Breakfast

Morning Program

Transforming Talent: Our Role as Leaders

Join Guild CEO Bijal Shah and L&D expert Kathi Enderes for an inspiring opening dialogue on the evolving landscape of HR and L&D and the future of talent development. This session will explore personal leadership journeys, celebrate collective achievements, and examine how technology is impacting the role of HR, Benefits, and L&D. Bijal and Kathi will discuss what this means for Guild's future and our time together.

Speakers: 

• Kathi Enderes, SVP of Research and Global Industry Analyst, The Josh Bersin Company
• Bijal Shah, Chief Executive Officer, Guild

Transforming Talent: Guild's Innovation in Action

Guild's Chief Product & Technology Officer Rohan Chandran will showcase Guild's latest cutting-edge solutions to tackle the most pressing talent challenges, from AI-powered workforce intelligence to global education benefits to transformative cohort-based learning. Join us to see how Guild and our partners are shaping talent strategies and transforming lives by creating mobility and building skills for millions of workers.

Speakers: 

• Rohan Chandran, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Guild 

Panel: Building a Skills Based Organization

Nearly every company is trying to move towards a "skills based organization", but timelines and success are highly variable. During this session, we'll talk with HR Leaders who are in this journey about what's working, what's not, what's changing, and especially how their education investments can be a key part of their SBO strategy.

Speakers: 

• Matthew Daniel, Senior Principal of Talent Strategy, Guild
• Megan Lessard, VP, People Acquisition & Inclusion, Sunrun
• David Mafe, Chief Diversity Officer & VP of HR Denver Metro, UCHealth

Keynote: AI & Workforce Transformation

A moment of great workforce transformation is here. The intensity and pace will impact your entire workforce. AI is a people and PR problem - hear from Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice and lead of the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School, on key insights, trends, and implications leaders should be thinking about to meet this moment.

Speakers: 

• Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School

Lunch Breakout Sessions

Innovative Approaches to Skilling in an Era of Disruption

Location: Strategy 2-3, Floor 2

In this session, we'll discuss how learning innovation is solving critical business challenges in the era of AI, and what skilling programs are needed to meet this moment. Hear from a panel of learning and employer partners about how they are evolving their skilling & learning offerings to incorporate AI, and their perspectives on skills validation and the use of skills tagging. We'll also explore how Guild plans to invest in Learning Marketplace innovation over the coming year, from fundamentals to advanced practice. Throughout the program, we'll pause for interactive brainstorming around new learning needs and strategies that will serve your business.

Speakers: 

• Zayd Badwan, Executive Vice President, Enterprise, Uplimit
• Chelsea Miller, Associate Director of UpSkill America, The Aspen Institute
• Brad Williams, Talent Lead, Humana
• Kenny Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships - Healthcare, Guild
• Mark Vineis, Chief Executive Officer, ProLiteracy

Getting the Most Out of Your Guild Partnership

Location: Sound Room, Lobby Level

Discuss with a range of employers how they’re uniquely implementing education benefits to drive their business and talent strategies. Employers from across industries will share what they’ve put in place to maximize outcomes in key business areas.
Representatives from several Guild employer partners, with varying degrees of seniority, ranging from HR and L&D operators through CHROs, will share on the innovative practices they’ve put in place to help increase the impact of their Guild program. We’ll then have time to break out into groups to ask questions and workshop ideas.

Speakers: 

• Della Adams, Learning Lead, Tyson Foods
• Ramona Arora, Vice President, Career Development, The Walt Disney Company
• Maura Cassidy, Principal, Employer Partner Services, Guild
• Jacki Fugitt, Vice President HR Shared Services & Strategic Partnerships, OSF HealthCare
• KimArie Yowell, Chief Learning Officer, RKT Holdings & Chief Diversity Officer, Rocket Companies

Unlocking Potential: Embracing How Digitalization is Transforming Work

Location: Strategy 1, Floor 2

In this session, we will elevate HR professionals’ understanding of how digital transformation—through technologies like AI, automation, cloud, and data—is reshaping skill requirements and workforce strategies. We’ll explore how HR can act as a strategic partner in driving talent acquisition, development, and change management during these shifts. Through expert insights and cross-functional dialogue, participants will gain actionable strategies to foster collaboration, lead digital adoption, and build a roadmap for developing the skills needed at all levels—from frontline associates to leadership.

