Map and Directions
The 2026 Solution Summit will be held in Claudio Grossman Hall at American University’s Washington College of Law, located at 4300 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016.
2026 Democracy Innovation Lab Solutions Summit
Rewriting the Rules: Power, Trust, and the Future of American Democracy
Location: American University Campus, Claudio Grossman Hall, Washington, D.C.
Date: October 8, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
The 2026 Solutions Summit brings together leading voices from across public policy, civic life, media, and community leadership to explore how power, trust, and belonging are shaping the future of American democracy.
Hosted by American University’s Democracy Innovation Lab at the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, the day-long summit will feature panels and discussions examining public trust, democratic leadership, civic participation, and the changing relationship between people and institutions. Topics will include national and youth perspectives on democracy, the role of storytelling in strengthening belonging, Latino leadership, and the future of the presidency and public service.
Agenda:
8:30 – 9:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:15 – 10:30 AM | The American Outlook: What Polling Reveals About the Road Ahead
10:30 to 11:30 AM | Writing the Next Chapter: Storytelling as an Act of Democracy
11:30 – 11:45 AM | Transition & Networking Break
11:45 AM – 1:15 PM | Interactive Lunch - Complex Problems: “The Future of the American Experiment”
1:15 – 2:15 PM | The New Rules of Washington: an Eagle Eye’s View - Trust, Accountability, and the Future of Public Leadership
2:15 – 2:30 PM | Short Break 2:30 – 3:30 PM | America’s Next Chapter: Demographic Change and the Future of Democracy
3:30 – 4:30 PM | The People’s House at 250: Re-imagining the Presidency and Public Trust
4:30 –4:45 | Transition and Networking Opportunity
4:45 – 5:15 PM | AU Student Voices Shaping the Future
5:15 PM | Closing Remarks
5:30 – 7:00 PM | Solutions Summit Reception
Co-hosted by the American University Alumni Association: Featuring Cocktails with Ken Biberaj
Highlights include:
The summit aims to inspire new ideas and lasting collaboration, bringing together leaders and changemakers to help build a more trusted, inclusive, and accountable democratic future.
Map and Directions
The 2026 Solution Summit will be held in Claudio Grossman Hall at American University’s Washington College of Law, located at 4300 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016.