Shaping Tomorrow's Innovation Today
Friday, September 18, 2026 •11:45 AM EDT – 8:00 PM EDT
Vue on 50 · Three Logan Square · 1717 Arch St, 50th Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Attire: Business Casual / Afrofuture Chic
Vue on 50, Philadelphia
About the Summit
The Latimer Futures Summit is an annual, VIP, invite-only gathering where a curated collection of diverse minds converge to explore the future.
It's a place where mind and Afrofuturistic soul collide. The Latimer Futures Summit is an inspiring, purposeful, future-driven "kinclave" that collides iconic speakers, culturally curious attendees, and provocative idea exchange.
Last Year's Highlights
Relive the highlights from the inaugural '25 Latimer Futures Summit at MIT, where visionaries came together to share bold ideas and drive meaningful impact.
Voices from the Summit
“SUPER inspiring! Thanks so much for this amazing gathering and for including me!”
Rosalind Picard
Engineering Professor, MIT
Summit Agenda
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Vue on 50, Three Logan Square
11:45 AM EDT - 8:00 PM EDT
1717 Arch St, 50th Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Business Casual / Afrofuture Chic
Registration, Lunch & Pre-program Sonic Experience
11:45 AM EDT - 1:00 PM EDT
Check-in and lunch with a pre-program sonic experience by Latimer Composer Soleil Randall
Artist
SR
Soleil RandallLatimer Composer
ArtistRegistrationLunchMusic
Welcome Performance & Message
1:00 PM EDT - 1:30 PM EDT
Artists & Speakers
RB
Reggie BarnesTelevision, film, and theater actor, Portrays Lewis Latimer (4 years)
ArtistJC
Jonathan CropperCo-Founder & CEO, Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program
WelcomePerformance
Future of Global Finance
1:30 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT
Speakers
FC
Frank CooperGlobal CMO, Visa
TBCCR
Carmichael RobertsHead of Investments, Breakthrough Energy Ventures; Founder, Material Impact
RM
Ray McGuirePresident, Lazard; former Head of Global Investment Banking, Citi
Finance
Institute of the Black Imagination & Lessons from W.E.B. DuBois
2:00 PM EDT - 2:15 PM EDT
Speakers
DRF
Dr. Rayvon FoucheAssociate Dean for Graduate Education & Professor of Communication Studies, Northwestern University; Latimer Fellow
DC
Dario CalmesePhotographer; Founder, Institute of the Black Imagination, First African American to photograph the cover of Vanity Fair; Latimer Fellow
Culture
Wellness Break / Intermission
2:15 PM EDT - 2:45 PM EDT
Break
BreakCoffee
AI, Tech Transfer and the Future of Culture
2:45 PM EDT - 3:15 PM EDT
Speakers
DBH
Dr. Ben HarveyFounder, Archetypal.ai; former Chief of Data Science & AI Operations, NSA
JP
John PasmoreFounder & CEO, Latimer.ai; Latimer Fellow
KP
Karen PresleyDirector, Office of Research and Technology Applications, National Security Agency
DH
Devo HarrisFounder & CEO, Adventr
MA
Marques AndersonFounder & CEO, Narrative World Modeling
AICulture
Biohacking Music and Art Experience
3:15 PM EDT - 3:30 PM EDT
Artists & Speakers
AA
AZA AllsopMusic artist, neuroscientist, psychiatrist, Asst. Professor, Yale Department of Psychiatry; Director, Center for Collective Healing, Howard University
ArtistLK
Lans KingConceptual artist, This is my body (of work); NFC microchip biohack art
ArtistArtMusic
Wakanda Worldbuilding Fireside Chat
3:30 PM EDT - 4:00 PM EDT
Speakers
RH
Reginald HudlinFilmmaker, Black Panther comics, Black Godfather, Django Unchained; Oscars Producer
GS
Glenn SingletonFounder & CEO, Courageous Conversation
CS
Carmen SmithSVP & Executive Creative Development, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
TBCWorldbuildingStorytelling
Wellness Break / Intermission
4:00 PM EDT - 4:15 PM EDT
Break
BreakSnacks
Interactive Workshop: The Future of Innovation and Education
4:15 PM EDT - 4:45 PM EDT
Speakers
TO
Tade OyerindeFounder & Chancellor, Campus.edu
WD
Willie DeeseNamesake, Deese College of Business, North Carolina A&T; former President of Global Manufacturing, Merck
JW
John WilsonDirector, McGraw Leadership Center, UPenn Graduate School of Education; former President, Morehouse College
KS
Kecia SmithDean, Deese College of Business, North Carolina A&T
BS
Bill SpruillFounder and Managing Partner, 2ndF.org
EducationInnovationInteractive
Afrofuturism & Community Design
4:45 PM EDT - 5:00 PM EDT
Speakers
AT
Aarti TandonCEO, Tomorrow.City USA
MC
Milton CurryActing Dean / Senior Associate Dean & Professor of Architecture, College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Cornell University
MN
Michael NutterFormer Mayor of Philadelphia, David N. Dinkins Professor, Columbia University
SZ
Sylvia ZacharyFounder, Storyhouse
AfrofuturismDesign
Future of Venture Funding Exploration
5:00 PM EDT - 5:30 PM EDT
Speakers
RL
Randy LewisSenior Partner, Wilson Sonsini
NB
Nichol BradfordFounder, HumanTechWeek
DA
Daniel AcheampongCo-Founder & General Partner, Visible Hands
MF
Marquesa FinchFounder & CEO, Pyrium / Jet Capital
ET
Everette TaylorCEO, Kickstarter
TBCVentureFunding
The Future of Brand Identity In The Age of AI
5:30 PM EDT - 5:45 PM EDT
Speakers
AR
Americus ReedProfessor of Marketing, The Wharton School
RSW
Rob Steven WilliamsBrand Strategist & Governance, Founder & Inventor, Prism IO
JLB
Jeffrey L. BowmanFounder and CEO of Reframe Consulting and Reframe AI, Marketing and Advertising Industry Pioneer; Award Winning Wiley Published Author
BrandAI
Closing Remarks and Sponsor Acknowledgment
5:45 PM EDT - 6:00 PM EDT
Closing
Cocktail Reception and Surprise Music Performance
6:00 PM EDT - 8:00 PM EDT
🥂 Reception
ReceptionNetworkingMusic
Community Update
Stay connected with our community while we count down to the 2026 Summit, and help us shape the future of the Latimer Fellowship.