The 11th Annual Young Leader Conference is a must-attend professional development opportunity for those under the age of 40.
This one-day conference is designed by Young Leaders (YL) exclusively for Young Leaders!
Attendees experience powerful keynotes, impactful breakout sessions, and extensive networking throughout the day. DEC board members and conference sponsors are invited to attend the afterglow at the end of the conference.
2025 THEME: Lead from Where You Are: Redefining Leadership
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8:00 a.m. Registration & Coffee
9:00 a.m. Powerful Keynotes, Impactful Breakout Sessions, Networking, and Lunch
4:00 p.m. Afterglow
5:00 p.m. Adjourn
Interested in becoming a Young Leader Conference sponsor? Click here to learn more.
Signature Event Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Ticket cancellations must be made by 12:00 p.m. (noon) five business days prior to the conference in order to receive a refund.
2025 Refund Deadline: 12 p.m. on Thursday, September 18
For questions, please contact the Detroit Economic Club at (313) 963-8547 or info@econclub.org.
SESSION TITLE: BREAK THE MOLD™: Leading People to Reject Status Quo, Generate Bold Ideas, & Achieve Big Goals
The old saying, “What got you here won’t get you to where you want to go” has never been more true than it is today. The pace of transformation and innovation simply won’t allow leaders to accomplish their goals by maintaining the status quo. So how do today’s leaders inspire innovation and execute transformation to lead their teams and organizations to accomplish their goals?
Join transformational leader, Alan Whitman, as he shares real-world stories and lessons from his success leading Top 10 US Accounting Firm Baker Tilly US to significant growth fueled by innovation during his time as CEO. You’ll learn the necessary mindsets and practical tips needed to become a forward-thinking leader who inspires people to redefine what’s possible.
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SESSION TITLE: Taming Chaos: How the “Power of &” Unlocks Everyday Leadership
Today’s rapid pace of change has shattered traditional ideas of leadership. It’s no longer about titles — it’s about your ability to create impact wherever you are.
In the face of accelerating chaos, we feel pressured to make quick decisions, which often means defaulting to either/or thinking: move fast or play it safe; deliver results or protect relationships; work together, or go it alone. But this binary mindset traps potential, stifles collaboration, and slows innovation just when we need it most.
In this energizing session, Matt Elliott — a nationally recognized leader in finance, sustainability, and growth strategy — introduces The Power of &: a breakthrough framework for leading from any seat. You’ll learn how to turn uncertainty into opportunity, build trust across divides, and drive change without waiting for permission.
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SESSION TITLE: Leading Beyond Authority: Harnessing Influence from the Margins
In today’s dynamic professional landscape, leadership transcends titles and formal authority. For individuals from underrepresented communities, traditional pathways to leadership often present unique challenges, making it imperative to cultivate influence and drive change from positions that may lack formal power.
This session delves into the art of leading without authority, emphasizing how influence operates beyond hierarchical structures. Participants will explore strategies to build credibility, foster authentic relationships, and drive impactful outcomes irrespective of their official roles.
Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, attendees will gain actionable insights to redefine leadership on their terms, leveraging their unique perspectives and experiences to effect meaningful change.
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SESSION TITLE: What If Leadership Was a Game? Unlocking Creativity for Impact
Leadership isn’t just about authority, experience, or status, it’s about perspective. The most effective leaders aren’t the ones who simply follow the blueprint; they’re the ones who challenge norms, reimagine possibilities, and create new ways forward.
This highly interactive session will redefine leadership through creativity and challenge attendees to break free from traditional, linear thinking. Using the Paperclip Exercise, a hands-on activity designed to unlock new ways of thinking, participants will experience firsthand how perspective shifts lead to more innovative problem-solving and leadership approaches.
We’ll explore:
Participants will leave with a reframed approach to leadership, one that prioritizes resourcefulness over resources, agility over authority, and curiosity over conformity.
This session isn’t just a talk, it’s an experience that will leave attendees rethinking leadership, innovation, and their own ability to create impact, no matter where they are in their careers.
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SESSION TITLE: Influencing with Heart: Change, Lead, Rise
Leaders are under more pressure than ever—to produce results, navigate constant change, and care for their teams. But focusing solely on performance metrics without people in mind leads to burnout and disengagement. Now is the time to lead differently. Now is the time to lead with heart.
Through powerful storytelling and lived experience, Sarah shares how adversity can be the gateway to authenticity—and how leading with heart is the competitive edge today’s organizations desperately need. This breakout energizes, equips, and elevates by weaving together real-world strategies, science-backed frameworks, and interactive elements that engage the mind, body, and spirit.
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SESSION TITLE: The Truth Is in the Trigger™: Disrupt the Leadership Capacity Crisis
World-class organizations are changing and being disrupted more than ever; therefore, the leadership capacity crisis isn’t just a challenge—it’s the defining risk of our time. Our triggers and how we respond to them are what shape leaders’ decision-making and success, because triggers are the hidden side of change, growth, and resilience.
In this transformative keynote, Global Speaker and Leadership Strategist Princess Castleberry delivers a bold, practical blueprint for leaders who want to thrive in the face of relentless change. Drawing from two decades in enterprise risk and research on behavioral volatility, she introduces her signature framework—Live, Lead, and Build Leverage™ — and the Cue to Chaos Curve™ concept to reveal how triggers shape performance, decision-making, and well-being.
Through real-world insights and interactive storytelling, Princess challenges leaders to stop chasing symptoms and start decoding the triggers driving stress, burnout, conflict, and disengagement. When leaders master their triggers, they don’t just react under pressure.
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