Reimagining how employers are adapting and expanding hiring practices to remove systemic barriers and expand access to opportunities. Discussion areas include skills-first and fair chance hiring and shifting from pedigree-based to performance-based recruitment.

• Human Potential, Untapped: A Conversation with Larry Miller and Ken Oliver — What does it take to unlock the full potential of people who are too often overlooked in today’s talent strategies? In this fireside chat, Larry Miller, Chairman of Nike’s Jordan Brand, former President of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Founder of JUMP, sits down with Ken Oliver, President of JUMP, for a candid conversation about building inclusive pathways that work—for people, employers, and communities. Larry’s journey from incarceration to growing a $4 billion global brand offers a rare perspective on both the barriers people face and the systems that can help them thrive.

• Skills-Based Taxonomy: A Blueprint for Employers – An inside look at how one of the world’s largest employers, Walmart, is working alongside the Burning Glass Institute to lead a coalition of 10 major companies to align on skills for roles that make up 25% of the US workforce.

• From Insight to Impact: Measuring Skills-First Success – Speaker: Terry Hollingshead, Director of Learning and Advisory Services at Grads of Life and Marcus Felder, Managing Director and Head of Career Pathways, Blackstone. As organizations adopt skills-first talent strategies, how can we tell what’s working—and what isn’t? This session introduces a practical framework for measuring skills-first practices and impact, paired with hands-on workshopping to help participants customize the approach for their organization’s goals and context.

• Disability Inclusion at Work: Scaling What Works in Hiring and Retention – Speakers: Keely Cat Wells, entrepreneur, disability rights advocate, and CEO of Making Space & Making Space Media, and Donna Bungard, Director of Accessibility at Indeed. This session will explore how Indeed and Making Space help embed disability inclusion into hiring and retention. From technology-enabled matching to co-created media that shifts representation to disabled adults and beyond, leaders will gain concrete approaches they can adapt. The discussion will focus on the “how”—effective practices, securing buy-in, achieving business results, and sustaining practices for long-term impact.

• Gen Z and the Future of Work – Interactive workshops with Gen Z talent on how to attract them, what expectations they have for the workplace, how to maximize their potential, and how to create mobility opportunities to retain and grow them.

• Flipping the Switch: The Simple Step Companies Can Take to Unlock Careers for Millions with Records without Taking on More Risk – Speakers: Matt Joyce, Founder and Partner of Envoy, and Tynecia Walker, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Komatsu. This session delves into the history and limitations of background checks, and shifts into an interactive workshop where you’ll learn how to refine the scope of your screening process to focus on evidence-based risk factors, reduce bias, and open doors to a broader, stronger talent pool.

• Hiring Blindspots: Uncovering Internal Practices That Knock Out Qualified Talent – Speakers: Molly Verghese, Associate Director of Employer Strategy, Cara Collective; Clare Healy from University of Chicago Medicine; and Sarah Klebo, Director of Human Resources, Fitness Formula Clubs. Participate in a dynamic simulation showcasing how hiring processes unintentionally exclude capable workers…and exploring the first steps to remove them. This session will also highlight the power of viewing your own talent practices from the job seekers’ perspective and reorienting your approaches with them in mind.

A deep dive into how organizations are leveraging ecosystem partnerships to build inclusive, scalable talent pipelines. Emphasis will be placed on models like regional collaboratives, co-investment strategies, earn-and-learn programs, and cross-sector upskilling initiatives.

• From Data to Action: Inside Building a Regional Employer Collaborative – Speakers: Ben Gerig, Director of Workforce Pathways at Colorado Succeeds; Jeanie Kelley, Vice President of Human Resources at RK Industries; and Niki DaSilva, Senior Director of Programs and Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.This highly interactive “fish bowl” style workshop simulates the launch of an employer-led regional talent collaborative using the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) framework. In addition to hearing from best in class regional partnerships, participants will participate in a live-style employer convening, validate labor market demand in real time, and engage in small-group exercises to experience the decision-making process that drives SCALE’s industry partnerships. Participants will leave with actionable steps for championing and participating in regional talent transformation efforts.

