2026 CONFERENCE program

What to expect

Throughline was held live on January 29-30, 2026, from 11am-4pm ET each day.

Tickets also included access to one workshop.

Miss a talk? Want to rewatch? No sweat. All attendees get access to the full talk library for 1 year after Throughline. (Workshops were not recorded.)

Day 1

Thursday, January 29

core conference program

Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Jen Dionisio standing side by side. They are two white women, one tall with dark hair and one shorter with blond hair.

11-11:15am ET

Welcome to Throughline!

Jen Dionisio & Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Headshot of Erika Hall, a person with red hair, a maroon turtleneck, and a camel-colored coat.

11:15am-12:10pm ET

The business model is the grid

Erika Hall

12:10-12:15pm ET

5-minute break

Headshot of Hang Xu, an Asian man with glasses and a checked shirt.

12:15-12:40pm ET

OnlyFAANGs: An experiment in the new design job market

Hang Xu

Headshot of Catt Small, a Black woman with braids on a pink background.

12:40-1:15pm ET

Staff designer: Grow, influence, and lead as an individual contributor

Catt Small

1:15-1:45pm ET

30-minute break

1:45-1:55pm ET

Welcome back! Let’s unhunch those shoulders.

Take a brief meditation break with Jen Dionisio.

Headshot of ÌníOlúwa Abíódún, a Black woman wearing a blue top and glasses standing against a dark blue background.

1:55-2:30pm ET

Staying human, strategic, and sane in the AI goldrush

ÌníOlúwa Abíódún

Headshot of Farai Madzima, a Black man with a beard and glasses. He wears a black t-shirt.

2:30-2:55pm ET

How to say the thing (even when it feels risky)

Farai Madzima

2:55-3:00pm ET

5-min break

Headshot of Candi Williams, a Black woman with glasses and long dark hair wearing a colorful patterned top.

3-3:55pm ET

Chatty G could never lead like you

Candi Williams

Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Jen Dionisio standing side by side. They are two white women, one tall with dark hair and one shorter with blond hair.

3:55-4pm ET

Day 1 wrap and transition to workshops

Sara Wachter-Boettcher & Jen Dionisio

4-4:30pm ET

30-minute break

If you selected a Day 1 workshop, time to grab a snack and take a stretch. If you selected a Day 2 workshop, you’re done for the day!

Day 1 workshops

4:30-6pm ET

These workshops require pre-registration. You will receive Zoom information for the workshop you selected at registration in advance of the event.

Headshot of Jen Dionisio, a blond woman smiling.
Headshot of Amy Santee, a white woman with her hair pulled back wearing glasses and. patterned floral top.
Headshot of Sara Wachter-Boettcher, a white woman with long dark hair and a white sweater.

The ADHD-friendly design org

Jen Dionisio

Find your career throughline

Amy Santee

From people-pleaser to strategic partner

Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Day 2

Day 2 workshops

9-10:30am ET

These workshops require pre-registration. You will receive Zoom information for the workshop you selected at registration in advance of the event.

Headshot of Jen Dionisio, a blond woman smiling.

Friday, January 30

Headshot of Amy Santee, a white woman with her hair pulled back wearing glasses and. patterned floral top.

The ADHD-friendly design org

Jen Dionisio

core conference program

Headshot of Sara Wachter-Boettcher, a white woman with long dark hair and a white sweater.

Find your career throughline

Amy Santee

From people-pleaser to strategic partner

Sara Wachter-Boettcher

10:30-11am ET

30-minute break

If you selected a Day 2 workshop, time to refill your water or snuggle your pet before the livestream restarts.

Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Jen Dionisio standing side by side. They are two white women, one tall with dark hair and one shorter with blond hair.

11-11:10am ET

Welcome to Day 2!

Jen Dionisio & Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Headshot of Pavel Samsonov, a white man in a ballcap and glasses.

11:10-11:45am ET

Your process is a product, and the users are your colleagues

Pavel Samsonov

Headshot of Shawna Hein, a white woman standing outside. She has shoulder-length hair and a gray sweater.

11:45am-12:05pm ET

The inner design work: confronting and overcoming stress and uncertainty

Shawna Hein

12:05-12:10pm ET

5-minute break

Headshot of Lisa Woodley, a white woman with pink hair and glasses.

12:10-12:45pm ET

Finding your way back: Staying human when design stops making sense

Lisa Woodley

Ida Persson, a white woman with blond hair and glasses smiling.

12:45-1:10pm ET

DesignShifts: A better future for and through design

Ida Persson

1:10-1:35pm ET

25-minute break

1:35-1:40pm ET

Welcome back!

Headshot of Margo Stern, a white woman with bobbed hair wearing a black top and smiling.

1:40-2:15pm ET

Good Job: Making hiring and getting hired suck a lot less

Margo Stern

Headshot of Desirée García, a Latina woman with dark, wavy hair wearing a black top. She stands against a pink background.

2:15-2:40pm ET

Player-coaching: Not a thing, but here to stay

Desirée García

2:40-2:45pm ET

5-minute break

2:45-2:55pm ET

Fabulous prizes!

Come for the giveaways, stay for the good vibes.

Headshot of Ron Bronson, a Black man in a pink collared shirt smiling.

2:55-3:50pm ET

Design as repair

Ron Bronson

3:50-4pm ET

Throughline ends—but your story keeps going

We’re closing out the conference, but not the community. Let’s wrap it all up by thinking about what comes next.

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