Keynotes from nationally recognized speakers
Our keynote speakers are nationally recognized voices on how people work and lead. We choose them for ideas you’ll still be talking about in June.
Presenting sponsor
The region’s largest leadership event
LeadingBetter Summit 2027: a one-day leadership conference in Louisville Build momentum for a world that won’t slow down.
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- Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville
- Practical leadership tools you can use with your team the next day
- Keynotes from nationally recognized speakers and hands-on breakouts
- Connections with leaders from across Louisville and the region
Early pricing $425 through Feb. 19. Team rates from $395 per person for groups of 10+. See all pricing
- 600+leaders expected in 2027
- 200+organizations represented
- Nearly halfdirector level or above
- Every levelemerging leaders to the C-suite
Overview
What is the LeadingBetter Summit?
The LeadingBetter Summit is a one-day leadership development conference in Louisville, Kentucky, presented by PNC. On Tuesday, April 20, 2027, leaders from emerging managers to the C-suite gather at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts for keynotes from nationally recognized speakers, hands-on breakout sessions, and time to connect with peers from across the region.
The demands of leadership keep changing. What hasn’t changed is what makes someone worth following: clear communication, trust, sound judgment, and the ability to have a hard conversation without losing the relationship. The Summit is one day each year to work on both.
What’s shifting
- New technology in everyday work
- What employees expect from leaders
- Constant organizational change
What still matters
- Communication and trust
- Judgment and adaptability
- Collaboration
The Experience
Learn it Tuesday. Use it Wednesday.
The Summit pairs big ideas with practical tools. You’ll hear from nationally recognized speakers, practice new approaches in small-group breakouts, and return to work with something specific to try with your team the next morning.
Hands-on breakout sessions
Breakouts are led by LeadingBetter facilitators and partners, and many are condensed versions of the workshops organizations bring in-house. You’ll discuss, practice, and leave with a specific next step.
Leaders all around you
Spend the day with people from nonprofits, large companies, health care, government, and small businesses. Some of the most useful conversations happen over lunch or in the lobby between sessions.
Leadership skills the Summit covers
Programming centers on the skills that shape how teams actually run.
- Communication and feedback
- Trust and leadership presence
- Emotional intelligence
- Conflict management
- Leading through change
- High-performance teamwork
- Adaptability and collaboration
- Psychological safety and belonging
- AI and evolving workforce expectations
Breakouts from the 2026 Summit
A look at last year’s program. 2027 breakout sessions will be announced in January.
- Leading Through AI Disruption: Intentional Choices for Uncertain TimesDiya Wynn, Amazon Web Services
- Win/Win Negotiation: Listening Is Your Strategic AdvantageCynthia Knapek, Leadership Louisville Center & LeadingBetter
- Leading with Inspiration: Story-Driven LeadershipAaron Miller, Leadership Louisville Center & LeadingBetter
- Leading with Purpose: Creating a Psychologically Safe TeamDon Woolridge Sr., Leadership Louisville Center & LeadingBetter
- Leading with EQ: Emotional Intelligence in a Changing WorldHeather Yerrid, Selfcessful
- Rise: Leading with Confidence, Courage and ConnectionLisa Zangari, LeadingBetter
The Day
How one day builds momentum
Each part of the day sets up the next, so you leave with more than a page of notes.
- 8:00 a.m.ArriveRegistration and coffee
- MorningSparkOpening and keynote
- Late morningPracticeHands-on breakout sessions
- MiddayConnectKeynote, lunch, and networking
- AfternoonApplyMore breakout sessions
- Late afternoonCommitClosing keynote and takeaways
- WednesdayTake it backPut one idea to work with your team.
Agenda preview for Tuesday, April 20, 2027, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The full agenda will be posted once programming is final.
Speakers & highlights
2027 speakers will be announced in December.
Keynote speakers come first. Breakout sessions and topics follow in January.
Past Summit speakers
From the 2026 LeadingBetter Summit. Not part of the 2027 lineup unless announced.
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Alison Fragale, Ph.D.Psychologist, professor, and author of Likeable BadassKeynote: Leading from Where You Are: The Art and Science of Building Status -
Marcus CanadyCEO of Canady Leadership Group and author of Intrusive LeadershipKeynote: Intrusive Leadership: The Most Critical Leadership Style for the Future -
Derek Greenfield, Ph.D.Leadership educator and cultural strategistKeynote: Better Together: Building Success Through Generational Synergy -
Diya WynnResponsible AI Lead, Amazon Web Services (2026 title)Breakout: Leading Through AI Disruption
Last April at the Kentucky Center
- 3 main-stage keynotes
- 2 rounds of breakouts across five rooms
- 1 full day of conversation, from morning coffee to the closing keynote
Bring your team
One person brings back information. A team brings back momentum.