• Reskill, Retain, ReNEW: Financing Solutions for Talent Pipelines – Speakers: Scott Pulsipher, President of Western Governors University (WGU); Tracy Palandjian, CEO and Co-Founder of Social Finance; Jeannie Virden, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, Central Health. In this interactive workshop, participants will discover how innovative finance models, such as the ReNEW Fund, can help organizations address critical workforce shortages and upskill employees in the age of AI-driven disruption. Participants will learn from leaders at WGU, Social Finance, and Central Health about the design, implementation, and impact of the ReNEW Fund, which removes financial barriers to education for low- and moderate-income individuals pursuing careers as nurses. Participants will then break into small group discussions to brainstorm how similar models could be adapted for their own industries and workforce needs.

• Field Trip: Stadler Apprenticeship Industry Exchange Day – This immersive exchange offers professionals from diverse industries a behind the scenes look at Stadler’s advanced manufacturing youth apprenticeship program, featuring interactive facility tours, meaningful speed networking with youth apprentices, and collaborative reflections designed to spark cross-industry inspiration.

• Stronger Together: Regional Partnerships Creating Durable Pathways – Case studies highlighting scalable regional collaborations, alternative pathways, and policies that create opportunity for all jobseekers, across healthcare, manufacturing, and other growing sectors.
  

• Earn & Learn: Apprenticeships that Build the Workforce of Tomorrow – Case studies showcasing how leading employers are leveraging apprenticeships and work-based learning models to create stronger pipelines for in-demand careers - how they built them, pivots they made, and how they brought them to scale.
  

• Education to Workforce Partnerships – Examples of university-employer partnerships where opportunity pathways were co-designed – how they built them, how it strengthened their talent pipelines, and what companies can do differently.

A future-focused topic examining the dynamic forces reshaping the talent landscape, including generational shifts, AI-driven transformation, and evolving employee expectations. The theme will emphasize proactive navigation of uncertainty to sustain inclusive workforce strategies.

• Through the Rearview Mirror: What Past Predictions Teach Us About the Future of Work in the AI Era – Speaker: Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, Co-Director of Managing the Future of Work and Co-Head of the Project on the Workforce. Ten years ago, bold predictions were made about the future of talent and the workforce—from automation and robots to new skills and career pathways. Some came true faster than expected, others missed the mark, and many taught us lessons about how change unfolds. This keynote will reflect on those forecasts, uncover what they reveal about our ability to anticipate disruption, and explore what that means as we navigate today’s predictions around AI and the future of work.

• The AI Talent Pivot: Unleashing Human Potential Through Strategic Workforce Design – Speakers: Lauren Pasquarella Daley, Associate Vice President in the Employer Mobilization Practice at JFF, and Alison Lands, Vice President in the Employer Mobilization Practice at JFF. Discover how AI is transforming workforce planning — from predicting talent needs to enabling smarter reskilling and deployment — and walk away with strategies to prepare your organization for the future of work.

• How AI is Reshaping Entry-Level and Early Career Opportunities – An interactive session exploring the risks and opportunities for reskilling and entry-level hiring models in the age of AI.

• AI Bright Spots – Employer-led examples of where AI is driving measurable talent system improvements – and how companies can apply learnings to their own organizations.

Centered on employee retention and mobility, this topic explores how organizations are cultivating cultures of internal growth. Key discussion points include building support structures that nurture development, embedding purpose into the employee experience, and designing intentional pathways for internal advancement.

• Happiness as Strategy: Leading with Purpose in a Rapidly Changing Workplace – Speaker: Arthur Brooks, Harvard Professor and Bestselling Author. In today’s competitive labor market, companies searching for an edge may not have to look far to find meaningful solutions. Dr. Arthur Brooks—renowned globally as a leading expert on the science of happiness and purpose—argues that the greatest opportunity for transformation lies within organizations themselves. By intentionally cultivating happiness practices, leaders can unlock higher levels of workplace engagement, improve recruitment outcomes, and drive stronger retention and productivity. In this session, Dr. Brooks will share insights on how happiness and meaning shape the modern workplace, and why these forces are central to creating resilient, high-performing teams. Drawing on his decades of research and real-world applications, he will offer practical strategies for leaders who want to foster a culture of purpose—one that benefits employees and strengthens organizational performance. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to build environments where people thrive, giving their companies a clear and sustainable edge.

