Written By Tracey Khan
At a time when burnout, leadership pressure and the demand for generational wealth are reshaping how professionals think about success, entrepreneur Kadeisha Placide is building a platform designed to meet the moment.
Kadeisha Placide, founder of Women Empower Collective, launched the platform to connect leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs through wellness, leadership and community.
From June 22–27, 2026, Placide’s Run The World Expo – The Summit 2026, will take over venues across New York City, transforming the city into a weeklong hub for leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs seeking connection, restoration and opportunity. Now in its fifth year, the event has evolved into one of the fastest-growing gatherings focused on empowerment, wellness and cultural leadership.
Placide, founder of Women Empower Collective, describes the event as more than a summit or conference. For her, it represents a shift in how professionals of color approach work, leadership and community.
“The tagline for this year is a cultural reset for how we lead, work, create and live,” Placide said. “We want people to walk away with real tools, real connections and a renewed sense of purpose.”
The expo will feature a citywide lineup of mixers, wellness experiences, creative workshops, and networking events, hosted in collaboration with brands and organizations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and other boroughs. The programming will culminate in the flagship Run The World Summit on June 26 and 27, where executives, creators and cultural leaders will take the stage for conversations centered on innovation, entrepreneurship and the future of leadership.
For Placide, the platform’s growth reflects the demand for spaces where professionals can not only network but also reconnect with themselves.
“A lot of us are doing incredible work professionally,” she said. “But behind the scenes many leaders are dealing with burnout, stress and even functional depression. We wanted to create a space where success and wellness can exist in the same room.”
Placide launched the platform from humble beginnings inside her family’s Brooklyn wellness salon, Classic Beauty Studio, where the first Run The World event was held as a small community brunch.
“We started with about 60 people in the room,” she said. “It was intimate, but the energy was powerful. People left saying they had never experienced an event like that before.”
What followed was steady growth driven largely by word of mouth. The brunch expanded into a summit and now into a full-scale expo, attracting attendees from across the country and internationally.
One of the defining elements of the platform is its focus on social capital, the power of relationships and networks to create real opportunity.
“The biggest transformation we see is the connections people make,” Placide said. “People meet collaborators, mentors and business partners in that room. Those relationships turn into real economic growth.”
The expo will also feature a curated marketplace highlighting Black- and brown-owned businesses, offering entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their products while connecting directly with consumers.
Placide said circulating resources within the community remains a core part of the mission.
“We’re intentional about building spaces where our businesses can thrive,” she said. “When we support each other, we create ecosystems that sustain our communities.”
Unlike many professional conferences, the Run The World experience integrates wellness into its foundation. Fitness classes, mental health discussions, financial literacy workshops and leadership panels are designed to address the full spectrum of professional and personal growth.
Placide believes that balance is critical for leaders navigating demanding careers.
“We’re human first,” she said. “True leadership starts with taking care of ourselves so we can show up fully for others.”
Looking ahead, Placide sees Run The World evolving into a global movement, a gathering that celebrates culture while equipping leaders with the tools they need to thrive.
“This isn’t just about one event,” she said. “It’s about building a movement where people come together to learn, celebrate and push each other forward.”
For many attendees, that movement begins the moment they walk through the door.
“We spend so much time working with our heads down,” Placide said. “Run The World is a reminder to lift our heads, reconnect with our purpose and prepare for the next level.”
Images Courtesy of Women In Power Collective
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