Subject to change. All sessions take place at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. As of Sept. 18, 2026, and subject to change. All times reflect the Mountain time zone.
Sunday, Oct. 11
12:30–1:30 p.m.
It Starts Here: The Welcome Gathering
1:30 p.m.
THRIVE Live Doors Open
2–3 p.m.
Keynote Presentation Featuring Liz Bohannon
The Community Quotient: Designing Workplaces for Connection and Impact
Connection isn’t a culture initiative—it’s a competitive strategy. In this high-energy, soulful session, Bohannon cuts through the noise to deliver what the conversation has been missing: not just the why behind connected workplace cultures, but the how. Drawing from her experience leading a global brand, Bohannon reveals what it actually takes to build meaningful connection at scale—rooted in purpose, fueled by impact, and built to hold up when change and uncertainty hit hardest. Because companies that grow as communities don’t just endure or survive disruption—they rise through it.
Sponsored by
3–3:45 p.m.
The Honest Conversation: Adapt or Exhaust—Leading Through Relentless Change
Facilitated by Jaime Donnelly, chief executive officer, Integrity Staffing Solutions
Lisa Lichty, chief executive officer, Star Staffing
Dawn Meyers, chief executive officer, Malone Workforce Solutions
Myla Ramos, chief executive officer and co-founder, SearchPros
Innovation and transformation are non-negotiable—but so is keeping your team intact. The ask has never been bigger: Lead confidently, embrace new technology, meet rising client expectations, and keep your people engaged—all at the same time. Change fatigue is real, and it’s costing organizations more than they realize. In this discussion, leaders across the staffing and workforce solutions business explore how intelligent listening (tuning into what your team, clients, and data are actually signaling) can cut through the noise and turn constant change into competitive advantage. They will share what’s working, what’s failed, and what they wish they’d known earlier.
3:45–4 p.m.
Break
4–5 p.m.
THRIVEx
Powerful and inspiring presenters from throughout the staffing industry, who will share lessons learned and effective growth strategies that have propelled their careers and positioned them for continued success.
Featuring:
Kristi Stark, senior director, customer success, YUPRO Placement
Kerri Sullivan, senior vice president and practice leader, Marsh McLennan
Natasha Davis, founder and chief executive officer, BridgeVoice Interpreters
Learning How to Be on Vacation—When You’re at Home
Kristi Stark, senior director, customer success, YUPRO Placement
In staffing, the hustle rarely stops, and neither do we. We carry open orders, candidate ghosting, and client calls into our evenings, weekends, and even our “vacations.” But being physically home doesn’t mean being mentally present, and no beach trip can fix what a living room can’t. This candid, personal session challenges the assumption that rest requires going somewhere. It meets staffing professionals where they actually spend most of their time: at home, still answering emails, still carrying the job with them. You’ll learn to mentally “clock out,” build rituals of genuine recovery without guilt, and set boundaries that stick, whether you’re a recruiter or a leader.
Because burnout runs high in this industry, and sustainable leadership is something your team needs to see modeled, not just talked about.
What If It’s Not a Weakness?
Kerri Sullivan, senior vice president and practice leader, Marsh McLennan
In this candid and relatable talk, attendees will explore a question many high-performing women quietly wrestle with: What if the traits you’ve been trying to fix are actually some of your greatest strengths? Through her personal story—from growing up inherently confident and outspoken to navigating environments where those same qualities no longer seemed to fit—Sullivan examines how our surroundings and experiences can quietly reshape the way we see ourselves and how we show up.
Drawing on her journey from an uncertain start in an unexpected career to senior leadership, Sullivan explores how qualities we perceive as weaknesses can look very different in the right context—and how greater self-awareness can change the way we communicate, lead, and develop others. Attendees will be challenged to reconsider the qualities they’ve learned to question, recognize where they may be unconsciously editing themselves, and think more intentionally about when to adapt and when to trust the strengths they already possess.
You Can’t Stay in Your Lane and Lead at the Same Time
Natasha Davis, founder and chief executive officer, BridgeVoice Interpreters
The new interim CEO at my company asked me for my vision for the business. So, I presented it—a clear document showing how the company’s operations team could run with minimal disruption, and how I saw myself growing into a COO role. Not a demand. Not an ultimatum. Just what I saw as possible and what I was willing to build. I was told: Stay in your lane.
In less than five years, I’d gone from being new to the staffing industry to becoming vice president of operations. I had built teams, driven delivery, and navigated rooms as the only one who looked like me in leadership. But in just four words, I was told exactly how I was seen. So, I stopped asking for a seat and started building a table. This talk introduces the B.U.I.L.D. framework, a practical EQ-based operating system forged, not in a classroom, but in the moment I realized that staying in my lane would cost me everything I was meant to become. Here the framework for applying a B.U.I.L.D. strategy:
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- Burn the lane. Compliance is not a contribution.
- Use the disruption. The fumble, the layoff, the closed door: these are data.
- Identity before title. Your expertise is not your employer’s property.
- Lead the room you’re in. Influence does not wait for permission.
- Design your next. Legacy is not what happens to you. It’s what you build on purpose.
Come away with the language you need for what you’ve been doing right all along—and a system to do it on purpose going forward.
5–5:15 p.m.
Reflection on THRIVE Live Day 1
5:15–6:30 p.m.
THRIVE Live Reception
Sponsored by
Networking Dinners Starting at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 12
8–8:45 a.m.
Rise and THRIVE—Morning Fuel
9–11:30 a.m.
