EA Summits are a newer event series launched by the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) in 2024 to serve as introductory, regionally accessible events that complement the more established EAG and EAGx conference series.

Unlike EAG(x), which primarily aim to accelerate the paths-to-impact of individuals already embedded in the EA ecosystem, EA Summits have a broader and more exploratory theory of change. They focus on introducing EA concepts to newcomers, inspiring early engagement, and supporting regional experimentation in community-building models. Summits are designed to be low-cost, lightweight to run, and scalable with minimal CEA oversight, allowing local groups to tailor events to their community’s needs and context.

Key Features of EA Summits

• Introductory orientation: Core content is tailored for newcomers, with a reduced emphasis on 1-on-1 meetings between attendees with low context.
• Mentorship focus: Summit success depends on recruiting a solid cohort of mentor-level attendees (established EAs) to support new participants.
• Minimal application barriers: Events often forgo formal application processes to maximize accessibility.
• Lower resource investment: Organizers receive small grants and light-touch support from CEA, enabling more experimentation and reach.
• Flexible models: Summits can be adapted for regions focused on outbound impact (e.g. connecting locals to remote jobs) or local resilience (e.g. building in-region institutions).

CEA envisions EA Summits as a way to expand EA’s reach, especially in low- and middle-income countries, emerging communities, and areas with high potential but few existing connections to EA. However, the format may also prove useful in established hubs, helping address concerns about exclusivity and high application bars for EAG(x).