In today’s rapidly changing world, the pursuit of human flourishing has become more than a philosophical ideal—it is a practical necessity for resilient communities and sustainable leadership. Recognizing this, a remarkable gathering was orchestrated to bring together visionaries from a tapestry of disciplines and experiences, all united by a common ambition: to cultivate environments where individuals and collectives not only succeed but truly thrive.
By Christy Milliken, Seaside Institute, Executive Director
I had the privilege of being among a curated group of leaders this Summer for a Flourishing Summit at Trilith Studios in the Town at Trilith presented by the Trilith Foundation. The weekend was carefully curated for leaders and creatives with diverse backgrounds for two days of connectivity, inspiration, and wellness. These are core values we cultivate at the Seaside Institute as we inspire communities where people do not just live but thrive. We all strive as leaders to pour into our family, job, mission, and community, etc., and often forget to fill our own cup in the process. The two-day event brought together like-minded individuals to reflect on global flourishing and discuss ways to share this message locally.
Elizabeth Dixon, Executive Director of the Trilith Foundation envisioned the program to inspire and restore those who attended while making new connections in a relationship-building environment that will hopefully foster collaboration.
The Flourishing Summit was a unique gathering of thought leaders, designed to catalyze the impact of human flourishing across multiple dimensions of culture.
The Summit was an honest and authentic space that introduced the concept of human flourishing, allowing people to engage with it. Leveraging global research, which originated in partnership with the Global Flourishing Study team at Harvard and Baylor, and immersive experiences, the team at Trilith provided an intentional environment for influential storytellers, academics, and culture-makers to explore how integrating flourishing concepts could enhance and multiply the impact of our work forward.
As the sun cast its golden glow over the creative heart of Trilith, participants immersed themselves in an atmosphere both invigorating and restorative. Workshops and roundtable dialogues encouraged attendees to peel back the layers of conventional leadership, delving into the intersection of well-being, creativity, and social responsibility. The summit followed a relaxed pace, allowing time for listening, laughter, and reflection, emphasizing holistic well-being.
Whether sharing insights over artisan coffee or engaging in reflective exercises amid the cinematic soundstages, every interaction seemed charged with possibility. Thought leaders, community builders, and innovators shared transformative stories, illuminating how the principles of human flourishing could be translated into tangible actions that ripple from the individual to the collective. The spirit of the gathering was not one of competition, but of co-creation—a space where vulnerability and vision could meet, forging new alliances and sparking new ideas to elevate the quality of life for all.
With a shared sense of purpose, the Trilith team set out to foster collaboration, inspire growth, catalyze cultural impact, and offer a counter-cultural movement towards health.
We began the weekend with tours of Trilith Studios, formerly Pinewood Studios. The multiple production studios are state-of-the-art facilities where filmmaking and motion pictures thrive. The latest box office hit filmed on site was Superman. Our summit also took place in one of the production studios for a more immersive experience.
Dan Cathy, Founder of Chick-Fil-A and Rob Parker, President and CEO of Trilith Development, led a tour of the mixed-use new urbanism neighborhood of Trilith and showed why many flock here to live, work, and play.
During the summit, we heard from an eclectic group of leaders at Harvard University, Baylor University, Physicians, Chick Fil-A- Founders and leaders, Grammy Winning Musicians, Pro Sports Professionals, and leaders that presented the Global Flourishing Study by Gallup.
The Gallup Global Flourishing Study explores six domains valued across countries and cultures. The Secure Flourishing Index (SFI) measures these through targeted survey items, with five domains pursued for their own sake and financial stability providing the foundation. When financial stability is omitted, the measure becomes the Flourishing Index (FI), while contextual factors help understand environments where flourishing thrives in categories such as Happiness and Life Satisfaction, Mental and Physical Health, Meaning and Purpose, Character and Value, Close Social Relationships, Financial and Material Stability, and Religion and Spirituality. When cultivating a community, these factors are important to human flourishing. While we design physical environments, we also need to study the community’s quality of life.
The Summit encouraged leaders to not only connect, but to rest and reflect. We had Yogo as an option in the morning each day, massage available, and a fantastic engaging meal that provoked meaningful conversations from prompt cards placed on our table.
A new sense of purpose and renewal left with each leader, so we could continue to inspire vision forward and the motto of the Trilith Foundation which is “Be Well, Do Good – Together”.
“A good shepherd smells like his sheep/flock”.
~Dan Cathy, Vision Officer/Founder of the Town at Trilith, Trilith Studios, Trilith Foundation, Trilith Institute, Trilith Live, and Chick-Fil-A.
