Responsive
Conference

Sept 17-18, 2025



An immersive 2-day experience for founders and executives.

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We’re in a new era.

Ten years ago, the Responsive.org Manifesto laid out that “The rate of change continues to accelerate” and “The future is increasingly hard to predict.” Today, those principles are more relevant than ever.

Our lives are rife with uncertainty – from the acceleration of AI to more generalized anxiety about the state of the world. This rapid rate of change provides the opportunity for impact. We have the opportunity to reinvent how we work.

Established in 2016, Responsive Conference is an annual summit that brings together 300 executives, founders and entrepreneurs who want to make meaningful shifts – within their organizations and in the world. 

At Responsive Conference 2025, you’ll discover tactics, tools and connections for how to Design for Change – within your organizations and yourselves. Join us and equip your teams and organizations to proactively respond to the future.

Companies In Attendance

  • Google logo in white text on a black background
  • Netflix logo in black and white.
  • PepsiCo logo with a stylized globe on black background.
  • Meta logo with infinity symbol and the word Meta.
  • Close-up of the Roblox logo with white text on a black background.
  • Shopify logo with a shopping bag icon and the word 'Shopify' in bold letters.
  • GE logo with stylized 'G' and 'E' inside a circle.
  • NYU logo with torch icon on the left and bold 'NYU' text on the right.
  • Pixar logo in white letters on a black background.
  • Close-up of the white Nike swoosh logo on a black background.
  • LinkedIn logo with white text on a black background.
  • Kaiser Permanente logo featuring a stylized sunburst and the organization's name.
  • Bloomberg logo in white text on a black background.
  • Adobe logo with black and white color scheme.

Praise For Responsive

  • Lily Jampol

    The best People Leader conference that I've been to… An innovative, intimate, and inspiring conference.”

    A person holding a tablet or book, wearing glasses and a denim jacket.
  • Casey Boyles

    “It’s unlike any other gathering I’ve been part of. It’s part conference, part community jam session—intimate, informative, flowing, and jam-packed with really cool people doing meaningful work.”

    A woman wearing glasses and a sleeveless top, smiling against a sky background.
  • Willie Jackson

    It’s a conference, yes, but in practice, it’s more of an immersive love letter to collaborative problem-solving. Everyone I know who attends Responsive Conference raves about the experience…

    A man in a light gray blazer and red shirt against a plain background.
  • Mako Ueda

    "Every so often, you get the chance to attend a conference that's truly impactful. These talks were a powerful reminder of the value of human connection in work."

    A person with short hair, wearing a black shirt, standing backdrop with a pink and orange abstract gradient.
  • Mandy Mooney

    "I run a lot of events, but I’ve never been to something quite like Responsive Conference. You are on to something very special and unique."

    A woman with long blonde hair wearing a pink top, smiling at the camera.
  • Brittany Imwalle

    "The energy and insights from Responsive Conference continue to show up in my work and community."

    A woman with blond hair and glasses, wearing a black top, smiling in an indoor space.
  • Candace P.J.

    "Responsive Conference was such a recharge. Connecting with leaders who prioritize people in the future of work? Yes, please!"

    A woman in business attire smiling and using a laptop.
  • Emma Leeds

    "I was so impressed with the quality of the content, and the genuine desire of attendees to learn and to meet with and connect with each other."

    A woman with long blonde hair wearing a white shirt, smiling.
  • Simone Hill Okafor

    "Responsive Conference helped me break out of my shell and connect with so many insightful and compassionate individuals all trying to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable cultures."

    A woman with curly hair wearing a beige coat, standing outdoors in front of trees and a building.

“The content has been phenomenal”

“For anyone who cares about the cultural strength of their workplace”

“Big ideas and specific takeaways that every leader can benefit from”

“I've had so many great conversations”

“A collection of like-minded individuals exploring ideas”

A few of our 2025 speakers

  • Portrait of a man wearing a black hat, glasses, and a beaded necklace, against a gray background.

    Eldra Jackson III

    Executive Director, Inside Circle & Strategic Partner, The Trium Group

  • A woman with blonde hair wearing a blue sleeveless top, smiling against a white background.

    Vivienne Ming, PhD

    Professional Mad Scientist,
    Chief Scientist, Dionysus Digital Health & The Human Trust

  • A man with short hair smiling in a professional portrait, wearing a black blazer and shirt against a light gray background.

