Women's Summit Recap: Two Days of Connection, Culture, and Community in Detroit

Earlier this month, the NCEO concluded its second-ever Women’s Summit, and we were thrilled to deliver on our promise of fresh content. Guests who attended both events confirmed it: the programming was new, and the conversations went deeper.

Detroit gave us amazing weather, and we made the most of it. This year's networking cocktail reception was held alongside the Repurchase Obligation Workshop, offering more than double the networking opportunities. Attendees caught a gorgeous autumn sunset along the Detroit River while building new connections.

For the first time, we also offered a morning wellness activity: a walk along the river to a quiet area in Milliken State Park for yoga and mindfulness. There wasn’t an empty mat, and once again, our Midwest fall delivered with the weather. Attendees shared how nice it was to start the day with fresh air and movement, so we look forward to bringing it back.

A special shout-out to our own Andrea DiMatteo, the NCEO’s ownership culture manager, for her remarkable work facilitating the summit. Andrea tied the sessions together and encouraged thoughtful dialog throughout the two days, helping every conversation build on the last. She even went so far as to track responses to inspirational books, quotes, and songs, and she followed up with an email to attendees so they could continue to get inspired long after the event wrapped up.

Our sincere thanks to every speaker who shared their expertise and stories: Gina Schaefer, Lorin Beller, Brenda Bennett, Tenecia Waddell-Pyle, Beth Krieck, and Mary Josephs. You inspired attendees to lead with intention, build resilience, and own their influence.

Thank you to our event sponsors, myPath and Prairie Capital Advisors, for making this event possible.

Whether you’ve been to a previous Women’s Summit or are reading this and wishing you had, we have great news: we're looking forward to bringing this event back next year! Join us in San Diego, CA, on June 9–10. The feedback we receive helps us make this event better and better each year, and we can assure you that you won’t want to miss the next installment!

Can’t wait until June? We’ve got you covered. Read more about our Women in Employee Ownership Peer Network, where you can connect with peers virtually throughout the year. Additionally, we are excited to bring back our Women’s Networking Event at the 2027 NCEO Annual Conference in April. Register today!