Heartland Summit 2026

Meet in the Middle

The Heartland Summit convenes 350 leaders across sectors, geographies and generations for solutions-focused conversations on how the heartland sets the pace for America and builds what comes next.

Heartland Competitiveness

Strong industries. Strong communities. The heartland is building both, and America’s competitiveness depends on it. As a whole, these 20 states would rank as the world’s third-largest economy. Global leaders, iconic companies and founders came together to discuss national security, strategic industries, AI and the skilled trades, and to define what it will take for the heartland to lead.

Announcements

Heartland Forward set a bold goal to drive $500 million in economic impact in the heartland by 2030. As policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, philanthropists and thought leaders from across the country gathered in Bentonville, we announced the initiatives to make this goal a reality. These groundbreaking announcements included:

The expansion of the rootEd program
An investment in skilled workforce
New AI and small business research
A $20M investment into maternal health care
The beta launch of the Maternal Resiliency Index
And more

Secret Sauce

What’s the secret sauce behind a thriving city? Moderated by Poppy Harlow, we spotlighted our 2026 Secret Sauce Communities: Grand Rapids, Huntsville and Oklahoma City. Van Andel Institute President David Van Andel, Huntsville Chamber President Chip Cherry and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt shared how their cities are driving economic growth, community development and cultural vitality, and what ingredients set them apart.

Health & Wellness

Heartland Forward’s Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice launched the beta version of the Maternal Resiliency Index, a first-of-its-kind tool to give policymakers and community leaders better data to understand maternal health needs and target solutions where they can have the greatest impact. Additionally, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America committed its first state-level investments — $10 million each to Arkansas and Kentucky over five years, which will expand maternal care workforce, data systems, home visiting and postpartum support in two states hit hard by maternity care deserts.