    Doug Kirkpatrick

    CEO at D'Artagnan Advisors, Co-Founder at Vibrancy, Author of The No-Limits Enterprise

  • A woman with short, wavy hair smiling outdoors in front of city buildings.

    Suzy Welch, PhD

    Professor of Management, NYU Stern
    Director, NYU Stern Center on Purpose & Flourishing
    Author, Becoming You

  • A man smiling with dark curly hair and a beard, wearing a light gray zip-up jacket, against a plain white background.

    Simonne Stolzoff

    Author, Good Enough Job
    TED Speaker

  • A man with light brown hair and a mustache, smiling, wearing a dark teal button-up shirt, posed against a neutral background.

    Sam Spurlin

    Partner, The Ready
    Co-host, At Work with The Ready

  • A woman with short, gray hair and light makeup, wearing a white t-shirt, standing against a concrete wall.

    Andrea Robb

    CEO and Founder, ARCx
    Former VP, Talent, Culture at Autodesk
    Former Director of Talent Design + Operations at AirBNB

  • Woman with short curly hair smiling and holding a black mug at a café table, with bulletin boards and windows in the background.

    Shelby Wolpa

    Founder, Shelby Wolpa Consulting
    Former VP of People Operations at InVision, Instacart, OneMedical and Palantir

  • Smiling man wearing a dark suit and light blue shirt.

    Addisu Demissie

    Founder, 50+1 Strategies
    Democratic Strategist behind Cory Booker, Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama, Gavin Newsom

A woman is writing on a whiteboard filled with colorful notes, diagrams, and illustrations related to the history and future of Zappos, including themes of passion, culture, service, innovation, and business growth.
Two women sitting on stage in armchairs, having a conversation with microphones, with an audience in front and a large screen displaying a logo behind them.
A man with glasses and a beard lying in a colorful ball pit, smiling and holding a red ball.

Some Common Questions

  • Ten years ago, the Responsive.org Manifesto laid out that “The rate of change continues to accelerate” and “The future is increasingly hard to predict.”

    Today, those principles are more relevant than ever.

    Our lives are rife with uncertainty – from the acceleration of AI to more generalized anxiety about the state of the world. 

    This rapid rate of change provides the opportunity for impact. We have the opportunity to reinvent how we work.

  • Established in 2016, Responsive Conference is an annual summit that brings together 300 executives, founders and entrepreneurs who want to make meaningful shifts – within their organizations and in the world. 

    At Responsive Conference 2025, you’ll discover tactics, tools and connections for how to Design for Change – within your organizations and yourselves.

    This year’s conference focuses the lens of organization design on three main topics:

    • The acceleration of AI

    • Climate change

    • Politics & the state of the world

  • Responsive Conference brings together 300 entrepreneurs, executives, CHROs working within organizations to shape culture and the way work is done. 

    Responsive Conference isn’t just a business conference. It is a learning experience where attendees come together to learn from each other and to change.

    This is not a typical business conference. Don’t attend only sell your services or if you’re not interested to learn. Instead, the summit assembles a community with the shared belief that purposeful work is important, and that there are ways of working together that are better than those of the past. 

  • You should attend Responsive Conference if you are interested in how founders and People leaders are designing for change within their own startups, enterprise organizations, and SMBs.

    You should attend Responsive Conference if you, yourself, are working within an organization that is trying to undergo change or willing to experiment around the edges of what’s possible — or your company isn’t, but you are looking for how to try a new approach to work, yourself.

    Attendees report walking away from with the conviction that work doesn’t need to look a certain way. You’ll leave with renewed hope about work.

  • Responsive conference was founded in 2016 by Robin Zander on top of the global Responsive Org movement, which began in 2015.

    Coming from a background ranging from management consulting to the circus –  and never having previously attended a business conference – Robin set out to create a three ring circus in the guise of a business conference.

    Choosing unique venues for the event, like the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley Hills, CA and the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY, and now the Oakland Museum of California, Responsive Conference has been designed, from the ground up, to be an immersive experience delivering the same qualities of experience that attendees gather to discuss.

Our 2025 Sponsors

Learn more about sponsoring the conference

At A Glance

adaptive_audio_mic 200+ Speakers
crowdsource 1750 Alumni
globe_asia 15,000 Global Community
location_city 75+ World-Class Companies
flag 15 Countries

Want more? Arrive early for Conference For Conferences, a 1-day about on people-centered event design. Learn more