THURSDAY, APRIL 16. 2026
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM at VELOCITY, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI
Future Leader Live! isn’t another leadership event built on motivation and buzzwords. It’s a working room.
Created for leaders who are tired of surface-level inspiration and ready for real tools, real conversations, and real momentum, Future Leader Live! brings together emerging and experienced leaders who want to grow, adapt, and lead with intention in a rapidly changing world.
This half-day experience is designed to challenge how leadership is traditionally taught. You won’t just listen. You’ll engage. You’ll think. You’ll leave with frameworks you can apply immediately, connections that matter, and clarity about what comes next.
Future Leader Live! sits at the intersection of leadership, business, innovation, and community impact. Alongside practical leadership insights from respected speakers, the event features a live, audience-voted $10,000 Entrepreneur Grant Pitch Competition, putting leadership into action by funding the future, not just talking about it.
This is Metro Detroit’s first leadership experience of its kind — built for people who don’t want to wait for permission to lead.
Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or refining how you lead at the highest level, Future Leader Live! is where leaders come to sharpen their edge, expand their thinking, and move forward.
WHEN: April 16, 2026 from 9am - 12pm
WHERE: Velocity, 6633 18 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48314
WHAT: Get access to live event, event replay, registration, networking, light continental breakfast, access to all four speakers, first 25 registrants receive books from speakers
COST: $175
SIGNED BOOKS FOR ATTENDEES
BUSINESS LEADERS IN ATTENDENCE
LEADERSHIP EXPERTS & SPEAKERS
This year’s speaker lineup brings together four distinct voices shaping modern leadership - from resilience and purpose, to human connection and trust, to decision-making under pressure, to the future of leadership through AI and innovation. Each speaker delivers practical insight grounded in real-world experience, creating a powerful, well-rounded perspective leaders can apply immediately.
Motivational leadership keynote speaker, serial entrepreneur, executive speaking coach, and author on leadership, resilience, purpose, and identity
CONNECT WITH JACOB
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Expert in human connection and leadership communication, building trust, finding courage, and creating 5-star connections in a distracted world
CONNECT WITH MARK
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Leadership capacity strategist and risk management expert helping organizations strengthen judgment, resilience, and execution under pressure
CONNECT WITH PRINCESS
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A futurist and a leading global keynote speaker on AI, architecting human potential through artificial intelligence, innovation, brand building, and culture
CONNECT WITH HAJJ
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An Action-Packed Day
8:00 a.m. | Registration Begins, Continental Breakfast + Networking
9:00 a.m. | Opening Remarks - Jacob Brown & Christy McDonald (Emcee)
9:05 a.m. | Keynote: March Ostach - The Gift of Connection
The Gift of Connection helps leaders and teams reclaim their focus, restore their energy, and reconnect with what matters most. Through powerful storytelling, practical tools, and interactive moments, Mark Ostach shows how to move from distraction and disconnection to clarity, trust, and presence.
9:35 a.m. | Keynote: Princess Castleberry - The Truth Is in the Trigger™: The Leadership Risk No One Talks About
The decisions leaders make today — about AI adoption, workforce alignment, and global uncertainty — are being derailed by the one risk no one puts on the agenda: compromised judgment under pressure. The Truth Is in the Trigger™: The Leadership Risk No One Talks About examines the behavioral triggers that drive decisions off course when the stakes are highest and equips leaders with a disciplined framework for building the leadership capacity to identify their patterns before those patterns become personal and organizational liabilities. Leaders who know the truth in their triggers — across their behaviors, responses, and decision-making — execute with precision, align their teams faster, and build the kind of judgment that holds under the weight of today's greatest challenges.
10:00 a.m. | Pitch Competition and Voting
10:35 a.m. | Keynote: Hajj Flemings - Human OS: The Future of Intelligence for Business
AI is moving faster than most businesses can track, but the real advantage isn’t another tool; it’s your Human OS. In this session, AI Futurist/Architect and REBRANDX CEO Hajj Flemings, whose fi rm operates out of Detroit and Miami, shares a practical operating system for the age of AI, showing how humanness (critical thinking, judgment, lived experience) combines with intelligent tools to drive growth and resilience for businesses of all sizes. Drawing from his book The Future of Intelligence and his experience speaking globally on AI, including international AI trade missions with the U.S. State Department, Hajj will translate global AI shifts into actionable strategies Detroit companies can use now. Attendees will leave with a clear framework, relatable examples, and future-ready moves they can start using in real time inside their business.
