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Speakers · The Design Leadership Summit 2026

The lineup.

Design leaders from Uber, Capital One, Mastercard, The New York Times, GoFundMe, Perplexity, Intuit and more — on a mainstage built for frank playbooks, not polished keynotes. More voices announced soon.

Nov 17–19, 2026 · TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto

Get your pass →See the agenda
Mainstage & workshops15 confirmed
Joann Wu
Joann Wu
VP & Global Head of Design · Uber
From Vision to Value: Driving Quality and Follow-Through at Scale
Bob Baxley
Bob Baxley
Executive Design Advisor
Designing Your Life… with AI
Peter Merholz
Peter Merholz
Consultant & Author · Humanism at Scale
Design Leadership Demystified
Chris Avore
Chris Avore
VP Design · Diligent
AI, Anxiety, and Actual Impact: Leading Design Teams Through the AI Era
Jen Cardello
Jen Cardello
Managing VP, Head of Research & Design Operations · Capital One
Deliver Undeniable Impact: Establishing a High-Value UX Research Practice
Jess Greco
Jess Greco
VP, Product Experience Design · Mastercard
Design as Organizational Capability: Raise the floor, lift the ceiling
Matt Raw
Matt Raw
Deputy Head of Product Design · The New York Times
Excellent Operations: Putting principles into practice at The New York Times
Jessa Parette
Jessa Parette
Head of Design · Yum! Brands
Designing with No Interface: Leading UX in the Age of Invisible AI
Alice Au Quan
Alice Au Quan
Head of Design, Enterprise (UX Director) · GoFundMe
AI Design for Good: Leading with Vision and Humanity in the Age of Intelligent Machines
Sebastian Chen Speier
Sebastian Chen Speier
Member of Design Staff · Perplexity AI
Designing for AI, with AI: The Rise of the Super IC
Femke van Schoonhoven
Femke van Schoonhoven
Design Manager · Gusto
The Influential Product Designer: Strategic Impact Workshop
Lenny Laurier
Lenny Laurier
Product Design Director · Intuit
Beyond Pixels: The Impact Past Design
Armin Tabrizi
Armin Tabrizi
Group Product Design Manager · Intuit
Beyond Pixels: The Impact Past Design
Silke Bochat
Silke Bochat
Chair of Service Design · Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Session details coming soon
Clark DeLashmet
Clark DeLashmet
Chair of UX Design · Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Session details coming soon
Interactive session hosts13 sessions
Amir JahanlouLead Product Manager · LottieFilesMotion as Strategy: Why Design Leaders Cannot Afford to Ignore ItAmit KiranSenior Journey Management Coach · TheyDoGaining Traction with Journey ManagementAndrea GuertinStop giving them Option CDarcy ReaumeThe Agency View: What AI-First Really TakesFrancis AlturasLead UX Designer · GoDaddyDesign Sprints 2.0Ian PawelecGroup Product Designer (Director) · DICK'S Sporting GoodsVision Sprint: From Ambiguity to a North StarLinn VizardFounder · Made ManifestFacilitation Snacks for Leaders: Mini Connection ToolsMilena TasicDesign Leader · Government of CanadaLead through change, one experiment at a timeNatasha GreenHead of UX & Digital Innovation · Deloitte CanadaRaise the Bar, Not the BurnoutNick AlexanderThe Agency View: What AI-First Really TakesPaul SyngStop giving them Option CSheena Yap ChanFounder · The Tao of Self-ConfidenceVisible Design Leadership: Leading with Confidence, Clarity & AuthenticityTanya SnookWorkshop Alchemist · Spydergrrl ConsultingCurtain Call for UX Theatre: Toward Meaningful User-Centered Design

See them in Toronto.

Two days of mainstage talks, workshops, and curated roundtables — plus the conversations that only happen off-record.

Get your pass →Want to speak? →