Speakers: 

• Josh Angel, Vice President, Digital Transformation Industries and Real Estate, Siemens
• Ragu Athinarayanan, Professor, Purdue University
• Michael Cabe, Senior Manager, Learning Strategy - Leadership, Home Depot
• Jonathan Green, Head of Global Learning & Development, Allstate
• Maria Taylor, Chief Learning Officer, United Airlines

Afternoon Program

Unlocking Human Potential: How Employees are Transforming Their Lives and the Workforce Through Learning

In a time of constant and rapid disruption driven by AI, unlocking the human potential in employees is the key to building a resilient workforce. Hear firsthand from employees who are seizing the opportunity for continuous learning and development, thus powering their growth and the businesses who have invested in them. Celebrate their achievements, gain an understanding for their challenges, and glean new insights on how to create access and pathways to unlock the full potential of your teams and your businesses.

Speakers: 

• Shana Freehill, Manager Education and Professional Development, OSF HealthCare
• Ellen Kessler, Sr. Director, L&D, Hilton
• Lucho Romero, Manager, Hilton Honors Technology Strategy, Hilton
• Irma Valenzuela, Certified Training Manager/Restaurateur, Chipotle

Life After the Podium: Guild & Team USA

What can career journeys of elite athletes teach us about what's needed to create effective talent pipelines? Olympic Gold medalist Summer Sanders (Swimming) leads and conversation with Apolo Anton Ohno (Speed Skating) and Hannah Roberts (BMX). Hear from the legends themselves about how you should be thinking about the transferable skills of elite athletes for your workforce, what it takes to go for the gold, and what Guild's historic partnership with USOPC and LA28 means for Olympians and Paralympians as they chart their next chapters.

Guild is proud to serve as an Official Education, Skilling & Career Mobility Provider of Team USA and LA28, providing a first-of-its-kind opportunity for Team USA athletes to receive education and career development opportunities with personalized one-on-one coaching to support athletes in building competitive careers alongside their athletic achievements. 

Speakers:

• Rebecca Biestman, Chief Marketing Officer, Guild
• Frank Dooley, Chancellor, Purdue Global
• Paul Krause, Vice Provost for External Education, eCornell
• Apolo Anton Ohno, Most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian, bestselling author, investor, and captivating speaker
• Hannah Roberts, Two Time Olympian, BMX Cycling
• Summer Sanders, Olympic Gold Medalist and Guild ambassador

Trolleys begin to depart for Evening Event (meet in hotel lobby)

Evening Event
Location: Casa Rosa Nashville, 308 Broadway, Nashville, TN, 37201

Join us for an evening of connection and fun featuring a live band, fresh food, refreshing drinks and multiple activities. Transportation will be provided to and from Casa Rosa.

Breakfast

Breakout Sessions 

AI Powered Talent Transformation: Guiding Your Workforce into the Future 

Location: Great Room, Floor 2

HR and Talent leaders play a crucial role in guiding their organizations through transformative changes. It is critical now more than ever that leaders have the tools and insights required to activate internal talent and skill the workforce for the future.

This session offers a deep dive into leaders’ role in ushering forward this transformation. We will reflect on lessons learned from leaders driving this change, then dive into the insights provided by AI Impact Analysis tools to strategize workforce evolution.

Participants will gain insights into how to best empower employees with AI, provide vital upskilling and reskilling opportunities, and ensure employees are prepared to thrive in the future of work.

