We’re just back from participating in Summit at Sea, a three-night floating intellectual conversation aboard a large ship sailing off Florida with 2,500 top figures aboard from all walks of life, even real estate. Here’s Starwood Capital CEO Barry Sternlicht and famed investor Bill Ackman bookending Venturehouse’s Mark Ein, who interviewed them about their lives, businesses, and what they see ahead for the economy.

John Legend played and sang at the piano with legendary singer and activist Harry Belafonte (white jacket) and Equal Justice Initiative’s Bryan Stephenson listening avidly. They discussed milestones and remaining challenges of the civil rights movement and in particular the urgent need for prison reform.

Summit founder Elliott Bisnow brought to stage Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick. Travis talked about Uber’s beginnings and future, and credited the last Summit at Sea, which he attended in 2011 before his firm became a household name, as having helped him build invaluable business relationships.

Lada Gaga manager Troy Carter interviewed Hollywood mega-producer Peter Guber...

…NPR’s Guy Raz interviewed Martha Stewart…

 …and AOL co-founder Steve Case interviewed the three founders of DC’s own “healthy fast food” Sweetgreen, now rapidly expanding across the country. They told about meeting at Georgetown and bonding over both entrepreneurship and food, and said their previous Summit experiences had encouraged them to take the leap onto an unconventional path that they felt was imbued with both business potential and the chance to make a better world.