Register your interest in the 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards here

 

 

Ignite your summer with inspiration

The Inspiring Workplaces Summer Series is a free, high-energy virtual event running over five days, with three dynamic speakers each day.

Join us online to hear bold insights and practical strategies designed to energize your thinking, fuel fresh ideas, and ignite meaningful change in your organization. Whether you join for one session or the full series, you’ll walk away empowered, recharged, and ready to elevate your impact at work, all from wherever you are.

Why attend?

  • Free and flexible online access
  • 15 expert speakers across 5 days
  • Actionable insights to improve workplace culture
  • Daily motivation to energize your routine
  • Ideas you can use immediately to support your people

Speakers

  • Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, executive coach, author, and global thought leader. He is principal of Marcel Schwantes Group LLC, an executive coaching and leadership training firm. His 2025 book, Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss, offers a revolutionary framework for leaders to flourish on the job. He has been recognized by Inspiring Workplaces as one of the Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers in 2024. He is the host of the top-ranked Love in Action podcast. Follow Marcel on Substack.

    Marcel Schwantes
    Executive Coach, Speaker, Author

  • Angela Cheng-Cimini
    Head of Human Resources
    The Chronicle of Philanthropy

  • Heather Younger
    Author, CEO & Founder
    Employee Fanatix

  • Robert Glazer is the founder and chairman of the board of Acceleration Partners, a global leader in partnership marketing. He also cofounded and chaired BrandCycle, which was acquired by Stack Commerce/TPG in 2021. A serial entrepreneur and award-winning executive, Robert is passionate about helping individuals and organizations elevate their performance.

    Robert Glazer
    Founder, Author & Keynote Speaker
    Acceleration Partners

  • Nirit Cohen is a Forbes columnist and globally recognized voice on the future of work. After three decades in senior HR and strategy roles at Intel, she now helps leaders and organizations make sense of what’s changing—and what to do about it. As the host of The Future of Less Work podcast and a sought-after keynote speaker, she bridges trends and strategy to reframe how we work, lead, and design organizations for what’s next.

    Nirit Cohen
    Founder & Speaker
    WorkFutures

  • Chris Dyer is a culture builder disguised as a serial entrepreneur, CEO, and consultant. His companies were named a Best Place to Work 15 times and featured on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies five times.

    Named the #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture by Inc. Magazine, Chris also pioneered a radical approach to meetings that gives people time and energy back. He’s written bestselling books, hosted a globally ranked leadership podcast, and driven transformation that lasts.

    Chris Dyer
    Culture and Leadership Keynote Speaker

  • Rachel Wells is a LinkedIn Top Voice, Forbes contributor, and the founder of CreatiSphere — a platform helping freelancers in tech, creative, and marketing launch high-impact freelance digital businesses. 

    She’s the creator behind Work 2.0, repeatedly a Top 100 Business newsletter, and has been featured on national TV for her insights on the future of work and AI. Rachel also hosts a new podcast of the same name, Work 2.0: The Podcast, where she interviews CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, and trailblazers as she unpacks the biggest questions around the future of work, money, and AI.

    Now a six-figure digital nomad, Rachel built her business from the ground up and achieved it all by age 25.

    Rachel Wells
    Forbes Contributor | LinkedIn Top Voice | Founder
    CreatiSphere

  • Alli Murphy
    Founder, Speaker, & Head Coach
    Work & Thrive HQ

  • Sharon Parmar
    Founder
    Humanity Works Consultancy

  • Anna Katharina Schaffner, PHD
    Burnout and Executive Coach (CPCC) | Writer | Speaker

  • Dr. Paul J. Zak is Distinguished University Professor at Claremont Graduate University and is in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists. Paul’s  two  decades  of  research  extending the boundaries of behavioral neuroscience have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea.  In 2017 he founded Immersion Neuroscience, a software platform that allows anyone to measure what the brain loves in real‑time that is used to improve outcomes in entertainment, education, advertising, and emotional health. He is a regular TED speaker and appears in the media reguarly.