When one person attends, the ideas usually stay with them. When a team attends, the conversation starts in the lobby and keeps going back at the office. Colleagues who hear the same ideas on the same day come back with shared language and can start applying it together.
How teams get the most from the day
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Split up.
Cover more ground by choosing different breakout sessions.
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Compare notes.
At lunch and at the end of the day, trade what each of you heard and what it means for your work.
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Come back with a plan.
Return with shared language and a priority or two you’ve already agreed on.
| Group size | Per person |
|---|---|
| 2–4 people | $415 |
| 5–9 people | $405 |
| 10+ people | $395 |
Registration
Registration and pricing
Register by Feb. 19 for the best rate.
Early pricing ends Feb. 19 $425 per person · team rates from $395
Early pricing ends Friday, February 19, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
Early pricing ends Friday, Feb. 19.
| Registration period | Individual | Team of 2–4 | Team of 5–9 | Team of 10+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EarlyOct. 15–Feb. 19Current pricing | $425 | $415 | $405 | $395 |
| RegularFeb. 20–Apr. 9 | $495 | $475 | $452 | $429 |
| LateFrom Apr. 10 | $550 | No team rate listed | No team rate listed | No team rate listed |
EarlyOct. 15–Feb. 19Current pricing
- Individual
- $425
- Team of 2–4
- $415 each
- Team of 5–9
- $405 each
- Team of 10+
- $395 each
RegularFeb. 20–Apr. 9
- Individual
- $495
- Team of 2–4
- $475 each
- Team of 5–9
- $452 each
- Team of 10+
- $429 each
LateFrom Apr. 10
- Individual
- $550
Early registration is $425 per person through Feb. 19, 2027. Regular registration is $495 per person from Feb. 20 through April 9, and late registration is $550 per person from April 10. Team rates apply when two or more people from the same organization register together.
Registration and payment are completed on our secure Classy registration page, which shows current ticket availability and final prices.
After the Summit
The Summit is a starting point.
One day can change how you think about leading. Changing how you lead takes practice. LeadingBetter helps you keep going.
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Public workshops
Go deeper on the skills you sampled at the Summit.
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Private training
Programs designed around your organization’s leaders and goals.
Made possible by our sponsors
Presenting sponsor
Thank you to PNC and to the organizations that invest in leadership across our region. Additional 2027 sponsors will be recognized here as they’re confirmed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the LeadingBetter Summit?
The LeadingBetter Summit is a one-day leadership development conference in Louisville, Kentucky, presented by PNC. It brings together leaders from emerging managers to the C-suite for keynotes from nationally recognized speakers, hands-on breakout sessions, and networking.
When and where is the 2027 Summit?
Tuesday, April 20, 2027, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St., in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.
Who should attend?
Anyone who leads people or is preparing to, from emerging leaders and managers to directors, executives, and HR and talent development leaders.
What will attendees learn?
Programming focuses on practical leadership skills, including communication and feedback, trust, emotional intelligence, conflict management, leading through change, high-performance teamwork, and evolving workforce expectations such as AI. Specific 2027 session topics will be announced in January.
How much does it cost?
Early registration is $425 per person through Feb. 19, 2027. Regular registration is $495 per person from Feb. 20 through April 9, 2027, and late registration is $550 per person from April 10. Team rates are available during early and regular registration.
How does team registration work?
Team rates apply when two or more people from the same organization register together. During early registration, team rates are $415 per person for 2–4 people, $405 for 5–9, and $395 for 10 or more. During regular registration, they are $475, $452, and $429.
Where do I register and pay?
Registration and payment are handled online on the Summit's secure Classy registration page, which shows current ticket availability and final prices.
Is the Summit in person?
Yes. The LeadingBetter Summit takes place in person at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Louisville.
Who presents the LeadingBetter Summit?
The Summit is presented by PNC and produced by LeadingBetter, the leadership development programs of Leadership Louisville Center.
LeadingBetter Summit 2027 · Louisville
Build momentum for a world that won’t slow down.
Tuesday, April 20, 2027 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET
Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville
Early pricing ends Feb. 19.