About

The very first Culturati: Summit launched in 2016 with a clear ambition: to create a society of leaders who get the power of culture—and want to learn more. Held in Austin, Texas, the inaugural gathering brought together a curated group of executives, entrepreneurs, and scholars for a day of candid dialogue and connection. The morning keynote featured Patty McCord, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix; Brett Hurt, founder of Bazaarvoice; Jeff Diana, Chief People Officer at Atlassian; and Garrett Boone, co-founder of The Container Store, in a conversation moderated by Steven Tomlinson, PhD on scaling culture, building trust, and balancing freedom with responsibility. The afternoon keynote brought together Amy Edmondson, PhD at Harvard Business School; Chris Fussell, President of the McChrystal Group; Simon Marcus, VP of Operations at Spotify; and Alexis GB of WeWork, moderated by Colin Pope of the Austin Business Journal, for a discussion on psychological safety, operational integrity, and sustaining values in dynamic organizations.

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Austin Mayor Steve Adler closed the day with a civic lens, reflecting on how inclusive leadership and strong cultures can shape not just companies, but entire communities. From the outset, Culturati positioned itself not as a typical conference, but as a collaborative forum where leaders could wrestle with complexity, share hard-won lessons, and shape the future of work together. The energy and honesty of that first Summit set the tone for what Culturati has become: a trusted, high-caliber community built on shared values, rigorous thinking, and a deep belief in culture as a lever for impact.