Opening Keynote

Brad Rencher | CEO, BambooHR

HR’s Opportunity: Redesign Work for What’s Next

Over the past six years, HR has led dramatic shifts in workplace norms—from remote work to the AI revolution.

In our opening keynote, BambooHR CEO Brad Rencher will offer insights into how HR and business leaders can interpret this moment of profound change.

Choose from the following breakout sessions:

• The AI Maturity Journey in HR: From Exploration to Operational Impact
• Hiring in the 2026 Job Market: How to Turn Paralysis into Precision
• What 2.6 Million eNPS Results Reveal About Employee Happiness
• Your Leaders Know What to Do. So Why Aren’t They Doing It?
• See BambooHR in Action

Click on the titles below to review the full agenda for each session.

The AI Maturity Journey in HR: From Exploration to Operational Impact

Kristie Rowley, PhD | Sr. Manager, AI/ML Engineering

Vicky Mickey | Sr. Manager, CX Programs

Ben Parkes | Manager, People Operations

The AI Maturity Journey in HR: From Exploration to Operational Impact

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping how HR delivers value—but most organizations are still navigating where to start, how to scale, and what “maturity” actually looks like in practice.

If you're charting your organization's AI journey, join this session to gain insight into the stages of AI adoption in HR. We'll look at examples of foundational awareness and pilot use cases, then show how to grow your organization's AI maturity with advanced, data-driven decision-making and automation at scale.

In this session, you'll discover:

• A clear, actionable framework that breaks down each step in HR's AI Maturity Journey
• Insights into how you can move from early experimentation to fully integrated, business-driving AI capabilities
• Examples of practical AI solutions that are currently transforming HR operations

Hiring in the 2026 Job Market: How to Turn Paralysis into Precision

Brandon Welch | Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition

Erica Wallace | Talent Acquisition Manager

Hiring in the 2026 Job Market: How to Turn Paralysis into Precision

The 2026 talent market may feel frozen, but you can’t afford to have your hiring decisions stall out. With fewer open roles, higher expectations for candidates, and a rapidly evolving AI-landscape, talent acquisition has become more consequential than ever before.

In this session, we’ll demystify seemingly conflicting talent signals so you can distinguish hiring motion from real momentum, diagnose bottlenecks, and shift to a more precise hiring strategy—all while preparing for AI’s current and future impact on talent decisions.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• The difference between hiring activity and meaningful hiring momentum
• How to diagnose talent bottlenecks
• How AI is reshaping hiring, and how you should be adjusting your approach)

What 2.6 Million eNPS Results Reveal About Employee Happiness

Vanessa Brulotte | Employee Relations Partner

Marissa Smith | HR Consultant

What 2.6 Million eNPS Results Reveal About Employee Happiness

Employee happiness has been trending upward since 2020, but deeper in the data, hidden patterns reveal the complex reality of employee engagement and satisfaction. BambooHR's Employee Happiness Index tracks employee sentiment from more than 2.6 million self-reported eNPS* results.

In this session, we'll share five trends HR professionals need to know and what to do about them. You'll walk away with practical strategies you can use to identify and proactively address engagement, retention, and employee experience in your workplace.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• The 5 biggest trends shaping employee happiness across annual seasonality, employee tenure, and company size
• Where hidden risks in employee sentiment may be going unnoticed
• Strategies HR teams and leaders can deploy to strengthen employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention

*Net Promoter, NPS, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered U.S. trademarks, and NetPromoter Score and Net Promoter System are service marks, of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.

Your Leaders Know What to Do. So Why Aren’t They Doing It?

Hank Wethington | CEO & Founder, Wethington Leadership

Your Leaders Know What to Do. So Why Aren’t They Doing It?

You’ve invested in training. You’ve promoted the right people. So why does the gap between knowing and doing keep showing up?

Your leaders aren’t underperforming because they lack skills—but to drive lasting change, you'll need to uncover and address the hidden causes behind leadership gaps.

