12th Annual Resilience Summit

12th Annual Worldmaker Resilience Summit

Navigating Transitions with Strength

October 29, 2025 | Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The 2025 Worldmaker Resilience Summit will bring together leaders, practitioners, and community members from across sectors to explore the theme "Navigating Transitions with Strength." Hosted at the beautiful Aquinas College campus in Grand Rapids, this 12th annual gathering will provide a full day of insight, connection, and action rooted in resilience science and lived experience.

After a warm welcome from Worldmaker CEO Dr. Mollie Marti, the day will kick off with a powerful keynote address that will set the tone by emphasizing the importance of resilience during times of individual, organizational, and societal transition.Throughout the day, attendees will engage in dynamic panels and presentations that will reflect a wide range of lived experiences and strategies for strengthening resilience:

• First Responder Resilience Panel: Featuring voices from law enforcement, emergency services, and public safety, this session will spotlight frontline challenges and innovations in sustaining well-being in high-stress roles.
• Caregiver Resilience Presentation: This session will highlight the vital but often invisible role of caregivers in the resilience equation and the systems needed to support them.
• Military & Veteran Resilience Panel: A powerful dialogue among veterans, military leaders, and family members will explore the transitions from service to civilian life, emphasizing peer support, policy, and community reintegration.

Over lunch, participants will have the opportunity to network and reflect on the morning’s insights before shifting into the afternoon’s forward-looking conversations:

• Envisioning A Zero Day: A leadership briefing by Brian Webb of Walking with Warriors will offer a compelling vision of cross-sector collaboration to eliminate suicide among service members, veterans, and first responders.
• Innovations in Resilience Panel: Led by Dr. Eric Fretz, this session will showcase cutting-edge initiatives addressing trauma, recovery, and mental wellness at scale.
• Resilience in Practice: In this interactive session, participants will engage in structured reflection and guided exercises designed to help move ideas from theory to tangible action in their communities and workplaces.

The day will conclude with a closing call to action, inspiring attendees to not only take insights back to their spheres of influence but also to commit to fostering trauma-informed, resilience-building practices wherever they serve. This year’s Summit will not only reflect the depth of the resilience field but also underscore a collective readiness to face change, challenge, and complexity with strength, compassion, and collaboration.

Hotel Accommodation

A discounted room block of $98 can be reserved at the Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Grand Rapids East, MI. Guests may reserve rooms using the following booking link:

Reserve Your Room Here

Please note: The group rate is available until Monday, September 29, 2025 at 12:00 a.m.