Every founder and generational leader carries an origin story. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Everett Harper invites us to consider what it means to remember that story, and how the act of remembrance itself shapes the values a company passes on.

Everett is the co-founder and former CEO of Truss and a longtime champion of Purpose-driven leadership. Drawing on the history of Juneteenth, and on his own family’s story, discovered recently after this Summit 2025 talk, he traces the entrepreneurial spirit, community-building, and resilience that emerged from freedom. He makes a compelling case that annual rituals of remembrance, whether a national holiday or a company gathering, are how values survive and travel across generations.

Watch and be inspired to honor your own origin story and to pass on the values at the heart of your company to the next generation.