Get itapproved
An email your manager can read, and a page they can forward to finance.
A request tied to a live business problem gets signed. One framed as personal development usually does not. Pick your problem below and both documents rewrite around it.
Big shoutout to our friends for their support.
Two documents.
Three brackets to fill.
Your manager reads the email. Finance reads the summary. Swap the bracketed parts, keep the rest — the price and the speakers are already current.
Pick the problem you are solving
Hiring, levelling, and managing managers. Both documents below rewrite around it.
Subject: Approval request — Design Leadership Summit Main Stage, Wednesday, November 18, 2026 Hi [Manager], I would like to attend the main stage day of the Design Leadership Summit, Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. One day, in person, built for senior design leaders: a full day of mainstage talks, plus a lunch and an evening social with the summit's attendees. It is not a general design conference. Why now: We are growing the design team and I am now supporting managers rather than individual contributors. Levelling, hiring loops and manager development are the decisions I am making this quarter, and a day of talks and two socials with design leaders puts me in a room with people who have already made them at our size. Cost: US$399 + 13% HST, which is US$450.87 all in, invoiced in USD, plus travel if I am coming in. Invoicing and purchase orders are available if finance needs one. What I will bring back inside 30 days: • Notes from the mainstage talks, and the recordings once they are released, shared with the team. • A short write-up of the conversations at the lunch and evening socials: who is solving what, and how. • One concrete change to how we level and review designers, with a date against it. Who is in the room: Vuokko Aro (Chief Design Officer, Monzo), Cynthia Savard (VP of UX, Shopify), Amy Thibodeau (Chief Design Officer, Gusto), Christian Rohrer (VP of Design, TD Bank), Peter Merholz (Consultant & Author, Humanism at Scale), Cliff Kuang (Senior Staff Designer, Google DeepMind), Katie Kovalcin (IC Design Leader, Gusto) and Bryanne Gilkinson (Previously, Global Senior Director, Company Transformation, Adidas). Attendees are typically directors, VPs and heads of design from companies like Manulife, RBC, Fidelity, Scotiabank and TD. The 3-day passes have already sold out, so I would like to book the Main Stage Pass by [date]. Thanks, [Name]
DESIGN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2026 — APPROVAL SUMMARY REQUEST One Main Stage Pass, Wednesday, November 18, 2026. TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto. One day, in person. COST US$399 + 13% HST = US$450.87 all in, invoiced in USD, plus travel. Purchase orders and invoices available. Six or more passes save 15% with code TEAMPASS. THE GAP THIS CLOSES Growing a design team faster than our management practice. Levelling, hiring and manager development decisions are being made without a peer reference point. WHAT RETURNS TO THE TEAM Notes and recordings from the mainstage talks, a write-up of the conversations at the lunch and evening socials, and one documented change to how we level and review designers within 30 days. THE ROOM Directors, VPs and heads of design from across North America. Seventh edition since 2018. Speakers include Vuokko Aro (Chief Design Officer, Monzo), Cynthia Savard (VP of UX, Shopify), Amy Thibodeau (Chief Design Officer, Gusto), Christian Rohrer (VP of Design, TD Bank), Peter Merholz (Consultant & Author, Humanism at Scale), Cliff Kuang (Senior Staff Designer, Google DeepMind), Katie Kovalcin (IC Design Leader, Gusto) and Bryanne Gilkinson (Previously, Global Senior Director, Company Transformation, Adidas) COMPARABLE SPEND External design leadership programmes typically run US$2,000–5,000 per person for a single week, without the peer room. IF DEFERRED The summit runs once a year, and the 3-day passes have already sold out. HOW TO APPROVE Card checkout, or email hello@designx.community for an invoice or PO. Passes are transferable to a colleague if plans change.
Finance needs something else? Need an invoice, vendor details, tax information, or help with a team purchase? Contact hello@designx.community.
One day.
Under five hundred dollars.
The 3-day passes are sold out. The Main Stage Pass covers Wednesday, Nov 18: every mainstage talk, the lunch social and the evening social. Travel is the only other line item, and the venue is a walk from the hotels and Union Station.
US$450.87 all in, invoiced in USD. Card or invoice.
One invoice for the whole team on request.
Nov 18 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Peter Merholz’s Day 1 workshop is a separate ticket.
Hotels sit one to twelve minutes from the door. See the travel page.
Per person, for a single week, without the peer room.
Notes your team
can actually use.
The formats are built so that what you learn leaves the room with you. That is what makes the 30-day commitment in the email a real one.
Share the recording and your notes with the team after the summit.
The useful comparisons happen over lunch. Bring back who is solving what, and how.
Follow-up conversations with speakers and peers once the microphones are off.
From Manulife, RBC, Fidelity, Scotiabank, TD, Intact and Autodesk.
The names
on the request.
Directors, VPs and heads of design from across North America, seventh edition since 2018. These are the speakers already confirmed — the same line that appears in your email.
Chief Design Officer
MonzoVP of UX
ShopifyChief Design Officer
GustoVP of Design
TD BankConsultant & Author
Humanism at ScaleSenior Staff Designer
Google DeepMindIC Design Leader
GustoPreviously, Global Senior Director, Company Transformation
AdidasSixth edition“DLS 2025 felt less like a conference and more like a room full of sharp minds pushing each other to think deeper.”Umar Rehman · Head of Design
Sixth edition“The packed schedule of talks and roundtable discussions left me energized and overflowing with ideas.”Justin Godard · Design Director
Sixth edition“Incredibly insightful, with many amazing conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”Lennie Lu · UX & CX Leader
The questions
finance asks.
TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto. In person only.
Can we pay by invoice or purchase order?
Yes. Email hello@designx.community with the number of seats and your billing details and we will issue an invoice in USD. Card checkout is available immediately on the tickets page.
What if plans change?
Passes are transferable to a colleague. Email support@designx.community and we will move the registration.
Do you provide an invitation letter?
Yes. After you register, email support@designx.community and we will send an invitation letter to support a visa application or an internal travel request.
Is there a team rate?
Groups of six or more registering together save 15% with code TEAMPASS. Larger teams can email hello@designx.community for a single invoice.
Are sessions recorded?
Mainstage talks and panels are recorded, with speaker control, so notes and clips can be shared with your team. Roundtables and socials are off the record.
Book the seat
while it is there.
The 3-day passes are sold out; the Main Stage Pass is the way in. Need the team rate first? Bring your team.
Get the Main Stage Pass ↗