Live 2026: Seattle

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

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8:30AM PT - 5:30PM PT

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TOPIC

NAVIGATING THE REVOLUTION IN HR: HOW PEOPLE LEADERS CAN BE EMPOWERED IN AN ERA OF AI AND RAPID CHANGE

In the accelerating digital transformation, people leaders have the opportunity to shape the new world. AI isn’t just changing how work gets done, it’s redefining the nature of work itself. As automation takes on more of the routine and the repeatable, it’s opening more space where humans can excel. The challenge for HR leaders is to rethink how their companies operate and evolve, as well as responding to shifting employee expectations and legitimate concerns about an uncharted future. Rather than asking how people will keep up with technology, the question now is how technology can elevate people, enabling more meaningful collaboration, enhanced creativity, faster learning, and smarter decision-making. At our conference of HR leaders, we’ll explore new frontiers in talent acquisition, skills-based workforce planning, learning and development, employee well-being, total rewards, and inclusion. All of these probing conversations will explore what it means to design a workplace for the next era: one where technology enhances, rather than replaces, human potential.

From Day One Is Proud to Welcome Our Title Sponsor, HackerRank!

From Day One is a Recertification Provider for SHRM and HRCI. This session is eligible for 4 credits.

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Schedule - ALL TIMES SHOWN BELOW ARE U.S. Pacific Time

08:30 AM - 09:30 AM

Breakfast

Brotman Forum

09:30 AM - 09:40 AM

Opening Remarks

Auditorium

09:40 AM - 10:00 AM

Rethinking Hiring and Talent Strategy in the Age of AI (Fireside Chat)

Auditorium

A leader of global talent enablement at the travel platform Expedia shares how the organization is rethinking hiring as AI reshapes the talent landscape. From prioritizing early talent and identifying “AI-native” candidates to assessing skills and auditing tools for bias, this conversation explores how to evaluate talent when candidates have unprecedented access to AI tools.

Speaker: 

Dani Monaghan, SVP, Global Talent Enablement, Expedia Group 

Moderator: 

Rob Smith, Executive Editor, Formidable

10:00 AM - 10:25 AM

Hire for the Agentic Era (Thought Leadership Spotlight)

Auditorium

Every wave of technology, from industrial machines in the 1920s to AI today, has sparked the same fear: that workers will be replaced. History tells a different story. In this session, HackerRank CEO and Co-founder Vivek Ravisankar explores what’s actually happening with developer hiring right now. With tens of thousands of engineering roles still open globally, demand isn’t going away. But the job itself has changed. Developers are becoming orchestrators of AI agents, and the traditional algorithm-puzzle interview no longer predicts success. Vivek will share how leading companies are rethinking technical hiring across three dimensions, what the new skills profile looks like, and what HR and talent acquisition leaders need to know to make the shift.

Speaker:

Vivek Ravisankar, CEO & Co-Founder, HackerRank

10:25 AM - 11:10 AM

Personalizing Benefits While Keeping Costs in Check (Panel)

Auditorium

Employers are rethinking benefits as workers demand options that reflect their real lives, whether it’s fertility care, virtual physical therapy, or coverage for treatments like GLP-1s. At the same time, rising costs are forcing companies to weigh innovation against sustainability. How can employers design benefits that meet diverse employee needs without driving costs out of control? How can data and employee feedback guide smarter, more personalized benefits strategies?

Speakers:

Vivian Hung, Head of Total Rewards & HRIS, Enphase Energy

Tristan Orford, VP, Total Rewards and M&A, SentinelOne 

Nick Rettenmyer, VP, Total Rewards, Shield AI

Paris Ramsey, VP, Health Solutions, Aon 

Cara Dochat, PhD, Clinical Specialist, Sword Health

Moderator:

Alexis Hauk, Healthcare Communications Specialist & Journalist 

11:10 AM - 11:35 AM

Finally, Leadership Development at Scale: Equipping Every Manager With an AI Personal Trainer (Thought Leadership Spotlight)

Auditorium

For years, we’ve faced an impossible trade-off: give executives personalized coaching and real practice, while the economics make it nearly impossible to offer that same depth of support to middle and frontline managers. AI changes everything about that equation. For the first time, we can deliver truly individualized support to every manager—guidance that adapts to their specific needs, real-time practice for high-stakes conversations, and even help with team-building that doesn’t need a facilitator. Leading companies like Google, Hershey, and Airbnb are already seeing impressive results from this approach. In this session, you’ll see this new model in action—and what it means for leaders and teams—whether you’re rethinking your organization’s approach or exploring how AI is transforming leadership development.

Speaker:

Jennifer Dulski, CEO & Founder, Rising Team

11:35 AM - 12:05 PM

Structured Networking & Coffee Break

12:05 PM - 12:50 PM

The Cost of Doing Nothing: Emerging Strategies to Tackle the Healthcare Trend Crisis (Breakout)

Nordstrom Lecture Hall

Healthcare costs are climbing faster than ever—and there's no slowdown in sight. Employers can no longer afford to absorb this trend without a strategy. This interactive workshop pulls back the curtain on the forces driving unprecedented cost increases, and, more importantly, the bold, data-driven approaches forward-thinking companies are already using to fight back. From next-generation quality driven plan designs and advanced primary care models to pharmacy innovation and AI advancements, attendees will leave with a clear picture of what’s working, what’s overhyped, and where to focus first. Whether you’re managing benefits for 50 employees or 50,000, this session will give you the tools and language to build a sustainable benefits strategy for the road ahead.