    Paul J.Zak
    Professor, Speaker, Co-Founder
    Immersion Neuroscience

Agenda

Every day for 1 week
8am SFO, 11am, NYC, 4pm London

  • July 21

    Talk 1

    Marcel Schwantes
    Executive Coach, Speaker, Author

    Humane Leadership: How Radical Love and Care Create Kick-Ass Teams

    Marcel Schwantes introduces a compelling framework for humane leadership based on five core principles:

    • Leadership is Patient
    • Leadership is Kind
    • Leadership is Humble
    • Leadership Advocates for People
    • Leadership is Trustworthy

    Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-world case studies as documented in his new book,Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss, Schwantes demonstrates that leading with care and compassion isn’t just beneficial for individuals—it’s also a winning strategy for organizations. This talk is designed for leaders who are ready to challenge outdatednorms and cultivate workplaces that foster engagement, loyalty, and exceptional performance.

    Talk 2

    Angela Cheng-Cimini
    Head of Human Resources
    The Chronicle of Philanthropy

    Hyperpersonalization of the Employee Experience

    How organizations curate a journey that meets the employee where they are rather than a peanut-butter (vegemite?) spread for everyone.

    Talk 3

    Heather Younger
    Author, CEO & Founder
    Employee Fanatix

     

  • July 22

    Talk 1 

    Robert Glazer
    Founder, Author & Keynote Speaker
    Acceleration Partners

    Talk 2

    Nirit Cohen
    Founder & Speaker
    WorkFutures

    The Future of Less Work: A Journey Through Three Possible Scenarios

    This keynote invites the audience on a journey—from the world of work we knew, through the rapid shifts we’re experiencing, and into three distinct futures that organizations must prepare for. It weaves together two powerful forces: exponential advances in technology, and the radical shift in what people want from work and life.

    Rather than predicting one outcome, the session explores three possible scenarios—each based on different assumptions about how we use technology, how organizations evolve, and how people choose to engage with work. The goal isn’t certainty—it’s possibility. I’ll invite the audience to challenge assumptions, widen their lens, and begin shaping workforce models that align with where talent, technology, and value are heading.

    A mindset-shifting experience that reframes how we think about work, invites bold questions, and equips leaders to design organizations that are ready for an uncertain—and opportunity-filled—future.

    Talk 3

    Chris Dyer
    Culture and Leadership Keynote Speaker

  • July 23

    Talk 1

    Rachel Wells
    Forbes Contributor | LinkedIn Top Voice | Founder
    CreatiSphere

    Talk 2

    Alli Murphy
    Founder, Speaker, & Head Coach
    Work & Thrive HQ

  • July 24

    Talk 1

    Sharon Parmar
    Founder
    Humanity Works Consultancy

    Talk 2

    Anna Katharina Schaffner, PHD
    Burnout and Executive Coach (CPCC) | Writer | Speaker

  • July 25

    Talk 1

    Paul J.Zak
    Professor, Speaker, Co-Founder
    Immersion Neuroscience

    The Necessity of Employee Emotional Fitness

    Emotional Fitness is the missing metric that increases employee productivity and job satisfaction.  This talk discusses the neuroscience of emotional fitness and shares new technology that allows any organization to empower employees to measure and improve their emotional fitness and shows the improved organizational metrics that follow this.

Some of our past speakers…

Reasons to attend

  • Knowledge and Skill Enhancement

    It will help you gain new knowledge and skills, contributing to your professional growth and increase your value as an employee and/or leader.

  • Professional development

    Attending our events allows you to stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your field. This is particularly crucial in rapidly evolving industries.

  • On-Demand access

    You often have access to the wealth of insights the event provides On-Demand too. So you can revisit some or all of the content later on.

  • Inspiration and Innovation

    Hearing from other professionals and thought leaders can spark new ideas and inspire innovative thinking. You can gain insights that help you approach your work in new ways.

  • Networking Opportunities

    Our events bring together diverse groups of people, creating opportunities for networking online.

  • AND IT’S FREE!