Summit Week 2025

Wednesday, 6 to Friday,
8 August 2025

67 Algonquin Rd, South Barrington, IL 60010, United States

You Are Invited

The flagship event that kicks off the GLS25 season takes place in August 2025 – and you have the opportunity to join The Global Leadership Summit live in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Every year, hundreds of delegates from across the world join thousands of American guests for the Main GLS event hosted at Willow Creek Church, South Barrington. And you can attend online or in-person.

Enjoy a time to network with other like-minded leaders as you receive insights from world-class faculty presenting fresh and actionable ideas to transform how you lead and increase your influence and impact.

Additional opportunities to connect and explore ways to grow this robust leadership development movement worldwide are planned – especially for our international guests.

At GLS25, you will be equipped to lead right where you are. We hope to see you there.

AI interpretation for Summit Week events, provided by LiveVoice, will be available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.

The Summit Week Experience

From Wednesday, 6 August to Friday, 8 August 2025, several events, experiences and engagement opportunities are being planned. We will provide more information as it becomes available and confirmed, but we hope to offer our Country Leaders a Strategy Day, and our International guests the opportunity to participate in an International Partner Gathering once again. And we loved to conclude our time together with an After-Party. Keep watching this space for updates.

(Only GLS25 will be available to stream and attend online).

Summit Week 2025 Programme

Ready to plan your week? Click on the image to view the Summit Week 2025 Calendar!

The Global Leadership Summit 2025 (GLS25)

*Available to attend online or in-person

Taking place on Thursday, 7 August and Friday, 8 August 2025, leaders can expect to be inspired and equipped by world-class faculty that will bring fresh and actionable content that can be readily applied. 

Craig Groeschel

Founder & Senior Pastor, Life.Church; Best-Selling Author

Globally recognized as a leader of leaders, Craig Groeschel is the founder and Senior Pastor of Life.Church, rated by Glassdoor as the #1 Place to Work for two consecutive years under his leadership. Known for their missional approach to leveraging the latest technology, Life.Church is the creator of the YouVersion Bible App—installed on more than half a billion unique devices worldwide. He is the host of the top-ranked “Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast.” A New York Times’ bestselling author, his latest book is “Think Ahead: 7 Decisions You Can Make Today for the God-Honoring Life You Want Tomorrow.”

Bradley Rapier

Founder, Groove Theory; Award-Winning Choreographer

Bradley Rapier is an award-winning choreographer with over three decades of experience in dance, production and leading teams and talent from Hollywood to Broadway. He has made guest appearances on “The Ellen Show,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars.” He is also creator of the acclaimed Off-Broadway production “GROOVALOO,” creative director of L.A.’s Cantinas Arts Foundation, and has collaborated with the Tony-winning directors of “Hamilton” and “Jersey Boys” multiple times. Bradley developed Groove Theory, a framework which helps leaders create atmospheres where productivity, creativity, and well-being soar. His first book, “Step in the Circle,” is set to be released spring 2025.

James Hewitt, Ph.D.

Human Performance Scientist; Author

James Hewitt, who has a doctorate in [field of study], is a human performance scientist who provides some of the world’s top-performing businesses with science-backed strategies to achieve sustainable high-performance. Combining firsthand experience as a full-time racing cyclist with groundbreaking research, Hewitt integrates endurance sports strategies with insights from neuroscience, physiology and organizational psychology to reveal a future where wellbeing fuels business success. Hewitt has helped some of the world’s top-performing leaders and businesses, including Formula One teams and Fortune 500 companies.

Christine Caine
Cofounder, The A21 Campaign and Propel Women; Bestselling Author

Christine Caine is a speaker, activist and bestselling author of more than a dozen books andstudies. In 2008, Caine and her husband founded the antihuman trafficking organization TheA21 Campaign, a recipient of the Mother Theresa Memorial Award for their work combatinghuman trafficking among refugees. They also founded Equip & Empower, a ministry mobilizingpeople to live on mission for Jesus, and Propel Women, which comes alongside women all overthe globe to activate their Godgiven purpose. Their ministry has also planted three lifegivingZoe Churches in Europe, bringing the Gospel to the region and serving the most vulnerableduring times of crisis. Sheis the author of “Don’t Look Back: Getting Unstuck and MovingForward with Passion and Purpose.