• High-Performance Internal Mobility – Speaker: Kevin Martin, i4cp’s Chief Research Officer. A workshop from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) on scaling mobility strategies that grow and retain talent.

• Leveraging Purpose to Attract and Retain Talent – Speaker: Ed O’Boyle, Gallup’s Global Practice Leader. A Gallup-led workshop based on new research on embedding and measuring purpose in the workplace to drive retention and engagement.

• Cracking the Retention Code: An Inside Look at the Coaching Model That Drastically Reduced Turnover – Speakers: Bridgett Beene, Workforce Development Manager at Advocate Health and Michele Smith, Vice President of Workforce Development and Career Innovation at Advocate Health. Discover how Advocate Health’s Teammate Success Coaching Program drastically cut turnover and redefined employee engagement across health systems. In this case study session, attendees will explore how the program was designed from the ground up to provide holistic support for newly hired frontline team members, the key adaptations that made it scalable and sustainable, and the measurable results achieved. Participants will leave with practical insights and a clear framework to apply in their own organizations.

• Frontline Futures: Healthcare Retention and Upskilling – A hands-on workshop exploring success coaching and mobility models that have increased retention in healthcare by 70%+ and filled needed roles.

Collaborate with attendees on “the how” of embedding talent innovation inside organizations. Sessions will explore concrete steps for moving from bold ideas to lasting impact—translating strategy into action, aligning with HR and business processes, and navigating compliance. Discussions will highlight strategies for scaling pilots, using data for accountability, and securing buy-in by empowering internal allies—hiring managers, HR leaders, and other influencers—to help new practices stick and thrive.

• Setting Realistic Expectations on Timing, Capacity, and Scale for Inclusive Talent Initiatives – Speakers: Harris Rollinger, Senior Program Manager for Hidden Talent and Early Careers at KeHE Distributors and Mark Tapy, Talent Management Director, Pinnacol Assurance. This session will function as a “live case study” where participants will have an opportunity to live through what the process was like for Pinnacol Assurance and KeHE Distributors to stand up an apprenticeship and Hidden Talent program. From inception, to selling, to implementation, participants will have an opportunity to learn how the table was set, and then take on the roles of Pinnacol/KeHE employees presenting to senior leaders. Following their presentation at three different inflection points of the process, KeHE and Pinnacol leaders will debrief what actually happened, what they would change, and how it should inform companies’ efforts moving forward as it relates to timing, capacity, and scale.

• Boardroom Dialogue: Work-Based Learning as a Business Imperative – Speakers: Debbie Brown
  President, Colorado Business Roundtable; Lori Frasier, Workforce Strategist and Executive Advisor; and Stephanie Millichap, Chief of Staff to the Chief Information Officer at United Airlines. Join the Colorado Business Roundtable and United for a candid, facilitated dialogue on the role of Work-Based Learning (WBL) and apprenticeships in addressing today’s workforce challenges. After a brief framing on the current state of WBL, facilitators will guide a simulated 'boardroom' of employer leaders through thought-provoking discussion while session participants listen in on the conversation and participate in a full group debrief. This session is designed to surface barriers, opportunities, and commitments related to WBL and apprenticeships; attendees will learn new ways their sectors and organizations can enable and scale employer-led career training.

• Where HR Meets the Business Unit – Exploring where business units should own initiatives vs. when HR should take the wheel – what works, how to set it up, and how to integrate it into internal workflows to ensure sustainability.

• Storytelling for Change: Winning Hearts and Minds – An collaborative session on using narrative to accelerate buy-in, share stories, and accelerate workforce innovation.