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Summit 2025

An invitation-only event of CEOs, Executives, and Investors shaping the future of Work
Park City | Utah
MAY 21, 2025
Sponsored by:

Agenda

Tue 20 May
By Invitation Only
Wed 21 May

Annual General Meeting

9:00 am
-
10:00 am
Fun Run
9:30 am
-
11:00 am
Outdoor Activities (optional)
Exploring the outdoors that that Park City offers. Group activities including fly fishing, mountain biking, hiking or just relaxing.
12:30 pm
-
1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm
-
2:00 pm
The State of Acadian Ventures
A detailed update on the firm, our fund performance, recent additions to the team, and our outlook on the global seed stage investing landscape.
Presented by Jason Corsello
2:00 pm
-
2:30 pm
How AI is Changing the Workforce
A deep dive into our investment thesis and perspectives shaping AI at work.
Presented by Thomas Otter
2:30 pm
-
3:10 pm
AI Agents at Work with FORA, SquarePeg, and SmartRecruiters
A lively CEO panel discussion with portfolio companies including Joe Essenfeld (FORA), Claire McTaggart (SquarePeg), and Rebecca Carr (SmartRecruiters)
Moderated by Erin Yang
3:10 pm
-
3:40 pm
Break
3:40 pm
-
4:20 pm
AI and the Impact on Workers with Arist, Match2, and Worky
A lively panel discussion with portfolio companies including Maxine Anderson (Arist), Doug Berg (Match2), and Maya Dadoo (Worky)
Moderated by Thomas Otter
4:20 pm
-
5:00 pm
The New Infrastructure with Compa, Kombo, and datascalehr
A lively CEO panel discussion with portfolio companies including Charlie Franklin (Compa), Alex Kubel (Kombo), and Jerome Gouvernel (datascalehr)
Moderated by David Clarke
5:00 pm
-
5:30 pm
AMA with Acadian Ventures Team
Q&A session with Jason Corsello, Thomas Otter, David Clarke, Erin Yang, and Ryan McQueeney
6:30 pm
-
7:00 pm
Shuttle Pickup to Nelson Cottage
7:00 pm
-
8:00 pm
Cocktails & Whiskey Tasting
8:00 pm
-
10:30 pm
Dinner at Nelson Cottage by High West
4:00 pm
-
4:45 pm
An Absence of Accountability with Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Employers play a critical role in the escalating costs and underperformance of healthcare benefits in America. This session will explore where benefits programs go wrong, how healthcare costs are now starting to impact earnings, and discuss the massive opportunity for employers to play a role in fixing healthcare.t
In Conversation with Jerry Condon
8:00 am
-
9:00 am
Breakfast
9:15 am
-
9:50 am
Adam Godson on Pioneering AI and Exiting to Workday
Aaron Matos
A conversation with Adam Godson, former CEO of Paradox, a Workday Company, shares his story of pioneering AI, navigating a billion dollar exit, and what the future holds at Workday.
In Conversation with Jason Corsello
9:50 am
-
10:25 am
The Innovation Agenda at SAP with Josh Gosliner
A conversation with Josh Gosliner, VP of Product Strategy and Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, A SAP Company, to understand how the incumbents are driving innovation across the HR and finance stack.
In Conversation with Thomas Otter
10:30 am
-
11:00 am
Break
11:00 am
-
11:40 am
Beyond SaaS: How CEOs and Boards Are Thinking About the Agentic Enterprise
A panel discussion with Sarah Franklin (CEO at Lattice), Scott Landers, (CEO at Achievers), and Tony Jamous (Executive Chairman at Oyster) on company building in a world of human and agent co-existence.
Moderated by Doug Melsheimer
11:45 am
-
12:20 pm
Building for the Next 50 Years at UKG with Gretchen Alarcon
Gretchen Alarcon
A conversation with Gretchen Alarcon, GM of Pro HCM and Pay at UKG, discussing the opportunities to transform a market leader.
In Conversation with Meg Bear
12:20 pm
-
1:45 pm
Lunch
1:45 pm
-
2:20 pm
Growing at Scale in an AI Era with Erik Zimmer of Dayforce
A conversation with Erik Zimmer, EVP of Corporate Development and Strategic Ventures at Dayforce sharing his views on Dayforce's build-buy-partner future in an AI era.
In Conversation by Josh Schwede
2:20 pm
-
3:00 pm
AI Agents and the Future of Software at ServiceNow with Dave Wright
A conversation with Dave Wright, Chief Innovation Officer at ServiceNow, discussing the evolution of ServiceNow and how the company is building opportuivbuild, buy, and partner strategy in a new world of AI.
In Conversation with David Clarke
3:00 pm
-
3:30 pm
Break
3:30 pm
-
4:05 pm
The Future of Oracle Fusion Applications with Ognjen Pavlovic
A conversation with Ognjen Pavlovic, Group Vice President of Fusion HCM Product Management at Oracle to share Oracle’s vision of Fusion and how they are leveraging the massive Oracle infrastructure investment.
In Conversation with Jason Corsello
4:05 pm
-
4:40 pm
The Future Payroll, Payments, and Systems of Record with Eynat Guez
A conversation with Eynat Guez, founder & CEO of Papaya Global, to discuss the complexity of global payroll, what AI can and can’t do, and what the future holds with new technologies.
In Conversation with Thomas Otter
4:40 pm
-
5:15 pm
What Does HR Look Like in 2030?
A conversation with Kelly Cartwright (Shield AI), Alexis Fink (formerly META), and John Renfro (formerly Disney) on the future role of HR, what needs to happen to get there, and how the HR technology ecosystem needs to evolve.
Moderated by Cara Allamano
6:00 pm
-
10:00 pm
Dinner, Tequila Tasting & Casino Night
Sponsored by Acre Largo Tequila

