Heartland Summit 2022

2022 Heartland Summit Recap Video

Eye on the Heartland

Economics. Innovation. Inspiration.

With an eye on issues impacting the Heartland, Summit attendees participated in interactive discussions on topics ranging from the arts to investment, and so much more.

Welcome Session

Our opening session kicked off with an introduction by Olivia Walton, Tom Walton, Steuart Walton and Kelly Walton; Co-Founders of the Heartland Summit.

Secret Sauce

Moderated by Olivia Walton, this session focused on the question “What is the secret sauce that makes the heartland great?” We dive in with Mayor G.T. Bynum of Tulsa, OK, Cornell Wesley, director of the City of Birmingham and Nelson Peacock, President and CEO at Northwest Arkansas Council.

Jet Packs, Drones and Flying Cars

Moderated by Steuart Walton, Cyrus Sigari, Co-Founder at UP.Partners and Tom Ward, Executive Vice President at Walmart U.S. discuss the future of human mobility and previewed how people and products will soon get around. We dive in with Mayor G.T. Bynum of Tulsa, OK, Cornell Wesley, director of the City of Birmingham and Nelson Peacock, President and CEO at Northwest Arkansas Council.

Speakers

Alice Walton

Founder
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Andrew McKenna

Founder
President and CEO McKenna & Associates

Angie Cooper

Executive Director;Chief Program Officer
Heartland Summit;Heartland Forward

Ariela Safira

Founder & CEO
Real

Arturo Solis

Chef

Governor Asa Hutchinson

Governor of Arkansas

Byron Kominek

Owner and Manager
Jack's Solar Garden

Caryl Stern

Executive Director
Walton Family Foundation

Chelsea Clinton

American writer and global health advocate

Cornell Wesley

Director of Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity
City of Birmingham

Cyrus Sigari

Co-founder and Managing Partner
UP.Partners

Daniel Goetzel

Entrepreneurial Lead
The National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines Program

Darren Walker

President
Ford Foundation

Darrin Williams

CEO
Southern Bancorp, Inc.

Deborah Fallows

Author and Co-Founder
Our Towns Civic Foundation

Donna Harris

CEO
Builders + Backers

Elisa Villanueca Beard

Chief Executive Officer
Teach for America

Mayor Friday Ellis

Mayor
City of Monroe

Mayor G.T. Bynum

Mayor
City of Tulsa

Gayle Jennings-O-Byrne

Co-Founder & General Partner
WOCstar Fund

James Fallows

Co-Founder and Author
Our Towns Civic Foundation
Breaking the News on Substack

Jamie Dimon

Chairman and CEO
JPMorgan Chase & Co

Jaycee Gossett

Founder
The Class

Jeni Britton

Founder and Chief Creative Officer
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

Jenn Dice

President and CEO
PeopleForBikes

Jermy Gawthrop

Founder
Greenhouse Grille and Wood Stone Pizza

Jim Walton

Chairman
Arvest Bank Group, Inc

Jo Chan

Executive Chef
Eberly

John Burke

CEO
Trek Bicycle

John Randal Tyson

Executive Vice President, Strategy & Chief Sustainability Officer
Tyson Foods

Governor John Bel Edwards

Governor of Louisiana

Katherine Hobbs Knutson

Chief Health Officer
Optum Behavioral Solutions

Kathleen McLaughlin

Executive Vice President, Strategy & Chief Sustainability Officer; President
Walmart Inc, Walmart Foundation

Kathryn McLay

President and CEO
Sam's Club

Ken Levit

Executive Director
George Kaiser Family Foundation

Dr. Lisa Dyson

Founder and CEO
Air Protein

Luka Mutinda

Co-Founder and CEO
DUKAPAQ

Margaret Hoover

Host
PBS's Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Maria Teresa Kumar

Founding President and CEO
Vote Latino

Maryann Feldman

Fellow
Heartland Forward

Mayor Mattie Parker

Mayor
City of Fort Worth

Dr. Michael Oakes

Interim Vice President for Research
University of Minnesota

Michael Zakaras

Director
Ashoka U.S.

Mike Allen

Co-Founder
Axios

Nelson Peacock

President & CEO
Northwest Arkansas Council

Niala Boodhoo

Host
Axios Today

Nicole Quinn

General Partner
Lightspeed Venture Partners

Noa Meyer

Partner and Head of Philanthopy and Social Impact
BDT & Company

Olivia Walton

Heartland Summit
Co-Founder

Dr. Patrick Conway

CEO
Cares Solution Optum

Pharrell Williams

Grammy-winning
Oscar-nominated Musician & Filmmaker
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Rafael Rios

Founder and Executive Chef
Yeyo's Mezcaleria y Taqueria

Ross DeVol

President & CEO
Heartland Forward

Saeed Amidi

CEO and Founder
Plug and Play

Sam Kass

Partner
former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition
Ace Venture Partners

Sindy Benavides

CEO
LULAC

Steuart Walton

Founder
Heartland Summit

Steve Case

Chairman and CEO; Co-Founder Revolution LLC
AOL

Steve Nelson

Co-Founder; Co-Founder Carbon, Inc. | re--inc.

Mayor Steven L. Reed

Mayor
City of Montgomery

Tom Walton