2026 Conference Session Descriptions

Morning Keynote

Paul J. Long  - Culture by Design

Click the image below for an introduction to Paul J. Long!










No wonder our minds habitually focus on what’s wrong and why we’re frustrated instead of where we could be and what it would take to get there. This is where Fundamism™ changes everything.

Workplace culture expert Paul J. Long has discovered a powerful truth: Culture isn’t something you fix—it’s something you create through moment-by-moment choices. Through his principles of deliberate connection, he teaches leaders and teams how to implement “brain pattern interrupts” that shift attention from problems to possibilities.

The insight is simple but profound: You can’t be deliberate and overwhelmed at the same time.

When you become intentional about how you show up, how you connect, and where you focus, you transform your experience—and your organization’s culture.

This keynote is ideal for:

• Leaders tasked with improving workplace culture and employee experience.
• Teams navigating significant change or challenging market conditions.

Audiences will walk away with:

• Practical “brain pattern interrupt” techniques they can implement immediately.
• A framework for creating meaningful interactions that enhance team connection and create more of “what’s good.”
• A renewed sense of purpose and meaning in their daily lives.

Breakout Session 1

1-A From Courtroom to Conference Room: Thinking Like Counsel, Acting Like HR, Leading with Integrity,
Hope Broadus, JD, UW School of Medicine and Public Health

What happens when you swap the courtroom for the conference room and spend nearly 20 years in the middle of real‑world people issues? In this session, I’ll share practical lessons from my journey as an employment attorney turned HR leader and how that experience reshaped my approach to employee relations, influence, and integrity. We’ll talk about how to “think like counsel” when you’re sorting out risk and process, and “act like HR” when you’re sitting across from leaders and employees who need clarity and fairness. Expect plain language, real stories, and simple tools you can use to handle messy situations in a way that builds trust and strengthens your voice as an HR leader. 

 By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Use a straightforward decision lens to slow down, clarify the facts, and choose next steps in tough employee relations situations in a way that is both fair and defensible.
2. Spot common traps in performance management, investigations, and terminations—and describe how avoiding them strengthens your credibility and integrity as an HR leader.
3. Walk through a simple, legal‑savvy checklist to identify potential risk early (for example, discrimination, retaliation, leave, or safety flags) and use that insight to advise leaders more confidently.
4. Explain, in everyday language, how solid process and documentation protect employees, leaders, and the organization—and how that transparency builds long‑term influence for HR.

• Offer leaders at least two realistic options in a high‑stakes situation, clearly describe the trade‑offs and risks of each, and use those conversations to position yourself as a trusted strategic partner rather than “the policy police.”

1-C Black Mirro: The Ethics of AI in HR
Dr. Shari Simpson, Paylocity

This session uses Black Mirror-style scenarios to explore the ethical risks of AI in HR, including bias, privacy, surveillance, and transparency. We will translate these cautionary themes into real HR decisions, from AI in recruiting to AI in performance and monitoring tools. Attendees will learn how to evaluate AI solutions with an ethics-first lens and how to build governance that earns trust with employees and leaders. You will leave with safeguards and practical questions to ask before any AI implementation.

Attendees of this program will:

• Identify ethical risks and unintended consequences in AI-powered HR tools.
• Build governance and communication practices that support transparency and trust.
• Implement safeguards that ensure human oversight and ongoing monitoring of AI use.

Late Morning Keynote

Paul J. Long - The Unforgettable Leader: How to Create a Team No One Ever Wants to Leave

In today’s challenging talent landscape, one truth stands out: people don’t leave companies—they leave leaders.

What separates forgettable managers from truly unforgettable leaders? They build the kind of teams no one wants to leave. But when leaders themselves feel disconnected, how can they possibly create the kind of cultures everyone wants to be a part of?

After leading teams of thousands for a Fortune 300 company, Paul understands these critical make-or-break moments. In this deeply impactful keynote, he shares how exceptional leadership isn’t about grand strategies, but deliberate choices that make people feel seen, valued, and energized every day.
 

This keynote is ideal for:

• Leaders who are struggling to retain top talent.
• Managers who want to build stronger, more connected teams.

Audiences will walk away with:

• Practical ways to boost morale, trust, and retention.
• A mindset shift from managing performance to energizing people.
• Immediate actions to become the kind of leader people choose to follow.

Breakout Session 2

2-A   Is Resilience Enough? When Trauma Shows Up to Work,  
April Scott, University Wisconsin Madison

What happens when the stressors that employees are facing aren’t individual, but collective? With rising mental health concerns, caregiving strain, change fatigue, and organizational disruption, SHRM’s recent reporting shows that workforce resilience is wearing thin and traditional strategies are failing to meet the moment. 

This session explores how collective and organizational trauma show up in behaviors, culture, and team dynamics, and why asking individuals to “be more resilient” is insufficient, and sometimes harmful.
Participants will learn how to recognize trauma responses across groups, understand the broader implications of collective trauma, and apply trauma‑informed, healing-centered HR practices that help rebuild trust, safety, and organizational resilience. The session will also offer guidance for HR professionals on recognizing signs of compassion fatigue in themselves and identifying practical steps to support their own wellbeing.

In this session, participants will:

• Explore how to recognize and respond to trauma in the workplace
• Understand the differences between collective, organizational, and individual trauma
• Learn how HR professionals can respond with compassion, consistency, and care without sacrificing their professional responsibilities or their mental wellness

2-B From Search to Success: Elevating Talent Discovery at Your Organization 
- Sarah Marshall & Rebecca Swanson, humanworks8

Bring energy and intention back into the way your organization hires. This workshop introduces people-first process improvements that reshape every step of the hiring journey, from defining roles with clarity to delivering a consistent, memorable candidate experience rooted in values. Participants will learn how to build a disciplined, repeatable hiring framework that strengthens alignment, minimizes hiring mistakes, and increases confidence in selecting the right person for the role every time. Walk away with actionable tools and a refreshed mindset that helps your organization move beyond simply filling open positions to intentionally building teams that thrive.

Attendees of this program will:

• Participants will evaluate their own hiring process and identify key areas of improvement
• Participants will discover how their organization’s unique core values drive the talent discovery process
• Participants will learn about evaluating candidates based on all three parts of the mind – Cognitive, Affective and Conative

2-C Employment Law Update, 
Brian Goodman and Storm Larson, Boardman Clark