CEO Summit

8:00 am
-
9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
-
9:15 am
Welcome Address
9:15 am
-
9:45 am
Reinventing the Future of Work...Tech with David Blake, Andreas De Neve & Sarah White
A panel discussion with leading CEO and executives from Degreed, TechWolf, and SAP, respectively, discussing company building during a time of uncertainty and opportunity.
Moderated by Doug Melsheimer
9:45 am
-
9:50 am
Q&A with Doug Melsheimer and panelists
9:50 am
-
10:25 am
Going Public - What to Expect Before, During and After the IPO with Adam Miller
A conversation with Adam Miller, founder and former CEO at Cornerstone OnDemand, one of the largest HR Tech companies over the last 20 years, shares his experiences going public.
Moderated by Jason Corsello
10:25 am
-
10:30 am
Q&A with Adam Miller
10:30 am
-
11:00 am
Break
11:00 am
-
11:35 am
Reinventing Work at ServiceNow with Amanda Vinson
A conversation with Amanda Vinson, corporate development and ventures executive at ServiceNow, discussing ServiceNow's approach to Worktech and how they are leverage employee workflows to disrupt the market.
Moderated by Thomas Otter
11:35 am
-
11:40 am
Q&A with Amanda Vinson
11:40 am
-
12:15 pm
Empowering Frontline Workers with Jason Lee
A conversation with Jason Lee, founder of DailyPay and Salt Labs, on creating categories (earned wage access), building equity for frontline workers, and how that is now translating into building a market leader in employee financial wellness at Chime.
Moderated by Erin Yang
12:15 pm
-
12:20 pm
Q&A with Jason Lee
12:20 pm
-
1:45 pm
Lunch
1:45 pm
-
2:20 pm
An Inside View into Workday's Product Strategy with David Somers and Jim Stratton
A fireside chat with David Somers, Chief Product Officer, and Jim Stratton, Chief Technology Officer, discussing the CPO-CTO relationship in a world of AI.
Moderated by David Clarke
2:20 pm
-
2:25 pm
Q&A with David Somers and Jim Stratton
2:25 pm
-
3:00 pm
Taking the Saddle of a Unicorn with Rebecca Carr
A conversation with Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters. Rebecca led nearly every function at the company before taking the reins as CEO in 2024.
Moderated by Thomas Otter
3:00 pm
-
3:05 pm
Q&A with Rebecca Carr
3:05 pm
-
3:30 pm
Break
3:30 pm
-
4:00 pm
Steering the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster with Mark Newman
A conversation with Mark Newman, founder and CEO of Nomi Health, an ambitious startup leading the revolution to fix the broken healthcare system in the US.
Moderated by Jason Corsello
4:00 pm
-
4:05 pm
Q&A with Mark Newman
4:05 pm
-
4:35 pm
Scaling ARR from $50M to $500M with Jeff Perry
A conversation with Jeff Perry, CRO at Carta, discussing what it takes to transform a market (equity management) and scale it to $500 million in ARR.
Moderated by Zac Posner
4:35 pm
-
4:40 pm
Q&A with Jeff Perry
4:40 pm
-
5:10 pm
Regulation, Compliance, and Trust in an AI World with Keith Sonderling
A conversation with Keith Sonderling, newly appointing US Deputy Secretary of Labor, on trust and compliance in a world of AI.
Moderated by Jason Corsello
5:10 pm
-
5:15 pm
Q&A with Keith Sonderling
5:15 pm
-
5:30 pm
Closing Remarks
6:00 pm
-
9:00 pm
Official Afterparty
A lively afterparty at Daly's Pub & Rec, located at the Montage Deer Valley, featuring music, bowling, cocktails, and great food
9:00 am
-
12:00 pm
Group Activities
12:30 pm
-
1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm
-
1:50 pm
Opening Keynote - Building an Enduring Venture Capital Firm
Presented by Jason Corsello
1:50 pm
-
2:15 pm
AI, Agents & The [Re]birth of Software
A deep dive into our investment thesis and perspectives shaping AI at work .
Presented by Thomas Otter
2:15 pm
-
2:45 pm
Panel Discussion - Selling AI Agents in 2026
Charlie Franklin (Compa), Chris Bruce (Origin), and Michael Ioffe (Arist) share how they are using new go-to-market strategies and forward-deployed experts to drive sales and net dollar retention.
Moderated by Audrey Handem
2:45 pm
-
3:15 pm
Networking Break
3:15 pm
-
4:00 pm
Breakout #1 - Vibe-Coding Work
A working session how portfolio companies are utilizing vibe-coding platforms in their product and product strategy.
Moderated by Lars Ettrup
3:15 pm
-
4:00 pm
Breakout #3 - Working with Strategics
A session how best to partner with the large platform vendors and how to effectively build the channel relationships.
Moderated by Josh Schwede
5:15 pm
-
6:00 pm
Meet & Greet with Founders
Meet the founders from the Acadian Ventures portfolio.
7:00 pm
-
9:00 pm
Dinner & Drinks at the Topgolf Swing Suite
Enjoy an evening of food, drinks, and music with an immersive premium gold experience.

