For the past 14 years, purpose-driven leaders have been gathering each spring to share inspiring stories, valuable insights, and a commitment to Small Giants values. This year, we brought the magic back once again to Detroit for the 2025 Small Giants Community Summit. And this year’s theme felt both timely and evergreen for our Community: Connections.

During the Summit, we curate a variety of spaces for leaders to learn from and connect to one another. Every moment is an opportunity to build community: from our two tracks that aim to help leaders wherever they are on their path, our mainstage sessions that bring us all together, to our evening events and delicious meals. Being an intentional, purposeful leader can be hard at times, but the Summit is a reminder that we all have each other to lean on.

Let’s reflect on what this year’s theme meant to us, and how our speakers and attendees brought it to life with their authenticity and heartfelt presence.

Connections start with the self

While we typically think of connection as being an external act or condition, several speakers this year reminded us that we have to connect with ourselves first before we can open up meaningfully to others.  

Megan Gluth kickstarted the Summit with her keynote presentation detailing her journey from a self-destructive youth to a successful business owner. Her transformation had to do a lot with self-awareness and self-acceptance. “Where you are is the perfect place to start,” she said, and it was the perfect invitation for us all to begin our own self reflections.

Marina Suholutsky utilized the Four Directions framework, a Westernized version of a tribal philosophy, to guide attendees through a session of self-discovery. By understanding the Four Directions—mind, heart, body, spirit—and how we as individuals relate to them, we can be in better harmony with our own selves and therefore better equipped to handle stressors, tough decisions, and external relationships.

Being connected with ourselves is important in every aspect of our lives, especially with the responsibility of a business and employees. Carl Erickson brought the fire (literally!) during his session, which prompted founders to reflect on and clarify their personal journey. In doing so, he offered them the space to understand how our identities show up in the work we do and the importance of thinking about legacy.

Vulnerability is a key ingredient for authentic connections 

Through vulnerable storytelling, we felt more connected with our speakers. We heard Travis Slisher’s story of confronting and learning from his failures, and Stacey Cabell’s about how she overcame addiction and mental health obstacles to build her own company, as well as a meaningful community. Those two, as well as others, shared the unfiltered picture of themselves with us. Their rawness allowed us all to feel a closeness with them and to open ourselves up to our Community.

Intentionality also can lead to deeper connections. Devyn Bachman led our Next Gen track through a Think Tank that showcased how problem solving takes a team and connecting through teamwork can lead to breakthroughs. On the Founder/CEO side, Hai Nguyen shared bespoke tarot cards meant to open up conversations into deep emotional and thoughtfully reflective territory. 

By spending just a little more time getting to know one another and going deeper with our questions, we can build more authentic, trusting connections with one another. And that bond can lead to all kinds of personal and business-related benefits.

Connections lead to stronger relationships 

It may seem like a simple statement, but it’s one worth lingering on: connections lead to relationships. In so many of our sessions, speakers reminded us how making the effort to reach out to someone and ask a few questions, or share a story, can wonderfully snowball into deep and meaningful relationships. Those relationships could be with your fellow business leaders, your employees, and even your customers.

During a vulnerable fireside chat with Christopher Arnold, Steve Krull shared his cautionary tale of how leadership led him to loneliness and isolation. It took courage and a willingness to make a change, but when Steve opened himself up to making connections, he realized that the pressures and responsibilities he was feeling were normal and that he could lean on others for support.

Kevin Jennings offered up his branding wisdom. Namely, how brand is really just another name for reputation and that we can have a stake in our brand by cultivating intentional, trust-building experiences. We will never have complete control over how customers and stakeholders view our businesses, but by meeting them consistently with intentionality, care, and even a spark of joy, we can build up a reserve of goodwill for when it’s needed.

Sometimes, learning about another entity can allow for a valuable point of reflection, and shed a light on similarities as well as differences. Sebastian Africano walked us through how he sees non-profit organizations operating similarly to Small Giants businesses. As the Executive Director of a non-profit, he sees communication and storytelling as a crucial part of his job. This sense of connection helps keep funds coming in, thus allowing them to maintain their meaningful work. 

Connections, be it one-to-one or group to group, allow us to all feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. These authentic, open-hearted connections can lead to better customer relations, stronger teams, friendships, and clarity on our own purpose.

Connections at the Summit lead to connections everywhere

We were able to connect in a multitude of ways at the 2025 Small Giants Summit: from our beautiful evening receptions, to our Speed Sounding Board sessions, to our Founder/CEO track Think Tanks, and even the down time in between sessions or riding the elevator.

Connections are what make the Small Giants Community just that: a community. We’re so grateful for this group of curious, compassionate, like-hearted leaders who want to make the world a better place by building businesses with purpose. Whether you’re a peach or a coconut, whether you look forward more to the quiet Mindful Moments or to post-event cocktails, we hope that all of our attendees found a sense of connection at the Summit.

Now, it’s time to take that energy of positivity and curiosity and let it spill out into our businesses and communities. And we hope to see everyone (and more!) connecting in Detroit for the 2026 Small Giants Summit! 

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