In this session, you'll discover:

• The real blockers behind leadership stalls
• A new lens for how to support the leaders on your teams

Unlocking Human Potential: See BambooHR in Action

Kenny Latimer | Director, Product Marketing, BambooHR

Unlocking Human Potential: See BambooHR in Action

What does it look like when technology unlocks human potential?

In this session we'll step inside the moments that define how organizations perform—from leadership decisions and manager coaching to employee life events - and show how they change when the right systems are in place.

You'll see how modern HR teams are using connected data, embedded AI, and intuitive workflows to move faster, make better decisions, and create the kind of employee experience that drives real business results.

If you're looking to reduce friction, strengthen your team, and turn your people into a true competitive advantage—this session is for you.

The Governance Gap: How HR Architects Trust at Scale

Jonathan Vaas | Chief Legal Officer, BambooHR

The Governance Gap: How HR Architects Trust at Scale

In the AI era, HR leaders must move beyond reactive compliance to proactively engineer trust into their operational systems.

In this session, Chief Legal Officer Jonathan Vaas introduces a practical framework for scaling governance, including:

• A "human-in-the-lead" model for AI management
• Automations that reduce administrative friction

Learn how to reclaim your productivity dividend and ensure that technological innovation never comes at the expense of human dignity.

Choose from the following breakout sessions:

• The New Era of HR Compliance: What’s Changing in 2026 and What to Do About It
• The New HR Career Ladder: How to Future-Proof Your Role
• The Art and Science of Compensation: Using Data and AI to Shape Total Rewards
• The Generational Culture Code: How to Bridge Gaps and Build High-Performing Teams
• Unlocking Human Potential: See BambooHR in Action

Click on the titles below to review the full agenda for each session.

The New Era of HR Compliance: What’s Changing in 2026 and What to Do About It

Sarah Brinton | Associate General Counsel for Trust & Compliance

Colleen Rynne | Sr. Manager, Payroll Services Compliance

Grecia Morrison | HR Consultant

The New Era of HR Compliance: What’s Changing in 2026 and What to Do About It

In 2026, HR compliance is more complex than ever and operational norms are facing major disruption. At the same time, regulations are evolving across federal, state, and local levels. The result: HR teams are navigating conflicting guidance while trying to keep their organizations protected.

In this session, we’ll break down the components of a practical compliance program and how to create one that works for your organization. You’ll walk away with real examples of how to: identify compliance risks, interpret regulatory changes, and effectively establish compliance priorities with your leadership teams.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• What a strong compliance program includes
• Ways to identify compliance risks and navigate changing regulations
• How to communicate compliance priorities to leadership
• Inspiration for implementing AI and automation tools as part of your overall compliance strategy

The New HR Career Ladder: How to Future-Proof Your Role

Katy Huston | Sr. Manager, HR Consulting

Nicole Csiszár | Sr. Director, Outsourced Services

The New HR Career Ladder: How to Future-Proof Your Role

HR roles have grown by 64% in the past 10 years. As HR career paths have opened up, leadership opportunities have followed. But what does it take for HR professionals to step into executive leadership roles and shape business strategy? And how is AI reshaping opportunities and expectations?

If you’re charting your HR career trajectory, join us in this session and hear from experienced HR leaders who have successfully expanded their impact. From building strategic HR capabilities to developing the skills that matter most in the AI era, you’ll hear practical insights on what it takes to stay relevant, influential, and future-ready.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to develop the strategic skills needed to influence business decisions
• What you can do to stay competitive as AI and technology reshape HR
• Key lessons from HR leaders on building influence, expanding impact, and advancing your career

The Art and Science of Compensation: Using Data and AI to Shape Total Rewards

Kelsey Tarp | Director, HR Business Partners

Alex Bertin | Director, Total Rewards

The Art and Science of Compensation: Using Data and AI to Shape Total Rewards

Employees think they’re underpaid. Leaders think costs are too high. And AI is making both sides more confident. In 2026, compensation conversations are more complex than ever. Employees arrive with salary benchmarks and expectations shaped by AI tools. Meanwhile, HR and finance teams are under pressure to control costs, justify investments, and make decisions that hold up under scrutiny.

