Event Schedule

Registration & Breakfast

Opening Ceremony & Keynote

Hans Eckman-Harry Potter & Presentation of Secrets: 7 Leadership Lessons

Harry Potter was a perfectly normal person, just like most of us. In J.K. Rowling’s amazing book series, Harry Potter finds himself rejoining the wizarding world only to discover he has a legend and prophecy to live up to. Each year, Harry and his friends faced a new series of personal and environmental challenges they had to overcome.

Do the circumstances make great leaders, or do great leaders make the most of their circumstances? 

You face challenges and obstacles every day. Join us at Hogwarts, where we will take a journey with Harry and his friends to learn the seven leadership lessons that allowed him to overcome adversity and become a true leader. We will learn how to apply these lessons to our development to help us become the best thought leaders and linchpins in our personal and professional lives.

Put on your house robes. Light up your wand. Open your spell books. We are about to take a magical journey of understanding and growth through the world of Harry Potter. We’ll learn how to apply Harry’s leadership strengths to aid our personal development better and become the heroes of our own stories.

• Learn how to play to harness your superpowers and overcome weaknesses.
• Learn to leverage your network and assets better to lead through difficult challenges.
• Learn the importance of standing up for the right thing and why it can be so difficult.

Sessions 1

- Lori Crever: Basics of Organizational Change: What Every Project Professional Should Know (OCM)

- Michael R: How AI and the Digital Thread Drive Real-Time Visibility and Control

- Jeff Bubolz/ Chad Beier: High Frequency Leadership: How real change happens

- MJ Reiners: The Hidden Powers of Success: Engineering Energy

Sessions 2

- Anne White:  Leading Through the Storm

- Rachel Yarger:  Change Overload: Make It Stick Anyway (OCM)

- Elias Mokole: The Leadership Dance: Lessons from Voice and Resonance

- Marcus Udokang: Using AI on Real Projects

Lunch and Sponsors

Session 3

- Craig Thielen: Unified Approach to Project Management 

- Lori Crever: Difference between a Mentor, a Sponsor, and a Coach

- V. Lee Henson:  Leading Organizational Transformation: Four Phases That Transcend Project Management (OCM)

- Lisa Talbot: Beyond Busywork: How AI Co-Pilots Transform Project Delivery Without Replacing the Human Brain

Session 4

- Delvin Fletcher/Susan Moore: The PM and BA relationship

-  Sinikka: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is what AI can’t do

-  Barb Monson: How To Delegate So It Gets DONE!  

-  Jeff B/Chad: Alignment: The Only Change Management That Matters (OCM)

Endnote and Closing

V. Lee Henson-Heroics vs. Traditions: How Career Advancement Really Happens

Career advancement is often presented as a predictable path: follow the rules, gain experience, and success will come. In reality, the moments that define careers rarely follow tradition; they require courage, visibility, and leadership when it matters most.

Using a superhero metaphor as an underpinning, this session explores a powerful truth: most heroes are not born extraordinary—they become extraordinary because something happens to them. A challenge, a failure, or a responsibility forces them to step forward. Superman is the exception. He is born a hero who puts on a disguise to blend in. Many professionals unknowingly do the same, hiding strengths to fit outdated expectations.

This leadership-focused session examines the tension between tradition and heroics in career growth. Participants will learn how advancement really happens, how to recognize pivotal leadership moments, and how to step into impact without waiting for a title, crisis, or permission.

The session is content-rich, uplifting, and ends with clarity, confidence, and actionable direction.

Happy Hour & Networking