The Matrix : Justice in Midwest Buildings
Thu, Nov 13
|Saint Kate's
In a world where carbon-intensive systems are normalized, we face a choice: remain in a constructed reality that hides inequity behind policy and profit—or wake up.
Time & Location
Nov 13, 2025, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saint Kate's, 139 E Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
About the event
On Nov. 12-14th, Midwest BDC is gathering organizers, youth, and funders from acrossall eight MWBDC states—Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, and Missouri—for our annual Equity Summit, held 2025 Equity Summit, held November 12–14 atSt. Kate – The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, WI.
2025 Midwest BDC's Equity Summit
November 12–14, 2025
St. Kate's Hotel - Downtown Milwaukee
This first-ever in-person edition of our highly popular Equity Summit has been reimagined as a Strategy Summit—bringing together residents, youth, organizers, advocates, and sector leaders from across the Midwest to respond with clarity, coordination, and courage.
What You’ll Leave With: Through engaging sessions and expert insights, we will provide participants with the knowledge and tools needed to secure and utilize funding effectively, overcome structural obstacles, and foster community involvement—all in the name of an equitable and justly decarbonized building sector.ge
Attendees will also gain:
A clear understanding of the current post-election landscape across Midwest states
Case studies from our coalition advancing decarbonization and equity in real time
Insights from sector experts offering services to mitigate building emissions and improve resilience
Strategies to engage with legislators, local boards, and funding bodies
Language and framing to talk about building decarbonization in ways that resonate across race, class, and geography
Much more, based on proposals submitted by our coalition.
Why the Matrix? Because our built environment isn’t neutral—and neither is the future we’re being asked to accept.
This three-day gathering—timed just one week after the election—is designed to help us see through the illusion, name the systems shaping our lives, and build power to change them.
Through various sessions we’ll:
• Map the mile markers, decision points, and pressure zones coming in 2026—so we’re ready before they hit
• Connect across states and sectors with the people actively rewriting the rules
• Leave equipped to resist, repair, and rebuild—with language, tools, and strategies rooted in justice
Our Speakers
We’re uploading brilliance into the system—joined by visionary architects of equity, resilience, and climate solutions from across the region. Some of our speakers include:
With over 15 speakers across 3 days—plus live entertainment and cooking demonstrations—the summit promises a powerful launch to: Reassess the systems. Rebuild our coalitions. Reclaim our power. Reimagine the future.