Global Citizen NOW, the annual thought leadership summit driving action to address the world’s most pressing challenges, is heading to Detroit, Michigan for the first time this July.

In partnership with Bedrock, the summit will gather influential leaders from government, business, philanthropy, nonprofit, and culture — alongside local policymakers, grassroots organizers, and students — at Hudson’s Detroit to champion bold collaboration and accelerate health-focused community-led innovation across the city.

We’re thrilled to be welcoming three Detroiters to the Global Citizen NOW: Detroit stage for the occasion. This handful of formidable citizens is inspiring others to take collective action on key urban challenges and working to create a future that boasts inclusive, sustainable cities.

jessica Care moore — Detroit Poet Laureate, Founder of Black Women Rock, Author

jessica Care moore is an award-winning poet, recording artist, publisher, activist, cultural curator, and filmmaker. She is the founder of Moore Black Press, which has published influential voices including Saul Williams, Ras Baraka, and Asha Bandele. In 2024, her press secured an imprint deal with HarperCollins, releasing Brad Walrond’s acclaimed poetry collection “Every Where Alien.”

Moore is also the Executive Producer and Founder of Black Women Rock!, a two-decade-old rock and roll concert and empowerment weekend celebrating Black women in music. Her nonprofit, The Moore Art House, focuses on advancing literacy through the arts in schools and neighborhoods.

Throughout her career, moore has used her platform to mentor young people, and lend her voice at detention centers, classrooms, and universities. She has also collaborated with several artists across genres — from hip hop legends Nas and Common to techno pioneer Jeff Mills. Her book “We Want Our Bodies Back,” published by Harper Collins, received the American Library Association’s Black Caucus Poetry Honor.

Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Council for Arts and Culture, moore's contributions to the arts have earned her numerous awards, including the Joyce Award, Spirit of Detroit Award, and NAACP Great Expectation Award. Her theatrical work, “Salt City,” a techno choreopoem written by moore, premiered at the Apollo Theater, and her debut feature film, “He Looked Like A Postcard,” was nominated at multiple Black film festivals.

moore’s work continues to resonate globally — from performances at Afrochella in Ghana to features at the United Nations and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Romeo Okwara — Retired Detroit Lion, Filmmaker, Artist

Romeo Okwara is a Nigerian-born visual artist, photographer, and former NFL player. After earning a BA from the University of Notre Dame and spending eight seasons in professional football, Okwara transitioned from the gridiron to the gallery.

Throughout his athletic career, he nurtured a passion for photography, culminating in solo exhibitions at Leica stores in New York and Boston, and group shows in Los Angeles and Detroit. His lens captures nuanced perspectives of everyday life, often exploring themes of identity, stillness, and transformation.

In 2024, Okwara began pursuing an MFA in photography at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Based in Detroit, he continues to expand his creative practice into filmmaking, bringing a distinctive artistic voice shaped by discipline, global experience, and a deep connection to the city he now calls home.

Tashif “Sheefy McFly” Turner — Multifaceted Artist

Tashif “Sheefy McFly” Turner, born and raised in Detroit, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans visual art, music, and cultural storytelling. Sheefy is best known for his signature “Sheefy Faces,” which can be found on over 20 walls across Detroit, as well as many more different styles of art around the world.

Influenced by cubism, surrealism, and pop art, Turner’s bold, gestural figures are a reflection of his subconscious gesture-figures which are growing in complexity with every canvas. His work has earned him a growing collector base, with hundreds of original pieces and prints sold, proving himself as one of Detroit’s most prolific contemporary artists.

Beyond the canvas, Sheefy’s artistry also resonates through music. Drawing from his deep roots in Detroit’s soundscapes — techno, hip hop, ghetto tech — he has collaborations with influential Detroit musical icons such as Royce da 5’9", Moodymann, and DJ Godfather. His music, like his art, weaves autobiography with city pride, forming a rich, layered narrative that captures the spirit of Detroit’s creative renaissance.