This session breaks down how to navigate that reality using both the art and science of compensation. You’ll walk away with a practical framework for making decisions about total rewards, setting clear boundaries, and using data without being controlled by it.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to respond when employees bring external compensation data into the conversation
• How to use benchmarking, AI, and employee insights with rigor (not guesswork)
• How to design total rewards decisions that reflect your business, not just the market

The Generational Culture Code: How to Bridge Gaps and Build High-Performing Teams

Tiersa Hall | CEO & Founder, Impactful Imprints Training and Consulting

The Generational Culture Code: How to Bridge Gaps and Build High-Performing Teams

Today’s workforce spans multiple generations—each bringing different expectations, communication styles, and definitions of success. Yet many organizations are still relying on one-size-fits-all leadership approaches that create friction, disengagement, and missed performance opportunities.

We'll move beyond generational stereotypes and into practical leadership strategy by examining The Generational Culture Code, a simple and actionable framework designed to help leaders better understand, engage, and align multigenerational teams.

In this session, you'll discover:

• A clear, easy-to-use framework for leading multigenerational teams
• Practical tools to improve communication, engagement, and feedback
• Increased confidence in managing generational differences without frustration
• Actionable strategies to strengthen team alignment and performance

Global by Default: Three Things Nobody Tells You About Global Hiring

Anastasia Pshegodskaya | Director of Talent Acquisition, Remote

Global by Default: Three Things Nobody Tells You About Global Hiring

You don't have to be a multinational to find yourself hiring outside your home state—or outside the country.

Whether it's a hard-to-fill role, a remote-first policy, or a candidate who's just too good to pass up, more HR teams are navigating cross-border hiring without a roadmap.

In this session, Remote's Anastasia Pshegodskaya walks through three things most HR leaders only learn the hard way:

• Why limiting your talent pool is quietly holding your team back
• Where payroll and compliance complexity tends to catch companies off guard
• What you actually need in place before you make that first international offer

Unlocking Human Potential: See BambooHR in Action

Kenny Latimer | Director, Product Marketing, BambooHR

Unlocking Human Potential: See BambooHR in Action

What does it look like when technology unlocks human potential?

In this session we'll step inside the moments that define how organizations perform—from leadership decisions and manager coaching to employee life events - and show how they change when the right systems are in place.

You'll see how modern HR teams are using connected data, embedded AI, and intuitive workflows to move faster, make better decisions, and create the kind of employee experience that drives real business results.

If you're looking to reduce friction, strengthen your team, and turn your people into a true competitive advantage—this session is for you.

Brad Rencher in Conversation with Brené Brown

Dr. Brené Brown | #1 NYT Bestselling Author, Professor, and Leadership Expert

Brad Rencher | CEO, BambooHR

Brad Rencher in Conversation with Brené Brown

Join Brad Rencher, CEO of BambooHR, and Dr. Brené Brown, renowned researcher, author, and expert on leadership, vulnerability, and courage, for a candid conversation on what it takes to lead and perform in today’s environment of constant uncertainty.

Together, they explore the human side of transformation—why so many teams feel dysregulated, disconnected, and distrustful, and why strategy alone isn’t enough to win. Grounded in both business reality and behavioral science, this discussion focuses on the critical role of trust, connection, and emotional awareness as performance drivers—not soft skills. From managing your own nervous system to fostering productive challenge and psychological safety, Brad and Brené unpack what “deep humanity” looks like in action and why it’s essential for navigating change.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to operate with a “learn-it-all” mindset, build stronger, more connected teams, and turn values into observable behaviors that drive results—while staying grounded in who they are as leaders and teammates.