About

Culturati: Summit 2C20 marked the fifth annual gathering of the Culturati community, a network of CEOs, investors, scholars, and executives dedicated to practicing and studying culture building. This year, the Summit turned its focus from building culture to the role of leadership in shaping it. The event opened with Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, who delivered “Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character,” a keynote on character and command. Major General Angela Salinas, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) and CEO of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, followed with “What Truly Makes the Leader?” challenging attendees to consider the essence of leadership. Stuart Crabb, former Head of Learning & Development at Facebook, shared lessons on leading through hypergrowth and organizational change, while Carin Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer at Workday, explored “The Shift from Diversity & Inclusion to Belonging.”

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The program also featured Amy Nelson, CEO & founder of The Riveter, and Arlan Hamilton, Managing Director & founder of Backstage Capital, in a keynote on “Reshaping the Leadership Narrative,” moderated by Ellen McGirt of Fortune. The Summit closed with reflections in “A Truly Flourishing Culture” from Dr. Darren White, CEO & founder of Aduro; Dr. Eileen McNeely, Director of the Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise (SHINE) at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Kathy Farmer, Senior Director of Culture & Engagement at Levi Strauss & Co.; and Steven Tomlinson, PhD, playwright and professor at the Seminary of the Southwest, who served as moderator.

Across sessions, leaders wrestled with questions that remain urgent today: How do leadership and culture reinforce—or resist—one another? Are they opposite sides of a coin, or ultimately the same side?

“Leading with culture isn’t about top-down mandates—it’s about stewarding shared purpose, belonging, and trust.”
— Admiral James Stavridis (Fomer Supreme Allied Commander of NATO & former Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University)