Be Brilliant in the Basics Leadership Summit 2027
One day. Extraordinary leaders. Practical ideas and behaviors that build better workplaces.
Music City Center Nashville, Tennessee
Bring leadership back to what changes lives at work.
Ideas become valuable when leaders put them into practice. Spend the day with executives, storytellers, and practitioners sharing what they have learned about building cultures where people and performance thrive.
See the program“The behaviors that build best-in-class workplaces.”
Executive perspectives · Leadership in action · Meaningful connectionsPractical leadership
Leave with ideas you can bring back to your team and put to work.
Cross-industry perspectives
Hear how leaders across organizations build trust, culture, and results.
A day built for change
Move from inspiration to specific behaviors that make a difference.
Engagement follows what leaders do every day.
A company can state its values on a wall. Its people experience those values in conversations, decisions, recognition, and follow-through. The summit centers on the behaviors leaders can actually change.
of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, according to Gallup’s 2026 global report.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026 ↗of the variation in a team’s engagement is attributable to the manager, Gallup estimates.
Source: Gallup, Leadership & Management ↗These findings describe broad research, not a promised result from attending the summit. They make the leadership opportunity clear: everyday manager behavior deserves serious attention.
Does the leader listen, respond, and close the loop?
Is the conversation specific, fair, and followed by support?
Does the leader recognize the behavior worth repeating?
Voices with something to share.
Meet leaders who have shaped organizations, developed people, and turned leadership principles into action.
Julie Gilbert
Global CEO • 4× Unicorn Founder • Board Member • Fortune 500 Executive
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP
President & CEO, SHRM • Fortune 500 Board Director • Future of Work Leader
Deanna Fry
Peabody & 3× Emmy®-Winning Producer • CNN Senior Producer • Storyteller & Speaker
Sharon Orlopp
Former Walmart Global Chief Diversity Officer • Author • Global Business Leader
Mayerland Harris, EdD, SPHR
H-E-B Executive • Transformational HR Leader • Speaker • Leadership Award Honoree
Tracey D. Brown
Former EVP & President, Walgreens • Global Retail & Consumer Executive • Board Director
Shaun Mayo, MBA, SPHR
CHRO, Arizona Cardinals • Culture Architect • Former Walmart & Amazon Leader
Gian Paul Gonzalez
“ALL IN” Speaker • New York Giants Team Chaplain • Educator • Executive Director
Ryan Tapley
General Manager, Bumpus Harley-Davidson • 3× Best of Music City • People-First Leader
Callie (LaFontaine) Miller, PHR, SHRM-CP, CSP
President, High Profile • Staffing & Recruiting Leader • Certified HR Professional
Milton “Dr. P” Perkins, PhD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CF APMP, CPC
Executive HR Scholar-Practitioner • Workplace Culture Architect • People Analytics Leader
Program and speaker details may change. Visit the registration page for the latest information.
A day of insight and action.
From the first conversation to the closing session, the program is designed to help leaders leave with a clearer path forward.
Founding VIP Executive Breakfast
Early access, executive conversation, and networking for VIP guests.
Welcome to the Summit
The day opens at Music City Center.
Storytelling and opening keynote
Deanna Fry and Julie Gilbert set the stage for the day.
Executive perspectives and leadership in action
Conversations and learning focused on behaviors leaders can use.
Who should attend?
Anyone who shapes your company’s brand and culture through people.
If you lead a business, an HR function, a region, or a team, make the summit a shared leadership experience. Bring colleagues who can turn the day’s ideas into conversations and action back at work, using clear action plans to meet your organization’s expectations.
Ask about 10+ attendees ↗- Choose sessions that fit your strategy. Explore the 12 rotating power sessions, identify two that speak to your organization’s priorities, and connect with speakers in person to ask questions.
- Attend together. Bring the colleagues who will help design the next steps, so they can hear the ideas firsthand and compare what each person learned.
- Leave with a clear action plan. Commit to one priority behavior to practice right away, then choose the people you deem necessary to help carry out your plan of action.
For current tickets and availability, visit the official registration page.
Be in the room.
Two ways to experience the summit. Compare what is included, then register through the official Eventbrite page.
General Admission
Spend the day learning directly from leaders who have built strong teams and workplace cultures. Return with ideas you can use at work.
- Main-stage keynotes, executive conversations, and the opening storytelling spotlight
- Access to 12 rotating power sessions with practical leadership strategies
- Networking with executives and people leaders across industries
- Summit attendee experience and event materials
- Eligibility for up to 8 HRCI recertification credits and 8 SHRM PDCs by completing required approved sessions
Founding VIP
Enjoy everything in General Admission, plus a Nashville experience before the summit and a more personal start to Summit Day.
- September 8 Grand Ole Opry experience: private early-afternoon tour and a commemorative photo opportunity on the legendary stage
- Founding VIP Executive Breakfast with a special executive keynote and high-level networking
- Priority VIP check-in and reserved premier seating for the main-stage program
- Exclusive VIP summit swag and elevated executive networking
- Preferred pricing for the 2028 summit, as described on Eventbrite
Be Brilliant in the Basics.
Founded by Kelvin Goss, GPHR and certified executive coach, Be Brilliant in the Basics focuses on the everyday decisions and behaviors that shape stronger teams and workplaces. Kelvin’s leadership experience spans retail operations, regional HR, and executive culture work.
The summit extends that mission to leaders across industries who want practical ideas they can carry into their organizations.
Let’s connect.
Interested in bringing a team or exploring a partnership for the summit?
Email the summit team ↗