6th Annual Canopy Good Business Summit

Common Ground. Common Good. Commonwealth.
About this Event

The Good Business Summit is Kentucky’s premier gathering of business, nonprofit, education, and civic leaders who believe strong communities build stronger businesses.

Hosted by Canopy, the Summit brings together approximately 500 leaders from across the Commonwealth for a day of practical learning, meaningful conversation, and inspiring stories that challenge us to think differently about leadership, business, and community.

This year’s theme, Common Ground. Common Good. Commonwealth., explores how Kentucky leaders can work across differences, build trust, and use business as a force for good. At a time when division can feel easier than connection, the Summit will create space for honest conversations, new relationships, and practical ideas that move our workplaces and communities forward.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Thought-provoking speakers from Kentucky and beyond
• Practical breakout sessions with ideas you can apply in your organization
• Meaningful conversations about leadership, workplace culture, innovation, community impact, and the future of business
• Opportunities to connect with business, nonprofit, education, and civic leaders from across the Commonwealth
• Stories from people and organizations putting purpose into practice
• Time to build relationships, exchange ideas, and identify opportunities for collaboration

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

The Good Business Summit is designed for:

• Business owners and executives
• Emerging and established leaders
• Human resources and people-culture professionals
• Entrepreneurs and social-impact leaders
• Nonprofit, education, and civic professionals
• Students and future business leaders
• Anyone interested in building a stronger, more connected Kentucky

Whether you are already leading a purpose-driven organization or are looking for practical ways to create a greater positive impact, you will leave with new ideas, valuable relationships, and renewed energy for the work ahead.

BRING YOUR TEAM

The Summit is an opportunity for teams to learn together, step outside their day-to-day responsibilities, and have conversations that can continue long after the event. Individual tickets and reserved tables are available, with special pricing offered to Canopy members.

THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR

Canopy extends its sincere thanks to LPX Group for its generous sponsorship of the 2026 Good Business Summit. Its support helps bring leaders from across Kentucky together to learn, connect, and build a stronger Commonwealth through good business.

Additional speakers, sessions, and event details will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Reserve your seat and join us as we find common ground, advance the common good, and build a stronger Commonwealth together.

We are striving to make the Canopy Good Business Summit a zero-waste event with the goal of 90%+ waste diversion.

Here's how you can help:

Carry-in, carry-out

Bring your own reusable water bottle

Minimize the waste you bring - Single-use plastic water bottles, etc.

Recycle & compost at our zero-waste stations

Cover your waste - Add a $5 donation when you purchase a ticket.

Agenda

🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Doors open - Networking & Coffee

Info: Check-in at registration, grab some coffee, find your seat and chat with old connections and make some new ones!

🕑: 08:30 AM
Mission Marketplace
Host: Sponsored by Dean Dorton

Info: The Mission Marketplace is a gathering of businesses and organizations committed to making community impact through their efforts.

Attendees will find businesses that they can feel good about supporting and/or working with and community organizations that are able to help them make a difference.

🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:10 AM
Welcome & Event Kickoff
🕑: 09:10 AM - 09:50 AM
Commonwealth: Built Here, Building Kentucky Panel
Host: Ellen McGeeney, CEO, Ale-8-One Bottling Company

Info: What does it mean for a business to be truly rooted in Kentucky? This conversation brings together leaders from three distinctly Kentucky enterprises to explore how their organizations' growth, operating decisions and long-term ambitions are shaped by a commitment to the Commonwealth.
The discussion will move beyond broad statements about corporate responsibility and focus on the choices that affect the quality of life and the physical, economic and social landscapes of Kentucky. Panelists will consider workforce opportunity, community investment, infrastructure, responsible growth, environmental stewardship, regional identity and the role large employers can play in helping Kentucky become a place where more people can build meaningful lives.

🕑: 09:50 AM - 10:05 AM
Canopy Impact Awards presented by JPMorgan Chase Bank
Host: JPMorgan Chase Bank

Info: Throughout the event, Canopy will honor four recipients for their commitment to positively impacting Kentucky's communities and landscapes.

🕑: 10:05 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Sessions #1

Info: Breakout sessions take the conversation deeper, offering practical ideas, real-world examples, and fresh perspectives you can bring back to your own organization. Choose from a variety of interactive sessions designed to spark meaningful conversation around leadership, workplace culture, community impact, collaboration, and the future of good business in Kentucky.

Expect candid conversations, useful takeaways, and opportunities to learn alongside other leaders who are navigating many of the same challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re looking for a new approach, a practical tool, or simply a different perspective, these sessions are designed to help turn good ideas into action.

🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
Breakout Sessions #2
🕑: 11:40 AM - 01:40 PM
Lunch is Served
🕑: 12:10 PM - 12:50 PM
Common Good: Featured Speaker

Info: What does it mean to work toward the common good—and what role can business play in getting us there?

This featured Main Stage conversation will explore how leaders can look beyond individual success to consider the people, communities, and places connected to the decisions they make every day. Through stories, perspective, and practical insight, our featured speaker will challenge us to think more expansively about our responsibility to one another—and the opportunity businesses have to help build a stronger, more connected Commonwealth.

🕑: 12:50 PM - 01:05 PM
Awards Presented by JPMorgan Chase Bank
Host: JPMorgan Chase Bank

Info: Throughout the event, Canopy will honor four recipients for their commitment to positively impacting Kentucky's communities and landscapes.

🕑: 01:05 PM - 01:35 PM
Break

Info: Check out the Mission Marketplace!

🕑: 01:35 PM - 02:35 PM
Common Ground: Bridging Kentucky's Urban and Rural Divide Panel

Info: Kentucky is often described through divides: urban and rural, east and west, Louisville and Appalachia. Those labels can obscure how deeply the Commonwealth's communities depend on one another for talent, markets, infrastructure, tourism, culture and economic opportunity.
This business-centered conversation will examine the real and perceived barriers between Kentucky's urban, rural and Appalachian communities and the practical role employers can play in breaking them down. Panelists will share examples of reciprocal partnership, regional investment and relationship-building that move resources and opportunity in both directions. The goal is not to erase regional differences, but to show how businesses can help Kentucky communities understand one another, solve shared problems and succeed together.

🕑: 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Happy Hour Opens
🕑: 02:35 PM - 02:45 PM
Closing Remarks