Reimagining Memphis: National Leaders Gather Around a Shared Vision for the City's Future

The Big We’s April 2025 Reimagine Memphis Convening brought national leaders in philanthropy, culture, preservation, economic development, and civic innovation to Memphis this spring for two days of learning, relationship building, and visioning around the future of the city and the role Historic Clayborn Temple will play in it.

Reimagine Memphis convening group gathered in front of Historic Clayborn Temple’s I AM A MAN sign.

Hosted by The Big We and Historic Clayborn Temple and sponsored by TomKat Foundation, the convening invited leaders from across the country to experience Memphis firsthand and engage with a bold vision for a future cultural district anchored by Historic Clayborn Temple. At a time when national conversations about Memphis often focus on its challenges, the convening offered something different: an opportunity to experience the city's culture, creativity, history, and potential up close.

For many attendees, it was their first visit to Memphis. What they discovered was a city rich with talent, stories, and cultural assets that have shaped American history and continue to influence culture around the world today. They also encountered a city that has too often been overlooked and underinvested in despite its outsized impact.

"Right now it feels like a moment that can't wait," said Lynne Hoey, Chief Investment Officer of the Kataly Foundation. "Historic Clayborn Temple has a really clear drive toward what it actually means to use culture as the driving force for economic change. If we're not investing in the culture piece in this moment that Historic Clayborn Temple has to offer, then we're going to miss an opportunity to actually build a different future."

Experiencing the Real Memphis

The April convening began with a welcome reception overlooking downtown Memphis at Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis, where guests gathered to begin building relationships and exploring the ideas that would shape the next two days. From there, attendees were introduced to Memphis culture in a way that no brochure or presentation could replicate.

Elliot Perry addressing convening attendees at Memphis’ legendary The Four Way restaurant.

Guests shared dinner at The Four Way, one of Memphis' most iconic restaurants and a longtime gathering place for artists, community leaders, and changemakers. There, they heard reflections from Memphis philanthropist, art collector, and former NBA player Elliot Perry on the importance of investing in artists and cultural institutions, while Memphis recording artist Yella P delivered a performance that offered visitors an authentic introduction to the city's contemporary creative scene.

Many attendees later shared that The Four Way and Yella P's performance were among the most memorable moments of the convening. Together, they offered a glimpse into a side of Memphis culture that many visitors had never experienced before and helped ground the conversations that followed in the people, stories, and creativity that continue to shape the city.

Seeing the Future Through PLace

The following day, attendees explored the vision for Memphis' future cultural district through a guided tour of the sites, stories, and institutions that make the district possible. Beginning at Historic Clayborn Temple, the anchor of the future district, guests visited and learned about a network of cultural landmarks that collectively tell the story of Memphis' impact on American culture, music, history, and civic life.

Convening attendees learning the story of the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ strike through Clayborn’s outdoor storytelling exhibit.

The tour allowed attendees to see both the tremendous cultural wealth that exists across Memphis and the opportunity that comes with greater investment and coordination. For many participants, seeing these spaces firsthand transformed the conversations that followed and created a deeper connection to the vision being presented.

Culture as a Driver of Investment

The convening also featured presentations and discussions designed to connect Memphis' future to national conversations around culture, investment, and place-based development. Frank Stevenson, Special Projects Manager for the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, shared insights about the growing impact of cultural tourism and the importance of preserving and elevating places that have helped shape American history. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail now generates billions in economic impact and welcomes millions of visitors annually, demonstrating how cultural assets can serve as engines for education, tourism, and community investment. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail launched in 2018 to connect significant sites across multiple states that played pivotal roles in advancing social progress and shaping American history.

A representative from The Peace Department discussing restorative development for Memphis and beyond.

Additional conversations with the Kataly Foundation and The Peace Department explored how culture, community ownership, storytelling, and innovative investment strategies can work together to support long-term community development. Throughout the discussions, one theme continued to emerge: culture is not separate from economic development. Culture is one of its most powerful drivers. The restorative development framework shared during the convening positions Clayborn as a cultural anchor and catalyst for broader community transformation.

hanging the Narrative About Memphis

What emerged from the convening was a deeper understanding of both Memphis and the opportunity in front of it.

Attendees left with a greater appreciation for the city's cultural richness, its historic significance, and the people who continue to shape its future every day. They met artists, organizers, funders, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who are already building that future. They experienced Memphis through its music, food, stories, and neighborhoods. Most importantly, they gained a firsthand understanding of why Historic Clayborn Temple's restoration matters and why the future cultural district has the potential to become a national model for culture-driven investment and community development.

Founder and President of Memphis’ Heritage Tours, Elaine Lee Turner, leading the site tour of Memphis’ future Cultural District

Many participants remarked on the contrast between Memphis' tremendous cultural influence and the level of investment many of its cultural assets have historically received. Seeing the city firsthand helped move conversations beyond headlines and assumptions, replacing them with relationships, experiences, and a clearer understanding of what is possible when investment meets vision.

"When you focus on culture, it defines how a city moves, breathes, and lives," said Stevenson. "The reason why this city is special is because it has the talent, the history, the people, and the love."

Looking Ahead

The convening concluded at Crosstown Concourse, where attendees joined more than 150 Memphians for the premiere of This Is Memphis, the closing event of Historic Clayborn Temple's 2026 In This Place season. The evening provided one final opportunity for visitors to experience the city alongside the people who call it home.

Historic Clayborn Temple extends its gratitude to Crosstown Arts, a sponsor of the 2026 In This Place season, and to Arts Bar and Crosstown Concourse for helping host the evening's gathering.

The I AM A MAN sculpture in Memphis’ I AM A MAN Plaza

About TomKat Foundation

The Reimagine Memphis Convening was made possible through the support of the TomKat Foundation, a philanthropic organization that invests in innovative solutions that strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and create pathways toward a more sustainable future. Their support helped bring together national leaders, local stakeholders, and community partners around a shared vision for Memphis and the future cultural district anchored by Historic Clayborn Temple.