We'll open the doors a little early and let folks in. Sometimes, we have surprises, sometimes, we play music, sometimes it's a little quiet. Get there a little early to be ready for kick-off!

Announcements and gratitude, schedule for the day, and general information about the event.

Design for Impact

Experimentation can be intimidating to non-data science folk. But Erin is determined to get people from all crafts excited about A/B testing. In this talk, Erin shares the Conversion Design process. It centers A/B testing as a way to gather high-quality evidence to make highly informed decisions to improve your digital product. She also introduces the Good Experimental Design toolkit. These easy-to-follow templates usher teams through the logic needed to design trustworthy experiments that you can learn from.

Erin Weigel

Erin Weigel delivers impactful, user-centric products and tells stories about how she does it.
Her career started in customer service when she worked retail and waited tables. This experience developed her service mindset, which guides her unique design approach.

She has A/B tested thousands of design changes at Booking.com, the world’s largest online travel website, where she worked as Principal Designer for 9 years. Her specialties are Conversion Design and building experimentation cultures. She’s currently writing Design for Impact: Your Guide to Designing Effective Product Experiments, published by Rosenfeld Media, released in 2024.

Learn more about Erin and all the stuff she does at
www.erindoesthings.com or, follow her on LinkedIn for design tips and resources.

15 minute break.

Keep it Real: How to Build a Fearless Team

We often stay silent at work, fearing negative consequences. This silence can lead to costly mistakes and missed opportunities. The solution is building an environment and team culture where people feel comfortable sharing concerns and ideas without judgment. This talk will highlight the importance of psychological safety, an environment where open communication and constructive criticism are encouraged by the managers and leaders. Real-world examples and business cases will illustrate the dangers of staying silent and the benefits of speaking up.

It will draw on Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson's book, The Fearless Organization, and attendees will learn three key strategies to build a fearless team:

1. Framing Your Work Accurately: Clearly define goals and connect them to the company's mission. Normalize failure to promote risk-taking.

2. Soliciting Criticism: Encourage feedback from direct reports and cross functional stakeholders. Embrace "hard conversations."

3. Giving Feedback: Utilize frameworks like Radical Candor to provide constructive criticism and build trust.

Reggie Murphy

Reggie Murphy is currently leading the global UX Research team at Zendesk and also serves as the Interim Head of Design. Reggie is a seasoned strategic research and insights leader with over 20 years of experience guiding teams to understand user behavior and create innovative product solutions. Across industries like tech, media, and finance he has a proven track record of success. Previously, he established and managed research teams at Meta, X, Vanguard, and USA TODAY. Reggie holds a BS in History from Appalachian State University and a MS & PhD in Communications from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

15 minute break.

Behind The Songs Interstitial

Janda shares history and stories of some popular classic rock songs.

Janda Lane

Janda Lane is creator and host of the Behind The Song podcast, a series of essays about the history of classic rock songs with a focus on the lyrics. Music for each episode is produced by her husband and podcast partner, Christian Lane.

Janda is the afternoon drive host on the air at WDRV in Chicago, the city she has called home for six years. She is an Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award winner, and Behind The Song is a four-time nominee for the National Association Of Broadcasting’s Marconi Awards.

15 minute break.

Leading Beyond the Norm: Unleashing Impact in Mission-Driven Roles

In a world and economy where traditional leadership roles (or the lack thereof) often dominate our conversation, mission-driven organizations offer a unique avenue for professionals to expand their influence and drive meaningful change. This session will explore the untapped potential of non-traditional leadership roles within civic tech, non-profits, and government initiatives. Hillary Hartley, CEO of US Digital Response, will share her journey of transitioning from conventional tech roles to spearheading transformative projects in the public sector.

Through compelling examples and personal stories, Hillary will demonstrate how bringing specialized skills to these mission-driven organizations can create a ripple effect, not only in the communities they serve but also in the careers of those who choose to lead in this space. Be prepared to gain a deeper understanding of how your expertise can be leveraged to meet critical needs while simultaneously fostering your own growth and leadership capabilities.

Whether you’re looking to pivot into a mission-driven role or simply interested in how your skills can be applied in new ways, you will be provided with the inspiration and guidance you need. You’ll leave well-equipped with the knowledge and confidence to explore leadership opportunities beyond the traditional paths, with a clearer vision of how to make an impact where it’s needed most.

Hillary Hartley
As USDR’s CEO, Hillary sets the strategic vision for the organization and helps oversee all operations. Hillary most recently was the Chief Digital and Data Officer and Deputy Minister for the provincial government in Ontario, Canada.

For more, keep up with Hillary on Twitter as @hillary.

15 minute break.

Stop burning out Designers: Creating Supportive Workplaces for All

Research shows stress levels among workers worldwide are at an all-time high. Parents and caregivers are often on the front lines of this trend. Add to that the fast-paced chaos of the tech industry, and you have a recipe for a lot of burned out designers! In this talk, I will delve into my personal experience with burnout which culminated in the publication of my award-winning book on the subject a decade ago.

What you'll learn:

• Workplace conditions that lead to burnout
• What you can do to thrive as an individual
• What you can do to pay it forward for your team

Katrina Alcorn

Katrina Alcorn is a global product design executive and award-winning author. She has built the UX practice at Hot Studio, a boutique agency that was acquired by Facebook, and then at Autodesk, where she centralized the digital design and research teams and her team’s work led to a 5x increase in global ecommerce. Most recently, Katrina led one of the world’s largest design practices at IBM. IBM’s 3,000+ designers create software, hardware, brand, and web experiences powered by AI and used by millions worldwide. Under Katrina’s leadership, IBM Design drove major improvements to customer satisfaction and won a record number of product design awards.

Katrina is also the author of an award-winning book, “Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink,” about the challenges mothers face in the workplace, and she’s an advocate for workplace culture that supports the reality of modern-day families.