October 20th 2026
MaRS Waterfront, Toronto, Canada
The conversations your feed doesn't have.
One curated day with the People leaders actually shaping how work works. Application-only. HR, Talent Acquisition and People Ops leaders from across North America, in one room.
Our 2026 Attendees
Felix Health
•
Gorgias
•
Jane App
•
Shinydocs
•
ZayZoon
•
7shifts
•
Iversoft
•
Felix Health • Gorgias • Jane App • Shinydocs • ZayZoon • 7shifts • Iversoft •
This room is for you ifYOU’RE PAST THE THEORY STAGE
The Summit is built for senior People professionals who own outcomes, not job titles on a badge. Every attendee is reviewed, so the room stays small, senior and worth your day.
Chief People Officers & founders
Setting people strategy at the top, and looking for peers who operate at the same altitude.
Heads of People & HR leaders
Running the function day to day, and ready for tactics you can use the moment you're back at your desk.
Talent Acquisition leaders
Owning how great teams get built, in a market that keeps rewriting the rules.
People Ops & Culture leaders
Designing the systems and the culture, and shaping what work feels like for everyone else.
The 2026 LineupWHO YOU’LL BE IN THE ROOM WITH
What they built, what broke, and what they'd do differently
what the day looks likeA DAY BUILT TO BE IMPACTFUL
No keynote theatre or surface-level conversations. Just a tightly curated program of candid talks, thoughtful discussions and conversations that move beyond the expected.
-
8:30AMNetworking60 min
Doors open, coffee and breakfast
Welcome to the summit! Check in, grab your badge, and settle in with breakfast and coffee from the barista station. We’ll have wristbands available to help you signal your networking preferences, making it easy to connect with the right people. Take a moment to grab a coffee, introduce yourself, and start building your connections for the day.
-
9:30AMMain stage30 min
Welcome and opening remarks
The TPPG team sets the tone for the day with an update on our progress this year and a look at what is coming next. We will also cover the housekeeping: an orientation on session tracks, the networking badge system, and dinner logistics.
-
MH
Martin Hauck
Founder & Head of Community
The People People Group
-
MH
-
10:00AMMain stageFireside45 min
What the best CEOs now expect from their CPO
Get behind closed doors with a CEO and CPO for a raw, no-holds-barred look at the modern executive dynamic. We’re cutting through the noise to discuss the brutal reality of what truly earns a seat at the table, what gets ignored, and the evolving metrics that define, and demand, the best in People leadership.
-
VC
Moderator
Vanesa Cotlar
VP People
PolicyMe
-
KR
Featured Guest
Kate Railton
Chief People Officer
Mejuri
-
ZH
Featured Guest
Zak Hemraj
Founder & CEO
Loopio
-
HU
Featured Guest
Harry Uffindell
Chief People Officer
Manifest OS
-
VC
- 10:45 AMCoffee, 15 minutes
-
11:00AMBreakouts3 rooms45 min
AI breakouts, pick your level
Three rooms running at once, coded by how far along you actually are rather than by job title. Small enclosed rooms, practitioners only, no product demos.
Track A Basic Foundations For those just starting their AI journey, or focused on establishing core practices and systems. Facilitator Alison Kaizer Partner, Talent Golden VenturesTrack B Intermediate Builders For those scaling existing processes and navigating the complexity of integrating AI into established workflows. Facilitator Litsa Dantzer Head of Talent FloatTrack C Advanced Architects For those focused on long term strategy, high level system design, and AI driven innovation. Facilitator Joe Rhew Founder & CEO The Workflow Company - 11:45 AMSession transition, 15 minutes
-
12:00PMLightning talksRound 130 min
Tactics worth stealing
Five talks, 5 minutes each, no Q&A. Submitted by members and voted up by the community. The single highest rated thing we ran in 2025.
- 1 The HR Playbooks I Stopped Using to Build 2 Unicorns Ruiting LiSVPZero Hash
- 2 Hiring for Proof: Why It Is So Hard to Hire for Potential Ella WeatheriltDirector, Talent AcquisitionMedcan
- 3 Re-Imagining Leadership Chantaie AllickChief StorytellerRamsay & Co Consulting
- 4 How I Used Data and AI to Be Solo Recruiter and People Ops Manager at a 100-Person Company Emily PaikSenior People Operations ManagerKit
- 5 Beyond Exceptional: Building Workplaces That Do Not Require Magic to Belong Tina Sarkar ThompsonAVP, Human ResourcesRoyal Ontario Museum
-
12:30PMNetworking60 min
Lunch
Enjoy an unstructured lunch to recharge and connect with your peers. It is open table and networking, so you’ll have the chance to spark new conversations. We’ve ensured the menu honours all dietary preferences collected during registration.
-
1:30PMMain stageFireside45 min
Rethinking Hiring, Performance & Compensation for an AI-Enabled Workforce
A candid fireside chat as we move beyond the hype to explore how hiring, performance management, and compensation must evolve in an AI-enabled workforce. The talk will dissect the tactical shifts they’ve implemented, sharing honest insights on what has worked, what they’ve rebuilt, and the hard-won lessons from their initial attempts.
