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2026 Conference Program

SISO Summer Conference

Design. Activate. Thrive

Event success begins at the conceptual/design stage. Whether it’s a launch or the next edition, it begins with intentional strategy guided by audience insight.

First we Design—frame the concept, define the experience and develop the operating plan.

Then we Activate—turning that strategy into execution. Teams align, partnerships are activated, marketing accelerates and the event comes together throughout the ecosystem.

And then we Thrive—bringing that event to life: an event that drives results, strengthens communities, inspires audiences and impacts and influences the marketplace it serves.

Design the concept. Activate the plan, Thrive through results.
 

 

Meet the Speakers
 

All sessions will take place in the Terrace Suite (Level 4).

Breakfast will be served in Rooms 427–429 (Level 4), lunch in the Signature Room (Level 5), and
networking breaks in the Terrace Suite Lobby (Level 4).

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10:00 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    60 mins
    • Women's Leadership

    SISO Women's Leadership
    This 60-minute interactive keynote introduces leaders to a practical framework for building psychological safety from the inside out.

    Facilitator and Licensed Professional Counselor Samantha Edu, LPC, NBC-HWC, teaches through a three-part arc - identity awareness, team awareness, and communal accountability - helping participants understand how what they carry into a room shapes the culture they create in it.

    Using a discussion-based format grounded in clinical frameworks, participants examine their own identity as leaders, develop awareness of what the people they lead may be carrying, and explore what shared accountability for brave culture actually looks like in practice. Anonymous polling and table-based discussion are woven throughout to keep the learning immediate and relevant.

    Participants will leave with:
    - A working definition of psychological safety grounded in identity and lived experience
    - A new lens for understanding how their background and identity shape the way they lead
    - Practical language for building brave cultures with their teams starting immediately

12:00 PM
  1. Room 427-429 (Level 4)
    60 mins
    • Women's Leadership

    🍽 Sit-Down Lunch

    A sit-down lunch will be provided for all registered participants of the SISO Women’s Leadership Forum.

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

         

     
2:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
    • Women's Leadership

    SISO Women's Leadership

2:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    75 mins
    • Women's Leadership

    SISO Women's Leadership

3:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite Lobby
    30 mins
    • Women's Leadership

    ☕🍪🍎 
    Beverages will be served in the lobby.

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

4:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    60 mins
5:30 PM
  1. 210 mins

    Opening Night Reception & Dinner

8:00 AM
  1. Room 427-429 (Level 4)
    60 mins

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

9:00 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    5 mins

    Seattle Convention Center

9:05 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    25 mins
9:30 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    45 mins
10:15 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
10:45 AM
  1. Terrace Suite Lobby
    30 mins

    ☕🍪🍎

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

11:15 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
11:45 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    15 mins
       
12:00 PM
  1. Signature Room - Level 5
    60 mins

    Lunch

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

1:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
1:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
2:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
2:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite Lobby
    30 mins

    ☕🍪🍇

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

3:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
3:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    60 mins
4:30 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    45 mins
6:00 PM
  1. 180 mins

    Wednesday Night Reception

    📍
    📅 Wednesday, August 19
    🕕 Reception starts at 6:00 PM

    Attire

    👕 Casual dress 
    🩳 

7:45 AM
  1. Room 427-429 (Level 4)
    45 mins

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

8:30 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
9:00 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    45 mins
9:45 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
10:15 AM
  1. Terrace Suite Lobby
    15 mins

    ☕🥐🍎

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

10:30 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
11:00 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
11:30 AM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
12:00 PM
  1. Terrace Suite - Level 4
    30 mins
12:30 PM
  1. Signature Room - Level 5
    60 mins

    🍽 Lunch Options – Departure Day

    • Grab & Go Boxes will be available starting at noon for those needing to leave early for flights.
    • For those staying, grab lunch and sit down to enjoy before going on the tour.
       

    Hosted by:

    Seattle Convention Center  

     

1:30 PM
  1. Signature Room - Level 5
    120 mins

    Tour the Seattle Convention Center