DisruptHR Columbus

⚡ YOUR INDUSTRY. YOUR RULES. YOUR 5 MINUTES.

DisruptHR is coming to Columbus, and it doesn’t do boring. This is not a conference. There are no panels. No keynotes that could’ve been an email. DisruptHR is an information exchange designed to energize, inform, and empower the people shaping HR, culture, and the future of work. If you’ve got something to say about talent, technology, or culture, this is your stage. If you’re here to be challenged and inspired, and to leave thinking differently, this is your room.

⚡ WHAT TO EXPECT

Fast. Sharp. Real.10 speakers take the stage and have exactly 5 minutes to teach you something, challenge something, or blow your mind. The slides keep moving. The energy doesn’t stop. And by the end of the hour, you’ll wonder why every event isn’t done this way. Doors open at 5:30 PM. The show runs from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Come hungry! Tacomania will be rolling up out back to fuel the rest of your night.
⚡ THE DETAILS

• Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026

• Doors: 5:30 PM • Show: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

• Venue: The Nest Theatre / 2643 N High St, Columbus, OH

• Dress code: Disruptive. Anything goes.

⚡ TICKETS

Presale price: $60

This event is advance ticket purchase only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Spots fill fast, and this crowd sells out, so grab yours before they’re gone.

Presale tickets are available through July 23. After July 23, tickets increase to $75. Lock in the lower rate while you can.
⚡ AT THE VENUE

The Nest Theatre concessions prefer card payments.

One hard rule on parking: do NOT park in The Ace of Cups lot next door. They will tow. No exceptions, no warnings. Park in the lot behind the venue or find street parking nearby. Street parking is limited, so give yourself extra time or plan to rideshare.
⚡ WHO SHOWS UP HERE

• HR professionals

• CEOs and people leaders

• Technologists and innovators

• Community builders

• The curious, the bold, and the ones who refuse to do things the way they’ve always been done
⚡ SPONSORS

• Lockton, Beverage Disruptor
• Willory, Event Sponsor
• HR Like a Boss, Event Sponsor
• UKG
• CORE Workforce Solutions
• Pixel Leadership Group
• Ambetter Health
• ADP

⚡ SPEAKERS

• ⚡Todd Bertsch - Before the Burnout, There Was a Spark
• ⚡Nick Bellanca - The Billion Dollar Benefit Blindspot
• ⚡Dyann McDowell - The L³ Reset: Why Culture Breaks in the Middle
• ⚡Mike Howard - Project: Restore Recruitment
• ⚡Kevandre Thompson - Community is the New Currency: Why Connection, Not Compensation, is the Key to Getting and Keeping Star Talent
• ⚡Lindsay Yax - Silence is Expensive: Be Like YAX!!
• ⚡Ankit Shah - Belonging: The Most Misunderstood Lever of Business Growth
• ⚡Valarie Nash - The Psychological Safety Paradox
• ⚡Jamie Lewis Smith - Your Brain Is a Real A**hole