IE Hosts the 2026 World Meaning & Purpose Summit
April 13–14, 2026 · IE Tower, Madrid
Co-hosted at IE University by the IE Center for Health & Well-being alongside the Summit’s global founders, Michael Steger, Helena Marujo, and Kiko Kislansky, the two-day gathering created space for interdisciplinary dialogue, evidence-based insight, reflection, and practical conversations around human flourishing, leadership, education, and social impact.
The Summit welcomed participants from 21 nationalities, with more than half of attendees joining from outside the IE community, reinforcing IE’s growing role within global conversations around purpose-driven education and human-centered leadership.
IE University’s Contribution
The Summit closely aligned with IE University’s commitment to positive impact and holistic human development.
The IE Center for Health & Well-being played a central role in co-hosting and coordinating the experience, helping bring together international voices across psychology, education, business, sustainability, leadership, and well-being.
IE faculty and institutional leaders contributed to the program through sessions exploring purpose-driven education, conscious leadership, sustainability, and holistic human development, including:
- Isabela del Alcázar — Chief Purpose & Sustainability Officer
- Concepción Galdón — Vice Dean, Business with Purpose
- Lisa Bevill & Rodrigo Aguirre — IE Center for Health & Well-being
The Summit also reflected the Center’s broader approach to well-being and flourishing through a body-mind-soul lens, integrating science, reflection, movement, community-building, and practical application throughout the experience.
Key Themes
Across keynote talks, panels, movement sessions, and community conversations, several themes emerged consistently:
- Meaning and purpose as essential dimensions of education and leadership
- The relationship between inner development and social impact
- Human flourishing in high-demand and rapidly changing environments
- Purpose-driven business, sustainability, and conscious leadership
- Community, belonging, and relational well-being
- Translating reflection into daily practice and action
The program intentionally combined academic research with lived experience, creating a space where science, humanity, and practical application could meaningfully intersect.
Summit Snapshot
- 180 attendees
- 120 participants from outside the IE community
- 21 nationalities represented
- 2x increase in Center profile visits during Summit week
- International speakers from academia, leadership, psychology, sustainability, and well-being
- Two days of keynotes, panels, workshops, movement sessions, and community-building experiences
Institutional Impact
The Summit strengthened the visibility of both IE University and the IE Center for Health & Well-being within international conversations around meaning, purpose, and human development.
Beyond the event itself, it reinforced IE’s commitment to education that develops not only knowledge and performance, but also reflection, purpose, resilience, and positive impact.
The conversations initiated during the Summit continue to inform how the Center approaches leadership, learning, well-being, and community-building across the IE ecosystem.