The Renaissance Summit 2026
About this Event
For one day in the summer, Progress Playbook and the NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety bring together the entrepreneurs, advocates, and investors shaping the next era of neighborhood prosperity — with sessions that inspire, breakouts that build, and connections that endure.
2026 Theme:
Own the Future Together: Building Businesses that Invest in Neighborhood Prosperity
Keynote: Dr. Jocelynne Rainey
Agenda
🕑: 10:30 AM
Check-in + Small Business Marketplace
Info: Connect with resources at the Marketplace to support your business ideas.
🕑: 11:00 AM
Opening Remarks
Host: DJ Bent Roc
Info: Hear from the NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety and founder of the Renaissance Summmit, Lloyd Cambridge.
🕑: 11:30 AM
Panel- Work Together: How Entrepreneurs Build Collective Wealth
Host: Jamila Wright
Info: What happens when three business owners stop competing and start operating as one economic unit? Hear how 3 entrepreneurs work collaboratively – not competitively – to pool resources, share opportunities, and intentionally circulate dollars within their networks to build sustainable, local wealth. In an era when AI is commoditizing individual services and institutional support is increasingly unreliable, cooperative business models aren't just admirable. They're a survival strategy.
🕑: 12:15 PM
2026 Blueprint Project Pitches
Info: 2026 Blueprint Project participants pitch their businesses to the room.
🕑: 12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Info: Complimentary lite bites from a Brooklyn-based businesses. Real conversation over good food.
🕑: 01:30 PM
2026 Blueprint Project Pitches
Info: 2026 Blueprint Project participants pitch their businesses to the room.
🕑: 01:45 PM
Keynote address
Host: Dr. Jocelynne Rainey
🕑: 02:00 PM
Workshop + Small Business Marketplace
Info: Hands-on activities that build relationships and spark collaboration, alongside the marketplace.
🕑: 03:00 PM
Build Together: Identifying the Best Resources for Cooperative Economic
Host: Nikki Merkerson
Info: No entrepreneur builds alone. This panel explores how ecosystems of support—community partners, funders, and institutions—fuel cooperative economics and shared success. Learn how the right resources, relationships, and investments can strengthen community businesses, unlock access to capital, and create pathways for collective wealth. Through real examples and actionable insights, discover what it takes to build an environment where collaboration thrives, and local economies grow stronger together.
🕑: 04:00 PM
Closing Ceremony
Host: Dex McBean
Info: Performance by Dex McBean and closing remarks
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Small Business Marketplace
Info: Share your learnings, find your purpose partners, and celebrate your investment in your neighborhood.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
