2026 YLEAP Summit: Making Cultural Shifts for Youth to Lead

, proudly invites community members, educators, youth leaders, and philanthropic partners to the 2026 YLEAP Summit: Making Cultural Shifts for Youth to Lead on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

This year’s theme highlights the urgent need to equip Black & Brown youth with the tools, mentorship, and networks to shift power dynamics, redefine leadership, and shape their communities for the better.

• Moreno Valley, CA (Enhance the Gift Arts Academy)
• Virtual

The Youth Leadership Entrepreneur & Philanthropy (YLEAP) Initiative is a groundbreaking leadership model that empowers youth and young adults ages 8–25 across the Inland Empire and New York. YLEAP provides training in:

• Entrepreneurship & Wealth-Building
• Leadership & Public Speaking
• Philanthropy & Social Impact
• Networking & Mentorship with Black & Brown Leaders
• Cultural & Historical Empowerment

Youth leaders pitch their business or philanthropic initiatives before a panel of investors, educators, and community stakeholders—receiving scholarships, mentorship, and seed funding to launch real-world impact projects.

• Celebrate Youth Changemakers – Honoring rising youth leaders who embody the future of global leadership.
• Experience Innovation in Action – Watch young leaders pitch businesses and projects that tackle real community challenges.
• Support the Movement – Stand alongside sponsors, educators, and community advocates to uplift a new generation of Black & Brown entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
• Invest in the Future – Provide financial opportunities, mentorship, and tangible resources that equip youth to lead, create, and thrive.
• Connect & Grow – Network with Black & Brown leaders and mentors who are shaping today’s communities and tomorrow’s world.
• National Youth Leadership Month Spotlight – Celebrate February as a time to elevate youth voices and expand pathways for success.

The Hamilton Essentials Foundation invites sponsors, media partners, and community members to invest in this bold cultural movement. Together, we can prepare youth to LEAP into Leadership:

🔹 Lead their own story🔹 Empower themselves and others🔹 Activate ideas into action🔹 Prosper in purpose and power

Be part of the 2026 Summit: Making Cultural Shifts for Youth to Lead and help create creative youth programming for a better community. Open to youth and young adults 8-25 years of age.

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About The Hamilton Essentials Foundation, Inc.The Hamilton Essentials Foundation facilitates creative mental health through the arts, leadership development, and STEAM education for transitional youth.

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Thankful for our Funding Co-Sponsors:

• The Black Equity Initiative - Inland Empire (BEI-IE) and the Inland Empire Funders Alliance (IEFA)

Thank You to Our Supportive Partners

• Enhance the Gift Visual and Performing Arts Academy (Moreno Valley, CA)
• Sexual Assault and Family Education Guyana (SAFE Guyana) (Mt. Vernon, NY & Guyana)
• Joyce Jones

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✨ Together, let’s celebrate youth who are not just the leaders of tomorrow—but the changemakers of today.

Host or Publisher The Hamilton Essentials Foundation, Inc.