10:55 a.m. | Keynote: Jacob Brown - Leading from the Core™
What separates leaders who manage from those who transform? It’s alignment. And in a world reshaped by AI and nonstop disruption, the leaders who rise are the ones anchored in who they are. Tech evolves fast - but leadership is still a human game. In this keynote, Jacob teaches how to lead from the inside out using his A.V.O.C.A.D.O. Leadership™ Framework, showing how the layers of an avocado mirror modern leadership: how you show up, what you stand for, and the strength you lead from. Leaders learn how to stay human in a tech-heavy world, keep trust at the center, and adapt without losing themselves or their people.
11:25 a.m. | Speaker Panel: Paula Macpherson Facilitating
11:45 a.m. | Presentation of Pitch Competition Winner ($10,000 Prize)
11:55 a.m. | Closing Remarks: Jacob Brown
GET ACCESS →
Future Leader Live! isn’t looking for logos — we’re looking for partners who want to help build the next generation of leaders.
This conference offers a limited number of sponsorship opportunities designed to deliver real visibility, meaningful engagement, and lasting impact. Sponsors don’t just gain brand exposure — they align with Metro Detroit’s first leadership experience built around action, connection, and community investment. From premium brand placement and direct access to leadership-focused attendees, to supporting a live, audience-voted $10,000 Entrepreneur Grant Pitch Competition, each sponsorship level is structured to create value for both your brand and the leaders you support.
DOWNLOAD SPONSOR KITSee Sponsorship Options Below
Availability = 1
- 8 Complimentary Registration(s)
- Double priority showcase tables
- Copy of Attendee List (post-event)
- Brand on grant check for pitch competition
- Present grant check for pitch competition
- Full-Page Program Ad
- Showcase your brand in the event guide
- Brand on all marketing materials, banners, and website
- Dedicated Social Media Post
- Highlighting your sponsorship
- 5-minute pre-recorded commercial shown during event
- Bag Insert Opportunity
- Including your promo item in attendee gift bags
Availability = 3
- 3 Complimentary Registration(s)
- 1 Showcase Table
- Copy of Attendee List (post-event)
- Showcase your brand in the event guide
- Dedicated Social Media Post
- Highlighting your sponsorship
- 3-minute pre-recorded commercial shown during event
- Bag Insert Opportunity
- Including your promo item in attendee gift bags
Availability = 10
- 2 Complimentary Registration(s)
- 1 Showcase Table
- Copy of Attendee List (post-event)
- Showcase your brand in the event guide
- Logo on Social Media Post
- Highlighting your sponsorship
- 1-minute pre-recorded commercial shown during event
- Bag Insert Opportunity
- Including your promo item in attendee gift bags
Interested in partnering with Future Leader Live? Fill out the form below:
What you need to know about Future Leader Live!
Thursday, April 16, 2026
The event will take place at Velocity, located at 6633 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, Michigan. The venue offers a modern, professional environment designed for connection and collaboration.
Future Leader Live! is designed for emerging and seasoned leaders, entrepreneurs, startup founders, business owners, and people leaders who want practical tools, meaningful connection, and fresh perspective on leadership in today’s world.
Future Leader Live! is Metro Detroit’s first leadership experience of its kind — combining practical leadership development, meaningful networking, and a live, audience-voted $10,000 Entrepreneur Grant Pitch Competition that puts leadership into action.
Future Leader Live is a half-day conference. Registration runs from 8:00–9:00 a.m., with the main program from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., creating a focused, high-value experience that respects attendees’ time.
Future Leader Live! is designed for emerging and seasoned leaders, entrepreneurs, startup founders, business owners, and people leaders who want practical tools, meaningful connection, and fresh perspective on leadership in today’s world.
Yes. Networking is intentionally built into the experience through structured connection moments, shared breaks, and opportunities to engage with speakers, sponsors, and fellow attendees.
Select entrepreneurs and startups will pitch live during the event, and the audience will vote in real time to award a $10,000 grant. This competition reinforces the event’s commitment to leadership, innovation, and community impact.
There are opportunities to participate as a sponsor, partner, or pitch competition applicant. Each option allows individuals and organizations to play an active role in supporting leadership and entrepreneurship in Metro Detroit.
Ticket policies, including refunds and transfers, will be clearly outlined during registration. In most cases, tickets may be transferred to another attendee if plans change.
Registration NOW OPEN!
Registration for Future Leader Live! is officially open. Early Bird tickets are available for $125 through February 28, 2026, with Regular Pricing of $175 beginning March 1, 2026 through the day of the event. If you are ready to be part of Metro Detroit’s first leadership experience built on action, connection, and real impact, now is the time to secure your seat. Space is limited, and this event is designed for leaders who value focus, momentum, and meaningful outcomes.
BUY TICKETS →