THE WHAT
State of Things
What's already in motion. Capital is deployed. Systems are active. Access is uneven—and often unclear.
We map where opportunity exists—and where it breaks.
DELTA FEST 2026
Activating Economic Prosperity Across The Deep South
DELTA FEST is the first-ever economic activation festival for the Deep South. It brings together the people, capital, and systems shaping ownership, entrepreneurship, and community infrastructure to move them into coordinated action.
DELTA FEST is co-created by HOPE and Yancey—a partnership grounded in building thriving communities. Learn more.
Get your early bird festival passWHAT TO KNOW
Over $200B in committed investment is already moving across Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.
Last year, we made a promise to catalyze economic prosperity across the Deep South—with and for the people who live and build there. We grounded that work in three pillars: entrepreneurship, ownership, and community infrastructure. This year, we begin building the infrastructure to make that promise real—together.
Investments are already moving across the six states—spanning AI and data centers, ports and logistics, energy and power infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare systems.
These are the prosperity breadcrumbs—clear signals of where growth is happening, but not yet widely captured or distributed.
DELTA FEST 2026 brings those signals into the room—and focuses on the prosperity levers required to convert that momentum into durable, shared outcomes: aligning capital with contracts, scaling suppliers, strengthening workforce systems, and expanding ownership pathways.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Three days. Designed for alignment.
DELTA FEST 2026 brings the people shaping the region's economic future into the conversations that matter—across industries, institutions, and communities.
The agenda moves from understanding how capital, contracts, and procurement systems operate—to how they are navigated and unlocked—to how efforts are coordinated and carried forward across the region.
Expect more than conversations. Experience the culture. We’re creating space for live performances, music, and good food—crafted for connection, energy, and joy.
You want to be there all three days.
THE HOW
Systemic Ways to Transform the System
How the system moves. Decisions are made. Contracts are awarded. Access is structured.
We make visible how participation actually happens—and what it takes to access it.
ACTIVATE
Coordination & Durability
What carries forward. Efforts align. Participation deepens. Momentum extends beyond the room.
We focus on what continues—and who stays engaged beyond the festival.
WHAT WE STARTED
Last year, we activated a promise
to catalyze economic prosperity across the Deep South—with and for the people who live and build there.
Explore the sessions that shaped the foundation.
Friendship, Maynard Jackson, and the Entertainment Industry’s Lessons for the Deep South
A Fireside Chat with Cortez Bryant (Co-CEO, The Blueprint Group / Partner, Maverick)
When Capital One Bridges with HOPE
A Conversation on Roots & Infrastructure with Bill Bynum (CEO, HOPE Credit Union) and Dr. Shena Ashley (President, Capital One Foundation)
Cities of the Delta
A Conversation with Mayors John Horhn, Steven Reed, Frank Scott Jr., and Randall Woodfin (Jackson, Montgomery, Little Rock, Birmingham)
Sparking a National Movement
A Keynote from Shaun Donovan (CEO, Enterprise Community Partners)
We Have Everything We Need – Owning Our Futures
A Keynote from Amin Irving (Founder, President, and CEO of Ginosko Development Company)
Rooted – Food, Family & Community
A Keynote from Chef Nick Wallace (Founder/Executive Chef, Nick Wallace Culinary)
The End Is Just the Beginning – From Vision to Reality
A Closing Session with Bill Bynum (CEO, HOPE) and Lisa Yancey (President, Yancey World)
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAID
In their words.
You could just walk up to a mayor, a speaker, or a leader and have a real conversation.
A big conference with perfect opportunities for intimacy. I know it’s going to grow so big—I don’t want to lose this.
Very impressed with the energy in every room, in the hallways and spaces we gather, the speakers and themes covered, the unique opportunities to collaborate with persons I’ve not heard of before today.
HOW TO PARTNER
Invest in economic prosperity across the Deep South.
The next phase of growth is already underway. DELTA FEST is where capital aligns with real opportunities across the Deep South—from infrastructure and workforce to ownership and enterprise.
CONNECT
LEGAL
Co-created in partnership
Logo and graphic art design: Kaid + Mathelier Web design: Jolita Crosland © 2026 Delta Fest