Just two more months until The Hope Summit 2026: Register Today!
- Grey Gowder
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Carolina Ocean Alliance invites you to join us at The Hope Summit 2026 at the Charleston Museum from October 1st to 3rd, and for Hope Summit Experiences hosted by our partners throughout the Lowcountry on October 4th.
The Hope Summit 2026 will explore how, to create vibrant communities, we must expand our understanding of who and what is part of a community.
The need for community has never been stronger. Communities around the world are rebuilding networks of care and resilience, reconnecting people with themselves, their neighbors, the institutions that seek to serve them, and the ecosystems that support and sustain them.
We invite leaders and solutions practitioners from all walks of life, disciplines, and stages of their professional journey to join us in Charleston from October 1st to 4th to cultivate ideas, accelerate solutions, and inspire hope through the multi-faceted and intersectional ways in which creating vibrant communities can shape the future of our communities and of our planet.
Conference
Oct 1-2
Two days of speakers, panels, workshops, working groups, impact screenings, morning coffee socials, and evening receptions.
Community Fest
Oct 3
A family-friendly outdoor festival featuring tabling organizations, local businesses, and a repair fair.
Film Fest
Oct 3
Two blocks of awe-inspiring films about the deep sea and marine mammals followed by a Q&A discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.
The Hope Summit 2026 Conference
October 1st-2nd | The Charleston Museum
To create vibrant communities, we are excited to expand the accessibility of The Hope Summit 2026 as a hybrid conference with virtual access, a new user experience portal for networking and visit planning, and an interactive conference program.
Join in person or virtually from anywhere in the world for an exciting lineup featuring speakers, panels, workshops, working groups, impact screenings, morning coffee socials, and evening receptions. Topics and themes for the conference include: preparing the conditions for seeds of change to thrive, how do you define community, Creating Communities of Care, Gardens Growing Communities, Finding Your Civic Voice, Designing a Civic Ecology and Tactical Urbanism Toolkit, Rewilding Landscapes and Seascapes, Designing Communities for Radical Hospitality, The Nature of a Resilient City, and Creating Pathways to Rights of Nature.
Enjoy lunch from Alkalyne Vegan Eats and Crystal Coast Seafood in the museum's courtyard as you network, build community, and participate in mentorship opportunities with young attendees.
Over 100 young leaders and early-career professionals will attend through The Hope Summit Next Generation Scholarships (at least 75 in person and 25 virtually).
Up to 30 Next Generation Conference Scholarship awardees will be featured in The Hope Summit 2026 Poster Session, co-hosted by the College of Charleston Environmental Science & Sustainability Studies Program.
Up to 25 Next Generation Conference Scholarship awardees will participate in the FutureSwell creators and communicators partnership to amplify key voices, issues, and experiences at The Hope Summit.
The Hope Summit 2026 Community Festival | October 3rd
The Hope Summit Community Festival returns for its fifth year, featuring our community solutions village of dozens of local nonprofits and organizations serving local communities, a sustainable ecopreneurs market, The Hope Summit Repair Fair, and more exciting opportunities to shape the future of our community.
This is a free, family-friendly event open to the public.
The Hope Summit 2026 Film Fest | October 1st-3rd
Sponsored by Enduring Curiosity and Austen & Gowder
The Hope Summit Film Festival returns for its third year with an expanded program. Conference attendees will end each day with a curated selection of films followed by a conversation with the filmmakers and local experts.
On Saturday, the Film Festival will feature two blocks of films, including at least one short film, a full-length documentary, and a Q&A discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.
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