Mayor Wu Announces 2025 Civic Summit

The Civic Summit 2025: Be the Change, aims to empower civic leaders dedicated to making a positive impact in Boston

Mayor Michelle Wu announced the Civic Summit 2025, a full day event focused on uniting neighbors, civic leaders, and non-profit advocates. The Civic Summit, first hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing in 2024, will return on Saturday, June 7 at Boston University Questrom School of Business. The theme for this year’s Summit is “Be the Change,” which reflects the City’s continued focus on community-driven progress and making Boston a home for everyone. Building on the success of the 2024 event, Civic Summit 2025 will feature a panel discussion on the theme, a networking lunch, and breakout sessions led by subject matter experts, including faculty from Boston University.  Registration and a full agenda for the free event will be released on Wednesday, April 30 on boston.gov/civic-summit-2025.

Mayor Michelle Wu will join the Civic Summit for a featured fireside chat, this year in conversation with Dart Adams, a Boston-based journalist, researcher, lecturer, and host of the podcasts Dart Against Humanity and Boston Legends. 

“The Civic Summit is a powerful reminder of our commitment to strengthening connections and continuing to be a welcoming city for all,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “By having this unique platform to spark meaningful conversations with our community members, we’re able to learn, share, and continuously drive this collaborative effort, building a better future together.”

“It’s exciting to bring the Civic Summit back,” said Nathalia Benitez-Perez, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing. “Last year’s Summit was an incredible moment of connection, and the positive feedback we received from community members inspired us to start planning this year’s event as soon as the last one ended. Throughout the year, we’ve had the opportunity to nurture the relationships and momentum built at the Civic Summit, and our team has been committed to making this year's event bigger and better. We’re also thrilled to continue our partnership with Boston University, this year with the generous support of the Questrom School of Business. Their belief in the Civic Summit’s vision has been instrumental in bringing this event to life.” 

The Office of Civic Organizing is proud to continue working with Anais Summer Day, a woman-owned event planning company led by Anais Ramos, who returns for a second year as lead event planner. Courtney Boston, Founder and CEO of HERVISION Media and Co-founder of WWOC Media, will serve as the lead host. The event is once again supported by valued partner Boston University. 

“Boston University is proud to partner once again with the City of Boston in hosting this year's Civic Summit at the Questrom School of Business,” said Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam, President of Boston University. “Questrom’s dynamic environment of innovation, leadership, and collaborative thinking provides an ideal setting for meaningful dialogue. We proudly support Mayor Wu’s vision for an engaged and inclusive community and look forward to empowering conversations that will help shape a vibrant and equitable future for Boston.”

The Civic Summit is an event designed to create a space where both emerging and experienced civic leaders share knowledge, build relationships, and inspire collective action. In its first year, the Summit reached its capacity of 200 attendees in under 12 hours. In response to the interest, the City has changed its location to expand this year’s capacity to welcome up to 300 participants. 

“Last year’s Civic Summit was a unique and powerful event that brought together engaged residents from across the city to inspire one another, learn about civic involvement, and strengthen connections. I kept running into people from different parts of the city, some I hadn’t seen in years and others I had just met the week before. We sparked new conversations about how we could collaborate to improve access and opportunities in our neighborhoods,” said Eric Leslie, Founder and Lead Organizer of Union Capital and a Civic Summit 2024 speaker. “I left with business cards, handouts featuring new resources, and innovative ideas to bring back to my organization. I’m excited for this year's Civic Summit, which will be an even bigger version, offering more chances to learn, connect, and enhance the civic ties that support our community’s health, well-being, and opportunities.”

“The Civic Summit was greatly needed in the City of Boston. It provided an excellent opportunity to learn about various organizations dedicated to making our city a thought leader,” said Danielle Johnson, Founder and CEO, SPARK FM. “From the fireside chat to the open discussions, the event fostered community and fellowship, allowing us to learn from one another.”

“We need the Civic Summit now more than ever,” said Brianna Millor, Chief of the Community Engagement Cabinet. “This community gathering will be one of the many impactful spaces our city offers to constituents to be in good company to discuss how Boston will be the change we hope to see beyond our neighborhoods.”

The Civic Summit is free and open to the public with registration. A light breakfast and lunch will be served. For more information visit boston.gov/civicsummit2025. 

The Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing is committed to collaborative partnerships and programs that encourage proactive community engagement, awareness, and service in our neighborhoods. Follow the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing on social media at @bostoncivicorg and visit boston.gov/civic-summit-2025 to learn more about the Civic Summit and to register starting Wednesday, April 30, 2025.