NAIS Thrive 2026

Thrive, the NAIS annual conference, is the premier event for independent school leaders. Join us in Seattle, February 25–27, for critical insights, innovative strategies, and valuable connections that empower you to thrive in your professional role and foster a thriving school community.

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    Registration Is Now Open!

    Registration for Thrive 2026, the NAIS annual conference, is now open! Don’t miss this opportunity to join us in Seattle, February 25-27. 

    Thrive 2026 will be held at the Seattle Convention Center, Summit Building, 900 Pine St., Seattle, WA, 98101.

    Get Early-Bird Savings through January 16!
    Seattle skyline

    Thrive: Why Should You Attend?

    • Connect

      Connect

      Build lasting relationships with peers and pioneers who share your commitment to leading schools into the future. In Seattle, you’ll join a community of forward-thinking leaders who are eager to exchange ideas, collaborate across roles, and expand the collective vision for independent schools. 

    • Explore

      Dive into futurist thinking and emerging trends in education designed to spark fresh strategies you can adapt to your school’s unique context. 

    • Inspire

      Hear stories of resilience, creativity, and transformative leadership that remind you of the promise of education. Whether from a keynote stage or a hallway conversation, you’ll gain the perspectives and encouragement that rekindle your optimism and renew your spirit for leadership. 

    • Recharge

      Step away from the daily pressures of school leadership and realign with your purpose. Through reflective sessions, energizing keynotes, and Seattle’s culture of innovation, you’ll leave with the clarity, momentum, and confidence to guide your community toward a brighter future. 

    • Cassie Holmes

      Cassie Holmes

      Renowned happiness expert Cassie Holmes shares the secret to increasing our creativity, happiness, and ability to pay attention. She says it’s not about making time—it’s about protecting the time we already have. The award-winning professor of marketing and behavioral decision-making at the UCLA Anderson School of Management examines how focusing on time (rather than money) increases happiness, how the meaning of happiness changes over the course of your lifetime, and how much happiness people enjoy from extraordinary versus ordinary experiences.  

      The bestselling author of Happier Hour, a practical guide to taking control of time and finding fulfillment, says time isn’t only a challenge—it’s the solution. When we’re able to see our days, weeks, months, years, and careers broken down into the quality of our time, we can use that information to reconstruct our schedules and lives based on what we need.  

      Learn About Our Speakers
    • Bryan Stevenson

      Bryan Stevenson

      Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults. 

      His work has won numerous awards, from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Prize to the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Biden. 

      Stevenson is the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Just Mercy, which was adapted as a major motion picture. He is also the subject of the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary True Justice.  

      Learn About Our Speakers
    • Jason Craige Harris

      Jason Craige Harris

      Jason Craige Harris is a writer, observer, and strategist working at the intersection of culture, leadership, and social impact. Through essays, talks, and advisory work, he examines the forces that shape human connection and institutional life — power, identity, dignity, and repair. Drawing on ethics, psychology, and systems thinking, Harris helps individuals and organizations navigate complexity, confront harm, and cultivate cultures of care. 

      A trusted facilitator, coach, and mediator, he is known for using storytelling and humor to spark reflection, deepen humility, and catalyze transformation. He is currently writing a book of essays on dignity, relationships, leadership — and the shadow work required of us all.  

      Learn About Our Speakers
    • Dan Lerner

      Dan Lerner

      A psychology professor, strengths-based performance coach, and expert on all things positivity, Dan Lerner studies how high performers use their passions to achieve more and avoid burnout. His two decades as a talent agent prepared him for his current vocation as a sought-after coach. Today Lerner works with everyone from Fortune 500 executives to Metropolitan Opera singers, helping them manage stress, rediscover their strengths, and realize their individual potential. With true joy, charisma, and wit, he reveals the secrets to increasing performance and fulfilling your goals.  

      With his teaching partner Alan Schlechter, a leading child and adolescent psychologist, Lerner co-authored the book U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (and Life), a comprehensive guide through the often unforeseen demands of college life.

      Learn About Our Speakers

    Agenda and Programming

    Explore our dynamic lineup of pre-conference and conference programming, including keynote speakers, featured speaker sessions, a Master Class, deep-dive Three-Hour Workshops, general workshops, The Quad, special events, and more. In addition to the core programming, you'll also find special opportunities such as Signature Experiences, Learning Labs, Teach with Tech, Skills Studio, Coaches' Corner, and the Idea Exchange.  

    Browse the Schedule
    NAIS Thrive Conference