This immersive summit, presented in partnership with Sunland Logistics Solutions, explores how intentional culture design and leadership practices directly influence engagement, innovation and organizational performance. Designed for leaders responsible for shaping how work gets done, this experience examines why culture is critical to workforce success, how leadership behaviors create psychologically safe environments and how process discipline sustains innovation over time.
Participants will gain practical insight into how culture is shaped through everyday leadership decisions, systems, and behaviors. Through keynote insights, cross-industry discussion, and applied design thinking, leaders will examine how trust, clarity, and accountability influence engagement and performance. The summit will highlight real-world examples of how organizations align people, processes, and purpose to create environments where innovation can thrive. By the end of the experience, participants will leave with new frameworks, language, and ideas they can apply within their own teams—helping them move from reacting to culture challenges to intentionally shaping cultures that support collaboration, resilience, and long-term organizational success.
8:30-9:00 am–Networking
9:00-9:45 am–Keynote Culture Tails: Creating a Culture for Excellences
9:45-10:00 am–Break
10:00-11:30 am–Panel: Exploring the Turnaround
11:30-11:45am–Break
11:45 am-12:15 pm–Fireside Chat: The Impact
12:15-1:00 pm–Lunch
1:00-4:30 pm–Design Thinking with CIL Leadership Framework
4:30-5:30 pm–Social Networking Event
The day will open with our keynote speaker, Rick Allen of Rick Allen Consulting Group. With nearly 40 years of leadership experience at Walt Disney World—including serving as General Manager of EPCOT’s Future World and nine Disney resort hotels—Rick now shares his expertise in guest experience and operational excellence with organizations around the world through speaking and consulting. Following our keynote, a discussion on the purpose and importance of cultivating leadership, culture and innovation in your organization will be had.
Following the opening conversation, a panel moderated by Elijah Ray, Chief Customer Officer at Sunland Logistics Solutions, on journey exploration will feature:
Wrap up the morning with a fireside chat featuring a real-world case study on the impact of culture and innovation. After lunch, you will take the learning and discussion into action! The afternoon will focus an active participatory experience of Design Thinking using the Center for Innovative Leadership Framework. Come with your own leadership challenges and an open mind as you’ll have the opportunity to wonder how might we solve this problem?
Ignite Culture brings together leaders whose careers reflect the many ways organizational culture is created, sustained, and transformed. Our speakers represent diverse industries—including global manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, nonprofit leadership, and business education—and each brings firsthand experience in shaping environments where people and performance thrive.
Through decades of leadership in operations, culture strategy, inclusion initiatives, and customer experience, these speakers have influenced organizations ranging from global companies to community institutions. Their insights reflect real-world leadership—where culture shows up in how decisions are made, how teams collaborate, and how innovation is sustained over time. As you explore their backgrounds, you’ll see the shared thread that connects their work: the belief that intentional leadership and strong culture are essential to organizational success.
Panelist
Brett Owen leads incubation efforts within Michelin’s North American Innovation Lab, helping teams move from early exploration to pilots and scalable commercial offers beyond tires. He also supports Michelin’s Open Innovation work, partnering with startups, universities, and industry networks to accelerate access to new ideas and emerging technologies.
Brett is passionate about building a culture where teams feel empowered to experiment, learn quickly, and translate curiosity into measurable performance.
Panelist
Leading Innovation Strategy within the BMW IT Tech Office, driving partnerships with universities, startups, and big tech to amplify innovation. We empower associates through entrepreneurial programs, manage communications and reporting, and lead an internal network of champions fostering a culture of innovation across the region. Our mission: balance digital disruption with industrialization and deliver impactful IT innovations.
Moderator
Elijah Ray serves as Chief Customer Officer at Sunland Logistics Solutions, a Top 100 third-party logistics provider specializing in lean warehousing. With nearly 40 years of experience in logistics and supply chain management, he is known for his focus on operational excellence, quality, and building strong strategic partnerships.
A recognized industry thought leader and former President of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, Elijah is also a passionate servant leader committed to developing organizations and people.
Panelist
Keith Huggins has spent more than 32 years with Southeastern Freight Lines and currently serves as Vice President of National Sales, leading a team responsible for over 70% of the company’s $1.74B in annual revenue while managing several of its largest client relationships. A graduate of The Citadel, Keith has also contributed his leadership through service on nonprofit and industry boards, including the South Carolina Council of Competitiveness.
Since 2015, he has helped develop the next generation of business leaders as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.
Keynote
Panelist
With a career spanning nearly 40 years at Walt Disney World, Rick held senior leadership roles across resort operations, hotel openings, and park management, including serving as General Manager of EPCOT’s Future World. He served as General Manager for nine Disney resort hotels, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s All-Star Resorts, and was part of multiple opening teams, including the Grand Floridian and Art of Animation. He also led room operations for 27 Walt Disney World resorts and supported the opening of Disneyland Paris.
After retiring from Disney, Rick held executive leadership roles with Give Kids The World and the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. Today, Rick is Principal of the Rick Allen Consulting Group, sharing world-class guest experience insights with organizations across hospitality, education, and events.
Panelist
Tyler Prescott is a people-first leader with a career built around inclusion, strategy, and community. As the Global Culture and Inclusion program leader at Milliken & Company, he manages global programs that support employee affinity networks and foster inclusive, purpose-driven workplaces for thousands of associates worldwide.
Previously, Prescott served as CEO of the Upstate SC LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, where he helped build a thriving network of LGBTQ+ businesses and professionals in South Carolina. His diverse background spans the corporate, nonprofit, small-business and creative sectors, with leadership roles in manufacturing, finance and the arts. He is also a frequent public speaker on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace, blending creative strategy and advocacy to help organizations lead with empathy and impact.
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