-
MB
Moderator
Marianne Bulger
Partner
TrueSearch
-
NB
Featured Guest
Nora Beatty
SVP People
Cohere
-
MB
- 2:15 PMTransition, 15 minutes
-
2:30PMBreakouts3 rooms45 min
Functional breakouts
These are tactical, practitioner-led working sessions. No fluff, just real-world case studies and hands-on problem-solving. Choose the session that aligns with your current focus.
Track A HR What Investors Want People Leaders to Know Facilitators Joshua Goodfield Executive Director VC Platform Jared Tessis Talent Partner Klass CapitalTrack B Talent Red Flags & Paper Trails: Can You Spot the Fake Candidate? Facilitator Mary Papagiannis Senior Talent Acquisition Manager ZayZoonTrack C Speaking Technically Speaking: Command the Room with Rhythm & Intent Facilitator Michaud Garneau Founder Technically Speaking - 3:15 PMFinal coffee, 15 minutes
-
3:30PMLightning talksRound 230 min
Tactics worth stealing, part 2
Three talks, same format, fresh set. Practitioners only, no Q&A, straight off the stage into your notes.
- 1 What HR Could Learn from Product Teams, and What It Cost Us to Learn It Idil OsmanDirector, PeopleRelay
- 2 Being Human in the AI Era Anuj RastogiManaging DirectorBackStretch
- 3 AI and the Death of Compensation Karam TawfiqHead of Total Rewards & OperationsD2L
-
4:00PMMain stage15 min
Closing remarks and send off
We close the day by thanking the people who made it happen. The lightning talk speakers who put their work on stage, the sponsors who backed the room, and the volunteers who kept everything running. We’ll also show you where the recordings and session resources will live.
-
4:15PMNetworking60 min
Cocktail hour
A final chance to connect with peers and speakers before heading out to dinner. Non-alcoholic options and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.
-
5:15PMEvent close
Event wrap
Thank you for spending the day with us. We’re grateful you gave us your time, and we’ll be in touch over the coming weeks with the best of what came out of the day. If you bought a Dinner Pass, your evening carries on at your assigned restaurant, so check your dinner card on the way out.
-
6:00PMEveningTicketed
Curated dinners
Bought a Dinner Pass? Make your way to your assigned restaurant and keep the night going. Small tables across a handful of Toronto spots, seated to mix you in with people you have not met yet. Reception starts at 6:00 PM sharp, so give yourself time to get there.
Agenda and speakers are subject to change.
WHAT YOU TAKE HOMEUSEFUL BY MONDAY
You're giving up a day out of office. You should leave with more than inspiration.
Something you actually built
In the AI builder breakouts you make a working tool or workflow yourself, not watch a demo. You leave with the thing, ready to use.
Tactics worth stealing
Lightning talks are member submitted and community voted. Two rounds across the day, each a five minute idea you can put to work the week you're back.
A sharper read on the AI shift
Two main stage panels: what CEOs now expect from their CPO, and how hiring, performance and compensation get rebuilt for an AI-enabled workforce. Leave seeing what's coming sooner.
Peers worth keeping
Deep dive breakouts, small group time and curated dinners, built so you leave with a handful of senior relationships, not a stack of cards.
"Practical tactics we can actually use, and inspiring ideas that will stick with me long after today."
What 2025 attendees said.
"Just WOW for The People People Group. Yesterday's Summit was one of the best I've been to. The right mix of content-filled sessions and networking breaks where we could dive deep with each other on key topics."
"The past two days reminded me why I love this work. Real, unfiltered conversations, surrounded by peers who care deeply about building better workplaces."
"There's something powerful about gathering a room full of folks who care deeply about people and culture, and then giving them a place and a platform to connect, debate, and spark new ideas."
"Everything I love about this HR community. Progressive, curious, and not afraid of a little healthy debate. The conversations were honest and forward-looking, focused on what it really means to lead People and Culture in a changing world."
"I feel full and energized from the Summit. A day full of HR practitioners coming together to share best practices, mistakes made, lessons learned, and practical resources."
"Inspired and re-energized. It felt great to attend the Summit at the MaRS Waterfront Innovation Centre in Toronto. It was energizing to be surrounded by so many passionate people and culture professionals."
From the 2025 Summit
2026 Summit Sponsors
FAQs
-
The Summit is curated for senior People leaders, including CPOs, Heads of People, Talent, and Ops who are driving real change inside modern organizations.
-
Get in touch with us by clicking here.
-
All tickets are final sale and non-refundable.
-
Yes, pending approval. We aim to maintain the integrity of the attendee mix.
-
Not this time. The value of the Summit is in the in-person connections and off-the-record conversations.
-
Yes, coffee, lunch, snacks, and refreshments are provided.
-
We’ve got you. If you’re excited to attend but need company approval or support to cover your ticket, we’ve created a ready-to-use email template and a short business case guide to help you make the ask.
The Day Fills Fast.
We review every application on a rolling basis.
The 2025 Summit sold out. Spots for 2026 are already moving — and we'd rather you didn't miss it.
