Paula A. Cordeiro
First, Happy New Year to all!
I’m often asked which conferences I attend—and which gatherings are most relevant for those interested in social innovation, social change, alternative economic models, and social entrepreneurship.
As social, economic, and ecological challenges intensify, so too does the demand for new ways of doing business—models that prioritize shared prosperity, community wealth, and long-term wellbeing over short-term extraction. Around the world, a growing number of convenings are grappling seriously with these questions, offering spaces for learning, collaboration, and reimagining what business can be.
Why These Conferences Matter
Together, these conferences reflect a growing recognition that ownership and governance are central to peace, equity, and sustainability—not technical side issues. They ask foundational questions such as: Who controls capital? Who benefits from value creation? How is purpose protected across generations? And, What does a non-extractive economy look like?
If you are working at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, community wealth building, and systems change, these gatherings offer both practical tools and deeper philosophical grounding.
Below is a curated list of 2026 conferences worth watching, whether you are a social entrepreneur, educator, investor, policymaker, student, or organizational leader seeking both inspiration and critical reflection on the future of business for good.
Social Entrepreneurship and Alternative Business Models
Sometimes described as the world’s largest gathering of solutions for the planet, ChangeNOW is an event for anyone interested in social entrepreneurship, regenerative business, and alternative economic models.
Held at Paris’ Grand Palais, ChangeNOW brings together tens of thousands of participants from around the world, including social entrepreneurs, innovators, B Corps, impact investors, NGOs, corporate innovators, and public-sector leaders. What distinguishes ChangeNOW is its strong emphasis on real, deployable solutions—from circular economy ventures and inclusive finance to community-led and climate-positive enterprises. Change NOW is a three-day international conference with approximately 40,000 participants from throughout the world, more than 10,000 companies, and over 1,000 investors exploring scalable ideas and collaborations.
I’ll be at ChangeNOW on March 30, 31, and April 1—if you’ll be there, let’s connect.
Skoll World Forum Oxford, UK – April 21-24
The Skoll World Forum remains one of the most influential global gatherings for social entrepreneurs and systems leaders. It’s held in Oxford England and convenes social innovators, philanthropists, policymakers, and scholars working on large-scale challenges—from climate change and inequality to peacebuilding and democratic resilience.
Skoll is especially valuable for those interested in scaling social innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and the role of narrative and power in systemic change. I’ve had the pleasure of attending in person, or, you can also join online.
B Corp Champions Retreat: April 21–23 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This is a key event for leaders in the B Corp and regenerative business movement — great for networking, strategy, and learning from mission-driven companies. Hosted by the B Corp movement, the Champions Retreat is a cornerstone gathering for leaders committed to stakeholder governance, purpose-driven enterprise, and regenerative capitalism. Attendees include executives from Certified B Corporations, Benefit Corporations, cooperatives, and mission-driven funds. This retreat is especially relevant for those exploring governance innovations, employee ownership, ESG integration, and accountability beyond shareholder primacy.
I have not yet attended it, but my B Corps friends highly recommend it!
Employee Ownership, Co-ops, ESOPs & Trust-Based Models
First, here are two US conferences on co-ops.
National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA — Cooperative IMPACT Conference. United States 2026 (dates TBD)
This is one of the most important convenings for the U.S. cooperative movement, bringing together leaders from worker, consumer, agricultural, financial, and platform cooperatives. The conference has a deep focus on democratic ownership and governance. Also, it emphasizes on policy, financing, and scaling cooperatives. If you are interested in worker co-ops, community ownership, and cooperative ecosystems this is a great conference.
US Federation of Worker Cooperatives — National Conference United States 2026 (biennial; dates TBD)
The USFWC conference is the leading national gathering for worker-owned cooperatives in the U.S. The conference is grounded in practice-oriented discussions on shared ownership and workplace democracy It has a strong equity lens, including racial and economic justice and it is particularly relevant for community wealth building strategies and inclusive entrepreneurship.
The ESOP Association — National Conference November 1-4, 2026 Las Vegas, NV
This conference focuses on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) as a tool for succession, wealth-building, and long-term business sustainability. The focus on generational wealth transfer is strong. This national conference appeals to business owners, advisors, and policymakers.
Purpose Trust Ownership Conference – February 26-27, Austin, Texas
The Purpose Trust Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit focused specifically on advancing Perpetual Purpose Trusts (PPTs) and related forms of steward ownership. Its work centers on helping founders, families, advisors, and mission-driven organizations understand how trusts can be used to lock in purpose, separate control from capital, and steward companies for the long term. The network offers education on Perpetual Purpose Trusts as a business ownership structure.
Their two-day convening brings together leaders of purpose trust and employee ownership trust (EOT) companies, along with the professionals, investors, funders, policymakers, and academics who support them, to focus on real-world applications and community-building across sectors.
Hybrid & Ecosystem-Building
SOCAP San Francisco, CA October 1–31, 2026 (a month-long virtual event)
While not exclusively about alternative ownership, SOCAP increasingly features sessions on cooperatives, employee ownership, steward ownership, and blended capital structures. SOCAP rrings capital providers into the conversation. It is also a useful conference for understanding how alternative ownership models get financed. This conference has a strong ecosystem perspective.
I’ve attended in person several times and highly recommend it. I’m looking forward to participating in their new model online.
Social Impact + Nonprofit Leadership
Social Innovation Summit 2026 Atlanta, Georgia June 2-3
This is a broadly themed summit convening social innovators, activists, civic leaders, and funders — rich for cross-sector inspiration and collaboration.
Points of Light Conference June 22–25, 2026 Washington, D.C., USA
The conference is organized by Points of Light, a global nonprofit focused on expanding volunteerism and civic participation worldwide. It’s designed for professionals and changemakers committed to: Volunteer leadership and civic engagement; Social impact strategies;Cross-sector collaboration; and,Community resilience and innovation
Participants include nonprofit executives, corporate social responsibility leaders, government officials, educators, youth leaders, and volunteer program professionals.
Academic, Specialty & Practitioner-Scholar Conferences
Annual Conference on Legal Issues in Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Investing. June 2–3, 2026. NYU School of Law, USA
Focused look at legal and governance challenges facing social enterprise and impact investing — great for academics, lawyers, and policy thinkers.
Diana International Research Conference — Women & Social Entrepreneurship June 26–29, 2026 University of Pretoria, South Africa
Explores the intersection of gender, technology, innovation, and social entrepreneurship — excellent for feminist and equity-centered changemakers.
IMD Social Entrepreneurship Conference Lausanne, Switzerland – April 30-May 2
This conference bridges research and practice, drawing academics, practitioners, and institutional leaders interested in social enterprise, innovation, and sustainability. It is particularly strong for those examining hybrid organizations, measurement of impact, and leadership for systemic change.
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If you attend any of these conferences, we’d love to hear your reflections.
Wishing you a thoughtful and hopeful start to 2026,
Paula