KEYNOTE: How He Built Simplehuman — A Conversation With Founder Frank Yang, Hosted by Guy Raz of NPR’s “How I Built This” and “TED Radio Hour”

Guy Raz, creator and host of one of NPR’s most popular programs — “How I Built This” — interviews simplehuman’s founder and CEO Frank Yang to share his passion for perfection and constant innovation that has led to his company’s great success. Yang will discuss his unique product design approach, inspired by his love for cycling, and philosophy on how mind and body work in harmony. Learn about the organization’s direct-to-consumer market approach, distribution pivots and how they handled monumental customer demand in the last year, all while nurturing a new hybrid work environment and fostering an active company culture.

The Great Resignation Meets the Hybrid Future of Work (Current State)

There has been a dramatic shift in the American workforce with resignations and reassessments peaking across all industries in the last two years. What is the true impact of these resignations as employees reevaluate their future? How are organizations making changes in order to attract diverse talent, retain current employees and inspire and foster inclusiveness during the Big Quit? This session will dive into the future of remote and hybrid working — its effectiveness, its limitations and how to optimize this new norm moving forward.

Brands Leading the Conversation on Sustainability and Inclusion

Industry heavyweights spearhead initiatives on climate action and social justice while maintaining profitability. This session will explore how Patagonia operationalized sustainable practices into their culture, how their stewardship across sustainability, climate and policy has been instrumental in their current and future growth and how you can implement these learnings at your business. It will also cover REI’s commitment to increasing the number of diverse brands on their shelves, and their new Path Ahead Ventures program, aimed at assisting BIPOC entrepreneurs in the outdoor industry by investing $30 million to help select startups grow.

Global Supply: Can It Be Fixed?

Companies dramatically recalibrated their processes in the last two years to meet demand, adapt and build a more diverse and resilient supply chain. Experts will share lessons learned, rapid decisions made and innovations to accelerate product delivery for long-term success. With rising pressures from capacity, labor, energy, shipping, raw materials and tariffs, what does the future of manufacturing look like for both small and large companies? Can consumers expect this broken chain to be fixed, and how do alternate manufacturing locations play into this complex equation?