Agenda
We are pleased to share the 2025 agenda!
Daily Details
TUE. SEPT 16
The Conference For Conferences
Optional Add-on
A collaborative learning lab for seasoned and emerging conference organizers to shape the future of conferences. Learn proven, people-centered event design through hands-on workshops, real-world case studies, and community-driven experiments.
9:00–5:30
Oakland Museum of California
Daily Details
WED. SEPT 17
1:45–2:45
REGISTRATION
Live Music with M’Gilvry Allen
9:00–10:00
James Moore Theater
WELCOME
Opening Remarks
Welcome to Responsive Conference 2025!
Robin Zander, Executive Director & author of Responsive
10:00–10:30
James Moore Theater
MAINSTAGE
Uncertainty at Work
Simone Stolzoff
Author, The Good Enough Job
A keynote about navigating uncertainty in an accelerating world.
10:30–11:00
James Moore Theater
James Moore Theater
Women's Board Lecture Hall
3:00–4:00
BREAKOUTS
11:15–12:15
What Can Companies Learn From Political Campaigns?
Addisu Demissie
Founder of 50+1 Strategies
Marie Szuts
Marie Szuts Coaching & Consulting
What can political campaigns teach us about leading teams and building trust? Drawing from Addisu’s experience running high-stakes national campaigns, they’ll unpack how values-driven communication, rapid iteration, and collective momentum shape effective teams.
James Moore Theater
AI and the Politics of Cultivated Meat
Todd Aetherwyn
Senior Director Enterprise Intelligence & Operations, UPSIDE Foods
What happens when the future of food collides with the future of tech? In this timely conversation, Todd Anderson of UPSIDE Foods explores how AI is reshaping everything from scientific R&D to political strategy in the cultivated meat industry.
Women's Board Lecture Hall
Depth Finding for Your Organization
Sam Spurlin
Partner at The Ready
Sam will lead a session on "Depth Finding," a hands-on workshop designed to help teams identify and address core issues hindering their performance.
California Room
Faciliated Unconference
Learning Center
Lunch in the Garden
Live music by M’Gilvry Allen
12:15–1:45
BREAKOUTS
Funders’ Fishbowl
Eric Bahn, Co-founder & GM at Hustle Fund
Danielle Strachman, Co-founder & GM at 1517 Fund
Virginie Raphael, Founder at FullCircle Fund
Step into the Funders’ Fishbowl! In this interactive session, these three VCs will unpack what they’re seeing at the front lines of entrepreneurship and the future of work. With a fourth seat open to you, this is a rare chance to ask candid questions, challenge assumptions, and explore where innovation is headed—alongside the people investing in it.
Culture as a Backbone in Chaotic Times
Andrea Robb, Founder of Arcx
Jacques Hebert, VP of Communications at The McKnight Foundation
Allan Silva, Team coach, Oakland resident, and Responsive attendee
In a moment when climate and other work of organizations in the ESG space are under siege, some organizations are folding under pressure, while others are adapting and doubling down. This conversation will explore how McKnight Foundation is building internal culture not as a “nice-to-have,” but as essential infrastructure for brand integrity, strategic clarity, and resilience in politically charged times.
Politics @ Work CPO Interview-in-the-Round
Becks Port, CHRO Sequoia
Sally Thornton, Founder Forshay
In a world defined by constant change, the role of the Chief People Officer has never been more vital—or more complex. Join Becks Port (Sequoia), Sally Thornton (Forshay), and a circle of forward-thinking CPOs for an open conversation about leading through uncertainty, supporting teams at scale, and redesigning work for what’s next. This session offers a rare inside look at how today’s top people leaders are navigating chaos with clarity, care, and conviction.
California Room
Faciliated Unconference
Speaker-led unconferences are informal, small-group sessions where attendees dive into topics they care about with a Responsive speaker. These intimate gatherings offer a chance to ask questions, share experiences, and connect directly—without slides or scripts.
Learning Center
15 Minute Break
4:00–4:15
MAINSTAGE
The Role of Storytelling at Work
Jaime Woolf, CEO Creativity Partners, former Dir. of Culture at Pixar
Bobby Podesta, animator at Pixar
Chris Bell, President, Creativity Partners
Ashley Whilians, Harvard University
This session explores the role of storytelling in shaping company culture and leadership. Pulling lessons from Pixar and immersive explaining how storytelling can be used to inspire teams, drive change, and build strong workplace relationships
4:15–4:45
James Moore Theater
CLOSING
Robin Zander w/ Special Guest
4:45–5:00
James Moore Theater
Happy Hour
5:00–6:00
Garden Patio
15 Minute Transition
11:00–11:15
SPEAKER-LED UNCONFERENCES
Speaker-led unconferences are informal, small-group sessions where attendees dive into topics they care about with a Responsive speaker. These intimate gatherings offer a chance to ask questions, share experiences, and connect directly—without slides or scripts.