Speakers: 

• Terrence Cummings, Chief People Officer, Guild
• Kristen Lee, Senior Director, Talent Management, Target
• Mandy McLean, Director, Research and AI Transformation, Guild
• Alex Swartsel, Managing Director, Insights, Jobs for the Future
• Dr. KimLoan Tran, Vice President, Talent Management, Allstate
• Gabe Cohen, VP, Product Expansion, Guild

Building Internal Talent Pipelines in Healthcare (Healthcare only)

Location: Sound Room, Lobby Level

For healthcare organizations facing critical talent shortages, creating robust career pathways is essential for attracting and retaining top talent, developing into hard-to-fill roles, and fostering a culture of continuous growth and development. This panel will explore innovative strategies that healthcare organizations can implement to build clear and accessible career pathways for their workforce. HR leaders at healthcare organizations will discuss the importance of investing in employee development, the role of education and wrap-around support, and the impact of career advancement on organizational success. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to design and implement programs that not only meet the needs of today's healthcare professionals but also prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow.

Speakers: 

• Laura Dannels, Vice President & Chief Talent Officer, Wellstar Health System
• Kathy Driscoll, SVP, Chief Nursing Officer, Humana
• Hanna Patterson, Senior Vice President of Healthcare and Applied Learning, Guild

Breakout Sessions 

How Workers Rise: American Companies that are Creating Opportunity

Location: Strategy 1, Floor 2

Most companies are hearing from their employees that they need to do more to help with their employees' career progression. That’s why Matt Sigelman, President of The Burning Glass Institute, co-founded the American Opportunity Index, to measure how well America’s largest companies drive economic mobility and positive career outcomes for their employees—actions that also can help fuel business performance.

The Index measures five core elements of corporate performance central to effective talent management that drive both business growth and opportunity creation for employees: Hiring, Pay, Promotion, Parity, and Culture. In this session you will get a personal peek behind the curtain with Matt Sigelman on the data behind the American Opportunity Index as well as hear directly from HR leaders at companies who score highly across the different elements about the work they’ve done to enable mobility and how it’s contributing to their employee experience.

Speakers: 

• Daniel Banks, Director, Global Benefits, Chipotle
• Brit Rocourt, Head of Opportunity & Social Impact, Gap, Inc. 
• Megan Schulenburg, Senior Director, Learning & Talent Development, PNC
• Matt Sigelman, President, The Burning Glass Institute

Metrics That Matter: Demonstrating the Business Case for Education and Skilling Investments

Location: Strategy 2-3, Floor 2

As employers consider investments in education and skilling, effectively demonstrating impact to company leadership is crucial to gaining ongoing support. Join us to hear from key industry leaders as they delve into successful strategies for planning, tracking, and articulating the outcomes of mobility initiatives.

We’ll explore questions like:

• What outcomes are the CFO and other leaders seeking?
• How can you ensure the evaluation process aligns with strategic goals?
• What ROI metrics should be included to accurately articulate value to the business?

Join us to workshop ideas on leveraging new data and engage stakeholders to enhance ROI assessments within your organization. Leave feeling empowered to effectively communicate the value of workforce development investments to your company's leadership.

Speakers: 

• David Futrell, Chief Executive Officer, Workplace Science LLC
• Humberto Galvan, Staff Talent Partner, Tesla
• Megan Lessard, Vice President, People Acquisition and Inclusion, Sunrun
• Jonathan Marek, Chief Operations Officer, Guild
• Tamla Oates-Forney, Chief Executive Officer, Linkage, a SHRM Company
• Stephanie Quillen, Principal, 
• Mike Van Lente, Executive Leader of Learning & Development, Whole Foods Market

Healthcare Offsite

Offsite Immersion Experience: Hybrid Clinical Education at Herzing University (Healthcare only)

Immediately following the Healthcare breakout session, industry attendees are invited to a unique opportunity to visit Herzing University's campus. Guild partners with Herzing University to offer a variety of innovative, hybrid nursing programs. On this visit, you'll witness up close how clinical education is evolving to be delivered in a hybrid environment and to fit into the lives of working adult learners. Join us for an on-the-ground experience where you'll see firsthand how innovations in nursing education are shaping the future of nursing.

10:45 AM - Meet in lobby to board the bus to Herzing University

1:15 PM - Bus returns from Herzing University to W Nashville