Adapt Today, Thrive Tomorrow calls us to put resilience into practice—to not only withstand the shocks of our time, but to evolve and thrive through them. Across the Midwest, communities are already grappling with extreme weather, shifting economies, and growing social and political divides. Changing political priorities, the rapid emergence of AI, the spread of misinformation, and the erosion of shared truths all test our ability to navigate uncertainty with clarity and purpose. This year’s Summit asks: How do we adapt today so we can thrive tomorrow? How can we—across sectors and systems—build the agility, creativity, and collective strength needed to endure disruption, accelerate innovation, and sustain progress in an increasingly complex and polarized world?

​

To thrive tomorrow, we must ignite real change today. That means strengthening the resilience of individuals, organizations, and communities; cultivating solutions that endure; and working together across differences to build lasting capacity and shared impact. At the same time, we must keep working to reduce the impacts that drive climate change—cutting emissions, restoring ecosystems, and reimagining how we power and sustain our communities. Adapt Today, Thrive Tomorrow is a call to leaders in business, government, education, and the nonprofit sector to embrace transformative collaboration in the face of change. By adapting with intention and acting with courage and connection, we can move beyond resilience to create a future where the Midwest not only weathers uncertainty—it grows stronger because we rose to meet it, together.