John Maxwell
Founder, Maxwell Leadership ®; Bestselling Author

John C. Maxwell has spent his life helping people. His mission is to add value to leaders whomultiply value to others. In pursuit of this desire, he has founded multiple organizations, writtenmore than 90 books selling 38 million copies, produced six NewYork Times bestsellersincluding a number one, trained more than 5 million leaders in 180 countries and created thelargest coaching company in the world. Business Insider called him America’s #1 leadershipauthority, and Inc. magazine identified him as the most popular leadership expert in the world.The recipient of the Horatio Alger Award and the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace andLeadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, Maxwell is still growing, writing, speakingand creating transformative programs in the U.S. and around the world.John is joining us as aspeaker for his 6thGlobal Leadership Summit!

David Ashcraft
President and CEO, Global Leadership Network ; Author

David Ashcraft is president and CEO of the Global Leadership Network. He is also the founderand president of The Advantage, aleadership collaborative that mentors and encourages pastorsacross Pennsylvania. As senior pastor of LCBC Church in Pennsylvania for 32 years, Davidhelped grow weekly attendance from 150 people to a combined average of more than 22,000.Heis the coauthor of “What Was I Thinking? How to Make Better Decisions So You Can Live andLead with Confidence.

Tasha Eurich, Ph.D

Organizational Psychologist; Researcher; Bestselling Author

Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, researcher and New York Times bestselling author whose mission is helping people thrive in an ever-changing world. With a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Eurich has been recognized as the world’s leading self-awareness coach and communication expert, working with clients like Google, Salesforce, the NBA, Nestlé and the White House Leadership Development Program. As principal of The Eurich Group — a boutique firm helping executives transform when stakes are high — she is a truth teller to some of the world’s most powerful people. She’s written three books, “Bankable Leadership,” “Insight” (which famed Wharton professor Adam Grant calls one of the three books he recommends most often), and most recently, “Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And Why Resilience Alone Isn’t Enough).”

Erica Dhawan

Leading Authority on 21st Century Teamwork, Collaboration and Innovation; Bestselling Author

Erica Dhawan is an internationally recognized authority on 21st-century teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Named by Thinkers50 as the “Oprah of Management Thinkers,” Dhawan shares innovative strategies to unlock the collective power of teams, build a culture of trust across any distance and create authentic engagement to ensure competitiveness. Considered one of the management thinkers most likely to shape the future of business, Dhawan frequently appears in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Wall Street Journal. She is the author of two books: “Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence” and “Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.”

Gabriel Salguero

Pastor, The Gathering Place; President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition

The Rev. Gabriel Salguero is pastor of The Gathering Place, a multi-ethnic Assemblies of God congregation in Orlando, Florida. Salguero is also the president and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, a coalition of several thousand evangelical congregations in the United States. Salguero has served on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council and has been named as one of the nation’s most prominent Latino evangelical leaders by the New York Times, CNN Español and NBC Universal. In addition, his leadership on issues of young male education and criminal justice reform has been featured by the Discovery Channel and the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Jon Acuff
INC Top 100 Leadership Speaker ; Bestselling Author

Jon Acuff is the New York Times bestselling author of10books, including his most recent,AllIt Takes Is a Goal: The 3Step Plan to Ditch Regret and Tap Into Your Massive Potential.Whenhe’s not writing, Acuff can be found on a stage, as one of INC’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers.He’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences,colleges and companies aroundthe world including FedEx, Nissan, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, ChickfilA, Nokia andComedy Central.He’s also helped some of the biggest brands tell their story, including TheHome Depot, Bose and Staples.

Juliet Funt
Founder and CEO, Juliet Funt Group; High Performance Expert

A regular feature in top global media outlets, including Forbes and Fast Company, Juliet Funt isa toughlove advisor to the Fortune 500. As the founder and CEO of the firm Juliet Funt Group,she is an evangelist for freeing the potential of companies by unburdening their talent frombusywork.She hasbrought her powerful concepts toSpotify, National Geographic, Anthem,Vans, Abbott, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, Wells Fargo, Sephora, Sysco and ESPN.Juliet isalsotheauthor ofA Minute to Think,nominated for the Next Big Idea Club curated by MalcolmGladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain and Adam Grant.