Location

Montage Deer Valley

An authentic yet elegant mountain getaway, Montage Deer Valley provides year-round opportunities for adventure, with unrivaled hiking, mountain biking, andfishing. Montage Deer Valley is a unique destination and the perfect locationfor an executive retreat.

Location Details

Montage Deer Valley is located at 9100 Marsac Avenue in Park City, UT 84060. This luxurious alpine retreat offers unmatched access to the serene beauty of the Wasatch Mountains.

About the Location

Nestled in the heart of Park City, Montage Deer Valley is surrounded by breathtaking mountain views and offers ski-in/ski-out access, making it a perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts year-round.

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Featured Guests and speakers

Tony Jamous
Founder & CEO
Oyster
Maxine Anderson
Founder and CPO
Arist
Rebecca Carr
CEO
SmartRecruiters
David Somers
Chief Product Officer
Workday
Jim Stratton
CTO
Workday
Jason Lee
Chief of Chime Enterprise
Chime
Erin Yang
Entrepreneur in Residence
Sutter Hill Ventures
Doug Melsheimer
Managing Director
J.P. Morgan
Sarah White
SVP, Head of Innovation & Transformation
SAP SuccessFactors
David Blake
Founder & CEO
Degreed
Jeff Perry
CRO
Carta
Erik Zimmer
EVP, Corp. Dev. & Strategic Ventures
Dayforce
Gretchen Alarcon
GM, Pro HCM & Pay
UKG
Keith Sonderling
Deputy Secretary of Labor
United States of America
Amanda Vinson
Head of Corporate Development
ServiceNow
Michael Ioffe
Founder & CEO
Arist
Audrey Handem
Principal
Acadian Ventures
Jeffrey Pfeffer
Professor of Organizational Behavior
Stanford University
Josh Gosliner
VP, Product Strategy
SAP
Laura Schroeder
Former Head of Brand, Product Marketing and Comms
Personio
Josh Schwede
Founder
Aventura Growth Labs
Lars Ettrup
Founder & CEO
Palette
Eynat Guez
Founder & CEO
Papaya Global
Ognjen Pavlovic
Group Vice President Fusion HCM Product Management
Oracle
Chris Bruce
Founder & CEO
Origin
Cara Allamano
Founder
PeopleTech Partners
John Renfro
Former CHRO
Disney
Alexis Fink
Former VP, People Analytics
Meta
Kelly Cartwright
VP, Talent Acquisition
Shield AI
Adam Godson
Former CEO
Paradox, a Workday Company
Dave Wright
Chief Innovation Officer
ServiceNow
Matt McCooe
Chief Executive Officer
Connecticut Innovations
Scott Landers
Chief Executive Officer
Achievers
Meg Bear
Chief Executive Officer
Meg Bear Advisory
Jason Corsello
General Partner
Acadian Ventures
Aaron Matos
Founder & Former CEO
Paradox, A Workday Company
Thomas Otter
General Partner
Acadian Ventures
David Clarke
Venture Partner
Acadian Ventures
Adam Miller
Founder & Former CEO
Cornerstone OnDemand
Mark Newman
Founder & CEO
Nomi Health
Doug Berg
Founder & Executive Chairman
Match2
Maya Dadoo
Founder & CEO
Worky
Andreas De Neve
Founder & CEO
Techwolf
Charlie Franklin
Founder & CEO
Compa

More speakers and guests coming soon

FAQs

Who attends the CEO Summit?

Summit 2025 is an invitation only event for CEOs, entrepreneurs and investors who are leading the work revolution.  Attendance will be limited to approximately 125 guests to ensure a high level of interaction and networking.

What does it cost to attend the event?

There is no cost for attendees.  Registration will be extremely limited and available until we reach capacity.  

Where should I stay for the event?

We have a room block available at the Montage Deer Valley on a first come, first serve basis.   Room reservations will be available shortly.

Will transportation be provided?

No.  Transportation is available either through the hotel or via our preferred shuttle provider.

What is the recommended attire?

The dress code for the Summit 2025  is business casual, but don’t forget comfortable footwear.

Will meals be provided?

Yes, meals will be provided throughout the event.  Specific meal information for the Summit 2025 will be forthcoming.

Still have questions?

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