1. The food activist, Ocean Robbins, grandson of Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire co-founder Irvine Robbins, shares how he chose a radically different path from his family’s billion-dollar business after witnessing his father John Robbins walk away from the fortune to advocate for healthy, sustainable eating. Drawing on three generations of food industry experience—from ice cream empire to plant-based revolution—Ocean reveals how our daily food choices can transform personal health while healing the planet.
2. In Steady in the Storm: Why Moral Leaders Will Shape the Next Era of Impact Capitalism, Dr. Kimberly McGlonn proposes that in an age of rapidly shifting markets, technological acceleration, and planetary crisis, moral clarity is no longer a personality trait, but an essential position. Drawing from her work building mission-driven enterprises and leading civic institutions, she reframes chaos not as a threat to leadership, but as its greatest test: a revealer of values, systems, and courage. Through personal case studies and a discussion of her new The Leader’s Work framework, McGlonn invites investors and executives alike to consider how governing oneself, protecting what matters, and designing for future generations are not soft ideals, but strategic advantages for companies determined to shape the future without losing their sense of soul.
Ownership of cryptocurrency is on the rise: In 2024, approximately 562 million people owned some form of cryptocurrency, equal to 6.8% of the global population; crypto ownership has increased by 33% since 2023 alone. Cryptocurrency is likely here to stay, and every wealth transfer advisor needs to have familiarity with this unique alternative asset. This session is particularly timely as the Trump administration has promised to enact crypto-friendly policies and make the U.S. “the world capital” of digital assets, and recent cases are trending toward deregulation of crypto. This session will offer insight into the valuation, taxation, and regulation of crypto; the unique planning opportunities utilizing crypto, and the fiduciary challenges of administering trusts holding crypto.
You’ve analyzed the data, consulted your advisors, and mapped every scenario—but something inside you still isn’t settled. Should you make that key hire, pursue the strategic pivot, or accept the partnership that looks perfect on paper? This panel explores how seasoned impact CEOs have learned to integrate gut wisdom with rigorous analysis, sharing the practices that help them distinguish fear from true intuition and make their sharpest calls when logic alone isn’t enough.
What happens when an entire community aligns around the idea that business growth and community values should move in the same direction? In cities like Asheville, purpose-driven companies aren’t just visiting—they’re thriving, because the ecosystem of travel, talent, and economic development actively supports businesses that care about both profit and place. Hear from local leaders who’ve built this model firsthand, and discover practical lessons for how mid-size communities can successfully integrate sustainability, creativity, and entrepreneurship in ways that accelerate impact-driven organizations rather than slow them down.