Stephanie Chung
Former Chief Growth Officer, Wheels Up; Sales and Leadership Expert

Stephanie Chung made history as the first African American and second female president of amajor private aviation company. Asan aviation sales leader, she generated $1B in revenueannually, and she now brings her 30 years of experience to coach others in the neuroscience ofsales and leadership. Chung serves on the MakeAWishboard and collaborates with seniornational security leaders through Business Executives for National Security, helping solve someof the nation’s most complex security challenges. A prolific author whose work has beentranslated into 60 different languages, her most recent book is “Ally Leadership: How toLeadPeople Who Are Not Like You.

More faculty to be announced

Partner Gathering
2025 (IPG25)

We will once again offer our International Guests and Partners the opportunity to join us for the International Partner Gathering on Wednesday, August 6. Aimed towards our goal of serving more pastors, churches and kingdom-minded leaders, the programming, content, and discussions will be planned to accommodate such. More info to follow.

International Summit Week Close-Out and After-Party Experience

After the conclusion of GLS25, a closing networking and celebration experience will take place for all international guests as we reflect on an inspiring Summit Week. All international guests are welcome.

Accommodation & Transport

Accommodation and transport are the guests’ responsibility to arrange and provide payment.

Special arrangements have been made at these hotels.

PLEASE NOTE: A complimentary Shuttle to the airport and Willow Creek Church is available from Holiday Inn Express.

Please Note
Travel & Health Insurance
Transport Solutions

For transport solutions, we recommend using Uber, Lyft or similar services.

1. Holiday Inn Express


Address: 3477 W Algonquin Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008.
Drive Time: 20 minutes
(Drive time to Willow Creek Church).

Price: $124.00
Book By: July 2, 2025 or fully booked.
Includes: Airport Shuttle, Church Shuttle, Breakfast.

    2. Hilton Garden Inn


    Address: 2425 Barrington Rd, Hoffman Estates, IL 60195.
    Drive Time: 6 minutes
    (Drive time to Willow Creek Church).

    Price: $114.00
    Book By: July 2, 2025 or fully booked.
    Includes: Breakfast.

      3. Fairfield Inn and Suites


      Address: 700 National Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL 60173.
      Drive Time: 15 minutes
      (Drive time to Willow Creek Church).

      Price: $119.00
      Book By: Discount available until hotel reaches 85% capacity.
      Includes: Breakfast.

        Do You Need A Letter For Your US Visa?

        If you require an invitation letter to accompany your Visa application, please click here

        Buy Your Ticket?

        Or, contact your country leader no later than February, 2025. Click to find your country leader.

        Frequently Asked Questions

        How do I cancel a registration and/or get a refund?

        Please email your request to  heretoserve@globalleadership.org with the confirmation number or email address used

        If I have a free ticket but am now unable to attend, do I need to cancel it?

        Yes please, this allows someone to fill this seat. Please email heretoserve@globalleadership.org

        Will more tickets become available for purchase?

        Possibly. As cancellations take place, those tickets will become available for purchase again. Contact your country leader to find out more.

        How will I know where to sit during GLS?

        By June, all tickets will have a seat assignment. Seats will be assigned based on registration date, and country teams will be placed together. Specific seating requests are not able to be honored.

        When do I check-in for the week?

        You will check-in using the QR code on your GLS ticket during the International Partner Gathering (or Strategy Day for Country Leaders), and will be checked-in for the entire week. This means that on Thursday morning you simply arrive at the church and go straight to your seat.

        Is the GLN coordinating hospitality for home stays?

        No. However, if you have a host in the USA that you have stayed with in the past and you wish to reach out directly, you may. Otherwise, please make arrangements using the booking links provided, or any other hotel/guest house reservation.

        How do I sign up for the International Partner Gathering

        All International guests are welcome to attend the International Partner Gathering on Wednesday, August 6 from 8:30 – 13:00. Please simply mark attendance on your ticket details no later than July 15. A boxed lunch is included.

        What will we have for lunch during the GLS?

         There are 3 choices for lunch each day, and lunch is included with your ticket at no additional charge. Please make your choice on your ticket details no later than July 15. 

        What is the After Party on Friday?

        Don’t miss it! We’ll have some sweet treats on the Patio immediately following the GLS to celebrate the week and say goodbye to one another before departing for home.