Attend the Cultivating Change Summit
Join us in Minneapolis, MN, October 4-6, 2026!
The purpose of the Cultivating Change Summit is to bring together LGBTQ+ individuals connected to agriculture, natural resources, and food systems, along with employees, human resources and diversity and inclusion professionals, employee resource group leaders, executives, organizational leaders, allies, and others who are working toward creating an equitable industry environment for LGBTQ+ people.
Registering a group? Companies and organizations that wish to register 5 or more people should contact Tandy Kidd at Cultivating Change for a group discount.
2026 Summit Hotel Block
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
The discounted group rate is available until September 11, 2026.
Tour & Workshop Options
Following the conclusion of the 2026 Cultivating Change Summit, attendees can extend their Minneapolis experience with optional tours and programming beginning Tuesday, October 6, at 1:30 p.m.
Options include:
University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Tour: Explore this 1,200-acre public garden in Chaska, Minnesota. Founded in 1958, the Arboretum features display gardens, tree collections, natural areas, paved routes and scenic trails. Attendees will experience diverse plant species and sustainable landscapes while enjoying an afternoon centered on learning, reflection and meaningful connection.
Minneapolis Brewery Tour: Discover Minneapolis’ local craft beer scene while learning more about the brewing process and connecting with fellow Summit attendees. The tour offers a relaxed way to close out the Summit, with one beer at each stop included.
Personal Branding Experience Workshop: Strengthen the way you communicate your experience, values and professional story. This interactive workshop will help attendees identify what makes their perspective unique and develop an authentic personal brand that supports greater confidence, visibility and connection throughout their careers. This session is only open to college students and advisors.
Speakers
Keynote: Kiah Twisselman Burchett
Kiah Twisselman Burchett—known as Coach Kiah—is a multigenerational California rancher turned Kentucky-based international motivational speaker who helps people reconnect with their roots and rise into their own legacy.
Raised on her family’s cattle ranch in California and now living on a small farm in Louisville, Kentucky, Kiah’s life reflects the heart of her message: that we can honor where we come from while courageously choosing how we move forward.
Her story has been featured on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, People Magazine, and Women’s Health, and she’s been named Cowgirl Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30, the 2020 Beef Advocate of the Year, and a keynote speaker at the 2025 National FFA Convention.
With authentic vulnerability, humor, and contagious energy, Kiah invites you to celebrate your roots, release what no longer serves you, and step into the legacy only you can live.
Enrichment Facilitator | Trey Elizondo, Cargill
Trey Elizondo serves as Senior Manager of Global Policy & Strategy at Cargill, where he helps lead strategic advocacy and policy efforts worldwide. With a background in legislative work and a lifelong passion for agriculture, Trey is known for bridging grassroots experience with global impact. A former FFA National Officer and Texas A&M alum, he now lives in Washington, D.C. with his partner and their two dogs.
Fireside Chats
Belonging As Wellness
This fireside chat explores how belonging functions as a core component of wellbeing for LGBTQ+ people in agricultural communities. Through personal stories and practical strategies, panelists will discuss the emotional, social, and professional impacts of inclusion.
Public Policy Panel
In this fireside chat, attendees will gain insights on current public policies shaping agriculture, food systems, and natural resources. Panelists will cover key policy developments, regulatory trends, and funding opportunities; discuss implications for producers, processors, and rural communities; and highlight pathways for local action and advocacy.
Community Building in Conservative or Rural Spaces or Faith Spaces
This fireside chat offers ideas and strategies for building LGBTQ+ support in conservative, rural, and faith-based agricultural communities. You will hear brief personal stories and practical tactics focused on safety, cultural humility, and reducing isolation.
Workshops
These leaders and partners join together to share strategies and best practices to create a community inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions within the food, fiber, and natural resources industry through workshops, expert panels, networking mixers, and keynotes from prominent agriculture LGBTQ+ and ally industry leaders
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Farmers and Ranchers
Human Resources
Executives
Employee Resource Groups
Organizations and Societies
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Cooperative Extension Agents
State and Regional Agricultural Education professionals
Leaders in educational organizations and societies
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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences undergraduate and graduate students
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Food and Ag leaders who are allies of the LGBTQ+ community
Friends and family of LGBTQ+ people in food and agriculture
Unique and elevated professional development opportunities
Network with a purpose and expand your human capital
Collaborate and share best practices for solving problems facing the industry
Activate with tools and resources to take back and implement in your community
5 Reasons to Attend Summit – Explore the top reasons professionals from across food and agriculture attend the Cultivating Change Summit each year. Read now under our resources page!
Summit Employer Justification & Professional Development Request Guide – Download a customizable one-pager below to help communicate the value of attending Summit to your employer and request financial support.
Thank You To Our
2026 Partners
