2026 summit reflections · An independent member perspective
Learning, connection, and renewed possibility through the eyes of a new NSLS member.
Kimberly J. Lewis, M.Div.
Doctoral Student in Organizational Leadership
Abilene Christian University · Online
Independent reflection · not an official NSLS publication
Build Your Legacy · NSLS Career & Leadership Summit · October 24–25, 2026 · University of Houston & virtual
My experience
“I came to the summit as a new member, eager to experience what this community could offer. I intentionally attended sessions across the learning tracks to explore leadership from different vantage points. The weekend became an especially meaningful milestone for me: while attending the summit, I completed my final Success Networking Team (SNT) meeting, and my induction as an online student was finalized on October 24, 2026. This happened during NSLS’s 25th anniversary summit.
A personal milestone · October 24, 2026
Then Kiki Ayers’s story reached me deeply. I was wiping away tears. She was a living, breathing testimony, and I needed to hear her story in this season of my life. I felt God reminding me how much I matter to Him. Thank you, Kiki, for not giving up. Your life gives life. I left with a second wind and renewed energy to keep building my legacy.”
“Your life gives life.”
Kimberly J. Lewis, M.Div. — my personal experience of the weekend
The faith language here describes how I personally experienced her story — her keynote itself was not a religious talk.
A strategist’s reflection
“For me, the opportunity is a community where people can bring different experiences and still work toward shared growth. Unity takes practice: listening, making room for contribution, and helping one another move forward.”
Executive readout
Kimberly’s synthesis — not direct speaker quotes or official NSLS conclusions.
Hard seasons do not end on their own. They turn when we name one concrete move and take it.
Ask: What setback am I still carrying without a next step?
Try: Write down one small step and put a date beside it.
People read a room quickly. Leaders shape it through who they invite in, listen to and credit.
Ask: Who in my circle has not been heard lately?
Try: Ask one quieter person for their view at your next meeting.
Experience is easier to build on when we can describe what it changed, in plain words.
Ask: How would I describe my leadership in two sentences?
Try: Draft those two sentences and test them on a friend.
Ideas fade unless they travel with relationships. A follow-up turns a session into a practice.
Ask: Who did I meet that I could learn or build with?
Try: Send one follow-up message this week.
A legacy is not only what we achieve. It is the doors we hold open and the advice we pass on.
Ask: Who could benefit from what I have learned so far?
Try: Offer one hour of help or mentoring to someone a step behind you.
Explore the learning tracks
Leading with others: the culture of a room, hard talks, and teams where everyone has a place.
Culture is not a poster on the wall. It is the sum of small choices: who gets heard, how mistakes are handled, and whether people can see a place for themselves.
Photographed in this readout
Leadership practice becomes more useful when we can explain its contribution: what changed because we led, not just the title we held.
The full official program, for context. Most of these sessions are not part of this readout. Details from the official summit page.
Main stage
Keynote speaker, bestselling author and tech founder
Spoke from the main stage. His story is the one Kimberly says inspired her most this weekend.
“Arel Moodie’s story especially inspired me. After a difficult season, this weekend gave me a second wind.”
Photographed in this readout · Official bio
Keynote speaker and entrepreneur
A main-stage keynote voice for the 2026 summit.
“Thank you Kiki Ayers for not giving up! Your life gives life!”
Photographed in this readout · Official bio
Summit host and MC; founder of Swift Kick Leadership
Hosted and emceed the summit, guiding the general sessions and main-stage moments across both days.
Program context only · Official bio
Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, NSLS
Delivered the closing keynote on Sunday, October 25.
Program context only · Official bio
Founder and host
Learning together, and carrying it forward.
Seeing the organization’s founder and the weekend’s host share the stage was a reminder that a legacy is built by people over time, and handed on to the next group ready to learn together.
Main-stage moment · Kiki Ayers
“Kiki Ayers’s story moved me to tears. In a season when I needed encouragement, hearing her reminded me of the power of perseverance—and how someone else’s decision to keep going can renew our own courage. I left grateful that she had not given up and reminded that our lives can bring hope to others. For me, God used her story to lift my spirits and remind me how much I matter to Him.”
“Thank you Kiki Ayers for not giving up! Your life gives life!”
Kimberly J. Lewis, M.Div. — personal faith reflection
What her story meant to me — not a transcript or summary of the keynote.
A member’s journey
01 · Arrival
Coming in as a new member, curious about what this community could offer.
02 · Learning
Sessions and hands-on activities across all three tracks, chosen on purpose to see leadership from different angles.
03 · Reflection
Arel Moodie on the main stage: “You can’t think your way into right action. You must act your way into right thinking.”
04 · Connection
Kimberly J. Lewis with keynote speaker Arel Moodie at the 2026 NSLS summit.
05 · Next step
Leaving with renewed energy and a plan to carry into 2027.
Legacy in action
No account needed. Your answers stay on this page only and disappear when you leave. Nothing is sent anywhere.
From “NSLS Summit Insights: A Member’s Perspective” by Kimberly J. Lewis, M.Div. Independent; not an official NSLS assessment.
If this member perspective sparks your curiosity, explore the official NSLS chapter directory and learn about the opportunities and membership process at your institution.
The summit is a separately ticketed event; membership does not include attendance. See official pages for current details.
About the author
Kimberly J. Lewis, M.Div., is a strategist and doctoral student pursuing her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership through Abilene Christian University’s online program. Her research interests center on ethical leadership and psychological safety for neurodivergent employees as organizations integrate artificial intelligence into the workplace. She is interested in how leaders can support belonging, preserve human judgment, and create environments where people with different ways of thinking can contribute and thrive.
This readout captures her reflections as a new NSLS member.
kimberlyjlewis.com@KimberlyJ4Change
Affiliation: Kingdom Advancement Strategists