15 Minute Transition
2:45–3:00
Daily Details
THUR. SEPT. 18
Session TBD
Faciliated Unconference
James Moore Theater
PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION
Accelerate with Late Nite Art
Adam Rosendahl, Founder of Late Nite Art
How do we use creativity as a vehicle to communicate ideas? Join us for this pre-conference session to build meaningful connections and get outside your normal way of working!
8:30–10:30
Garden
Women's Board Lecture Hall
California Room
WARMUP + REFLECTION
Opening Remarks
Robin Zander and the Responsive Team
10:30–10:45
James Moore Theater
MAINSTAGE
How to Robot-Proof Your Kids
Vivienne Ming, PhD
Professional mad scientist @ Socos Labs
Dr. Vivienne Ming will dive into how AI and neuroscience intersect to reshape human potential. Her session explores practical ways to use AI as an empowering tool, helping us prepare future generations to thrive in a technology-driven world while maintaining creativity, emotional intelligence, and autonomy.
10:45–11:15
James Moore Theater
Learning Center
BREAKOUTS
11:30–12:30
Responsive by Design: Values, Data, and Leadership for a Changing World
Craig Forman, Founder of CultureC
Marta Riggin, former Director of Employer Brand & Employee Communications, Instacart and LinkedIn
In today’s rapidly evolving social, political, and environmental landscape, organizations face mounting pressure to respond to change with speed and clarity. This interactive workshop will equip participants with a practical framework to proactively prepare for change, transition, and disruption. Drawing from internal assets like employee listening data, organizational mission, leadership values, and workplace culture, we’ll guide you through exercises that help anticipate change, align action with purpose, and activate decision-making frameworks that prioritize all stakeholders — employees, customers, partners, and communities.
James Moore Theater
Becoming the Bridge
Michael Masserman
Lectureer at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Former Head of Policy at Lyft
Former Obama Admin Official
Mike Masserman explores the utility and difficulty of bridging realms such as spirituality, public policy, and corporate strategy. Through personal stories and tactical frameworks, he reveals how living as a bridge can unlock innovation and strengthen resilience in a world defined by rapid change
Learning Center
Managing the Tensions of Leadership: Courge, Ethics, and Vision in a Changing World
Andrea Robb, CEO & Founder, ArcX
Doug Kirkpatrick, Founder & CEO, D’Artagnan Advisors
Tim Griffin, VP Procurement, Amy’s Kitchen
This session brings together two deeply reflective practitioners - Doug Kirkpatrick and Tim from Amy’s Kitchen - to explore how Peter Koestenbaum’s Leadership Diamond® serves as both a philosophical and operational guide in the midst of real transformation.
California Room
From Fear to Flow: Building AI-Ready Reams Through Hand-On Learning
Brian Elliott
CEO, Work Forward & author How the Future Works
Helen Kupp, co-founder Women Defining AI & author How the Future Works
In this interactive workshop, you'll experience firsthand the strategies that successful organizations use to overcome AI adoption barriers. We'll move beyond the hype to explore how AI transforms organizational structures and what it means for responsive leadership in practice. Bring your laptop!
Women’s Board Leture Hall
Lunch
Live music by M’Gilvry Allen
12:30–1:30
SPEAKER-LED UNCONFERENCES
Speaker-led unconferences are informal, small-group sessions where attendees dive into topics they care about with a Responsive speaker. These intimate gatherings offer a chance to ask questions, share experiences, and connect directly—without slides or scripts.
1:30–2:30
BREAKOUTS
2:45–3:45
Redefining Work
Suzy Wech, PhD, Lecturer at NYU Stern, Author of Becoming You
Shelby Wolpa, Founder of Shelby Wolpa Consulting, Former VP at Instacart, One Medical, Palantir
A rare fireside conversation exploring career reinvention in the age of AI. While Shelby reflects on her pivot from people ops to personal transformation, Suzy will guide the conversation with the same candor and insight that’s made her one of the most trusted voices in modern leadership.
MAINSTAGE
The Future of Work is Human
Eldra Jackson III, executive director Inside Circle
In this session, Eldra shares how personal transformation begins from within, and how building real connection can change the way we live, lead, and show up in the world. If you’re curious about what true change looks like and how we support it in others, this talk is worth your time.
4:00–4:30
James Moore Theater
CLOSING REMARKS
Responsive Team
4:35–4:55
James Moore Theater