The Deep Dive: Concurrent Breakout Sessions
This year, THRIVE offers concurrent breakout sessions for different audiences. But you don’t need to stick to the same breakout room! Move around as you would like. Each room will break at the same time, so you can switch during the break to another session, if you choose.
Breakout Sessions
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9–10:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion: Unspoken Truth About the Top Role
Facilitated by Liz McConnell, chief operations officer, iLabor
Daphne Dolan, chief executive officer, City Staffing; Rhona Driggs, chief transformation officer, Employbridge; Jeri Meyers, president, QPS Employment GroupSo many leadership discussions are about getting to the top. This discussion is about what happens after you arrive. In this candid conversation, senior leaders pull back the curtain on the unseen tradeoffs of the top role—the isolation, the identity shifts, the friendships that quietly change, and the weight of decisions that land entirely on you. No highlight reels. No polished talking points. Just real conversation about what it takes to lead at the highest level and still stay grounded.
10:15–10:30 a.m.
Break: Stay or Explore Other Breakout Rooms
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Roundtables and Real Connections
The best conversations happen when the room truly gets your reality. Join two rounds of facilitated roundtables with peers who are navigating the same scale of business you are—because the challenges facing a $10M firm look different than those facing a $500M firm. Grouped by company size, these intimate discussions give c-suite executives and supplier partners a space to dig into the business topics that matter most right now in the staffing and workforce solutions industry. No generic advice. Just honest dialogue with the people who get it. Discussion table topics coming soon.
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9–10:15 a.m.
Hands-On Workshop: AI in Action—Let’s Do This Together
Lauren B. Jones, founder and president, Leap Advisory PartnersSo many leadership discussions are about getting to the top. This discussion is about what happens after you arrive. In this candid conversation, senior leaders pull back the curtain on the unseen tradeoffs of the top role—the isolation, the identity shifts, the friendships that quietly change, and the weight of decisions that land entirely on you. No highlight reels. No polished talking points. Just real conversation about what it takes to lead at the highest level and still stay grounded.
10:15–10:30 a.m.
Break: Stay or Explore Other Breakout Rooms
10:30–11:30 a.m.
AI in the Real World: Facilitated Roundtables
Choose your conversation. Facilitated roundtables bring together peers tackling AI in their specific corner of the business—from recruiting and sales to marketing, IT, and beyond. Dig into adoption challenges, share what’s working, and leave with practical insights from people navigating the same questions you are. Discussion table topics coming soon.
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9–10:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion
High Performance Without Burnout: Sustaining Success in a Demanding, Metrics-Driven Industry
Facilitated by Erika Bantz, principal, Butler Street Consulting
Crystal Blackwell, CSP, chief executive officer, Staffing One Inc.; Katie Breault, chief delivery officer, YUPRO Placement; Karla Dougherty, chief customer officer, Xclusive Services; Erin MacKenzie, vice president of solution engineering, Medical SolutionsIn an industry where performance is measured daily and market conditions can change overnight, maintaining high output without burning out has become a critical leadership skill. Join a panel of top leaders as they share candid lessons on navigating pressure, uncertainty, and relentless performance expectations while building sustainable careers and teams. This interactive discussion will explore how high performers manage their energy, establish healthy boundaries with clients, candidates, and internal colleagues, recover from challenging quarters, and stay resilient through constant change.
10:15–10:30 a.m.
Break: Stay or Explore Other Breakout Rooms
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Hands-On Workshop: Hard Conversations, Human Leaders
Erika Bantz, principal, Butler Street Consulting; Mary Ann McLaughlin, managing partner, Butler Street ConsultingGreat leaders aren’t just strategic—they’re skilled at navigating the moments that are uncomfortable, emotional, and deeply human. Through scenario-based exercises and guided discussion, this workshop explores the intersection of emotional intelligence, empathy, and active listening—giving you a framework for tackling difficult conversations with confidence and care.
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Innovation Lab: Roundtables and Next-Level Conversations
Step into a space where ideas meet action. This session brings together your diverse perspectives to tackle the challenges shaping the staffing and workforce solutions industry—because the best solutions rarely come from one voice in one room. Choose your table, choose your challenge. Each roundtable dives deep into a real, pressing problem, guided by conversation that pushes past surface-level thinking and into what’s actually possible. No presentations, no spectators—just collaborative problem-solving with the people who understand the work as well as you do.
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Lunch and Networking
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Closing Keynote Featuring Nicole McNamara
Transformation That Sticks
Head of AI go-to-market, Google; founder, Catalyst Innovation; former vice president, Salesforce
This keynote presentation will address the mindset and emotional intelligence shifts every leader needs right now. AI is changing what we do. But it’s not changing who we are, and that’s exactly where leaders keep getting it wrong. Join McNamara as she cuts through the noise to focus on what actually determines whether or not change lands and takes hold in your organization—the mindset of the people leading it. In an industry built on human potential, the leaders who will win the AI era aren’t the ones with the best tools. They’re the ones with the self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and adaptability to bring their teams through it. This session gives leaders the mindset shifts they need to stop managing change and start making it stick.
Sponsored by
ASA THRIVE Live registration packages include the first day of ASA Staffing World® 2026!
Keep the learning and networking going at the same location as THRIVE Live (Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center) on Monday, Oct. 12.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Staffing World Welcome Mixer
4:30–6 p.m.
Opening Super Session: Featuring Keynote Performance by Oz Pearlman
Sponsored by
6–8 p.m.
Expo Hall Opening Reception
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Sarah Senges at 703-253-2042.