation, Franz von Holzhausen, chief designer at Tesla, and Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s VP of launch, will discuss innovations in revolutionizing transportation, manufacturing, and sustainable design. 

A new era of creative leadership with LP Giobbi and Ivy Ross 

Ivy Ross, Google’s VP of design and a trailblazer in neuroaesthetics—the exploration of how the brain responds to art—moderates a deep dive with LP Giobbi, DJ, pianist, and founder of Femme House. Together, they’ll explore how music, design, and science are converging to rewire how we create, connect, and lead.

Symbols, systems, and the battle for public imagination with Shepard Fairey and Hank Willis Thomas

Two of the most influential impact- and mission-focused artists of our time, Shepard Fairey and Hank Willis Thomas, explore the power of visual language in public areas and its ability to disrupt power, reclaim space, and challenge dominant narratives in a time when truth feels contested.

The future of ownership, wealth, and economic power in America with Dr. Bernice A. King, Ashley Bell, and Dhani Jones

Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center; Ashley Bell, founder and CEO of fintech platform Ready Life; and former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones will discuss the National Black Bank Foundation, which pioneers a new financial model merging economic justice with investment opportunity. 

The funny thing about being human with Lori Gottlieb and Ben Gleib 

As the voice behind The New York Times’ “Ask the Therapist” column and the bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb has helped millions rethink their inner narratives. Gottlieb will join comedian and cultural critic Ben Gleib to explore the hidden threads of identity, self-deception, and transformation. This conversation will offer a disarmingly funny and powerfully clarifying account of our mysterious inner lives and our capacity to shape them.

Why creativity still matters in an AI world with Ivy Ross, Eames Demetrios, and Fast Company’s Mark Wilson 

As generative AI transforms how we build, communicate, and imagine, the role of human creativity has never been more vital. In a time when algorithms can mimic aesthetics and automate storytelling, what distinguishes truly meaningful work? This conversation brings together Google’s Ivy Ross and designer Eames Demetrios to explore how creativity isn’t being replaced, it’s being redefined. Moderated by Fast Company’s global design editor Mark Wilson, this session will delve into why imagination, intuition, and emotion remain irreplaceable tools in shaping beauty, connection, and culture and why design thinking must not only keep pace with AI, but chart the course forward. 

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

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