Speaker:

Julie Taffera, First VP, Alliant Insurance

12:05 PM - 12:50 PM

From Purpose to Outcomes: A Practical Path to More Strategic Leadership (Breakout)

Arnold Boardroom

Too often, HR leaders are asked to be strategic but lack a clear path to get there. The result is work that feels reactive, disconnected, and difficult to tie to real business impact. This interactive Breakout by Campfire is designed to change that. Together, we will move through a simple framework that connects Purpose to Mission to Strategy to Outcomes to Behaviors, giving you a clear line of sight from the work you lead to the results your business needs. Through guided discussion and peer exchange, you will identify where things break down and how to realign your efforts for greater impact. You will leave with a practical plan to take back to your organization, clearer language to engage business leaders, and the confidence to step fully into your strategic role. Leadership development only works when it is clearly tied to outcomes that matter most. 

Speakers:

Steve Arntz, CEO, Campfire

12:50 PM - 01:50 PM

Lunch

Brotman Forum

01:55 PM - 02:35 PM

Designing an Employee Experience That Engages, Recognizes, and Supports (Panel)

Auditorium

A great employee experience considers all facets of a worker: from their well-being, to compensation, to how they are recognized, and more. What does it take to create an environment where employees feel genuinely engaged and supported as they grow and develop? How are new technologies and tools like AI reshaping employee satisfaction, from automating routine tasks to enhancing engagement and enriching talent development? What role does well-being play in the employee experience, and how can employers ensure they are taking a holistic approach? 

Speakers:

Katie Bunker, VP, HR, North America, Cotiviti

Maris Krieger, Senior Director, Talent & Learning & Development, Hearst Corporation

Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, Project Superintendent, SeaTac Construction Leader, Hensel Phelps

Chinmay Malaviya, Co-Founder and CEO, Ridepanda 

Moderator:

Diana Opong, Independent Reporter & Host 

02:35 PM - 03:00 PM

Blow Your System Up—Optimistically (Thought Leadership Spotlight)

Auditorium

Fair warning: this session has a POV. The way we've built talent strategy, operating models, and HR functions doesn’t fit the world we're walking into. And that’s actually good news, because it means you get to build something better. Most AI conversations in HR are really survival conversations dressed up in optimism. How do we keep up? How do we stay relevant? This session flips that entirely. The question isn't whether AI is changing your function. It is. The question is whether you’re going to be the one who decides what it changes into. We'll get into what's actually disappearing, what's emerging in its place, and why the difference between AI literacy and AI fluency is where your competitive advantage either lives or dies. Plus, we’ll talk about the mindset shift that separates the HR leaders designing the future from the ones who merely managing their way through it.

Speaker:

Rebecca Warren, Senior Director, Talent Centered Transformation, Eightfold

03:00 PM - 03:30 PM

Coffee Break

Brotman Forum

03:30 PM - 04:15 PM

Future-Proofing HR With AI: How to Lead, Adapt, and Keep the Human Touch in a Tech-Driven Era (Panel)

Auditorium

Nearly 60% of HR leaders say AI adoption is one of their biggest challenges, yet many admit they aren’t ready to address the ethical, legal, and cultural risks that come with it. What are the most promising uses of AI in HR and people management, and where should it be off-limits? What risks do organizations face if they move too slowly to adapt? What new opportunities does AI create for talent acquisition, learning and development, engagement and retention?

Speakers:

Cathy Peterman, Chief People Officer, Tech, Wayfair

Liz Friedman, Senior Director, HR AI Transformation, Microsoft

Amanda Myton, Head of Learning and Development, Snowflake

Shannon Flynn, VP, Corporate HR, Fortive

Moderator:

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Business Reporter, the Seattle Times

04:15 PM - 04:40 PM

Leading Through Digital Transformation: Redesigning Work and Keeping People Connected (Fireside Chat)

Auditorium

Drawing on lessons from the company’s growth during Covid and its evolution since, this session with the Chief People Officer of Zoom explores how leaders are rethinking roles, balancing AI and human contributions, and using data to drive smarter decisions. Grounded in a mission of helping people stay connected, the conversation will offer insights on building more effective organizations while preserving the human experience at work.

Speaker:

Todd Reeves, Chief People Officer, Zoom

Moderator:

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Business Reporter, the Seattle Times

 

04:40 PM - 04:45 PM

Closing Remarks

Auditorium

Speaker:

Vivek Ravisankar, CEO & Co-Founder, HackerRank

04:45 PM - 05:15 PM

Evening Reception

Brotman Forum

VENUE

Seattle Art Museum

The conference will take place at the Seattle Art Museum, a vast gallery and event space in the heart of Seattle.

1300 First Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101
Apr 28
8:30AM - 5:30PM