Speakers

Check back for additional speakers—we'll be announcing more soon! This lineup is subject to change.

Priya Parker

In a world where connection often feels fleeting and gatherings can lack meaning and focus, Priya Parker emerges as a bold catalyst for change, helping us take a deeper look at how anyone can create collective meaning and belonging in modern life, one gathering at a time. She is the acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, former executive producer and host of The New York Times podcast Together Apart, and a trusted facilitator, advisor, and strategist to leaders and organizations. Her latest book, The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict, debuts in September 2026.

Arguing that most gatherings lack intentionality and structure, Parker offers strategies for designing engaging, intentional, and transformative gatherings. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose and desired outcome of a gathering, along with the significance of setting the right context, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering meaningful interactions among participants.

Parker has spoken on the TED Main Stage and her sessions have been viewed over 3 million times. Drawing on her diverse training in conflict resolution, business management, public policy, and community-building, she dives into the anatomy of gathering with purpose. Whether talking about gathering as a leadership skill, fostering belonging among remote teams, the art of hosting meetings everyone wants to attend, or connecting people across identities, backgrounds, and hierarchies, Parker offers practical tools for designing more purposeful, meaningful gatherings.

Parker studied organizational design at MIT, public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and political and social thought at the University of Virginia.

Photo by Fernando Palafox