The Hope Summit

The Hope Summit is a multidisciplinary and intersectional ideas and solutions summit with core thematic tracks that include water quality and plastic pollution, stewardship and citizen science, governance, ecological restoration, resilience and adaptation, storytelling as a catalyst of change, environmental justice, and traditional ways of experiencing and managing terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

The second year Summit occurred Sep 29, Oct 01, 2023 hosted at the College of Charleston - School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering. Grey Gowder of the Carolina Ocean Alliance envisioned a conference and festival dedicated to bringing nonprofits, local governments, community groups, students, and citizens together to foster greater collaboration and synergy within the community. His goal as the founder of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance's community-based hub in Charleston was to be a connector, a facilitator of the network-of-networks model that connected his hub to young ocean professionals around the world.

The first day is a Conference with the opportunity for the global community of solutions creators, practitioners, and accelerators to exchange knowledge, experience, and best practices, to strengthen community-driven solutions in the South Carolina Lowcountry and around the world. The conference includes a mainstage speaker series, themed short talk blocks, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and opportunities for networking.

The Hope Summit Festival was the next day at the Daniel Island Waterfront area, with over 40 local nonprofits, community organizations, government entities, educational institutions, and sustainable local vendors coming together in an outdoor market of hope and community-driven solutions. This Festival is co-hosted by the Carolina Ocean Alliance and the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association with a Family Zone curated by the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network.

The Conference returns as a two-day intersectional and multi-disciplinary gathering to explore "repairing our relationship with water": September 30-October 1 2024. Day 1 will focus on local systems to help promote Healthy Communities. Day 2 will expand local and regional solutions outward to promote a Healthy Planet.

More information can be found on the website: www.thehopesummit.org/home