Raised in the Midwest with years spent living abroad as a child, Summer Lewis returned to Kansas to attend K-State in 2001. She graduated in 2005 with a triple major in Modern Languages (Spanish), sociology, and women’s studies. Her early career included work with a fair-trade coffee company, a study program in Italy, and a women’s university in Bangladesh.

After earning a Master of International Studies from the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Fellow, Lewis spent eight years managing a global partnership between Rotary International and the Institute for Economics and Peace. Today, she is a co-founder of the international consultancy True Roots, where she leads global initiatives and facilitates cross-sector partnerships across borders. Her work draws on more than a decade of professional experience across 40+ countries, with deep roots in Mexico and Kansas.

A former K-State associate graduate faculty member and current Alumni Advisory Council member for the College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis also connects with her community as a flutist in musical ensembles.