The Renaissance Summit 2026

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

Info: Connect with resources at the Marketplace to support your business ideas.

Info: Hear from the NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety and founder of the Renaissance Summmit, Lloyd Cambridge.

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.

Info: 2026 Blueprint Project participants pitch their businesses to the room.

Info: Complimentary lite bites from a Brooklyn-based businesses. Real conversation over good food.

Info: 2026 Blueprint Project participants pitch their businesses to the room.

Info: Hands-on activities that build relationships and spark collaboration, alongside the marketplace.

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.

Info: Performance by Dex McBean and closing remarks

Info: Share your learnings, find your purpose partners, and celebrate your investment in your neighborhood.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Progress Playbook