--- title: Velocity 2026 - Agenda --- [![medill\_media\_summit\_logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/2027%20Media%20Summit/medill_media_summit_logo_vector_transparent.svg "medill_media_summit_logo")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit?hsLang=en) [![Medill Executive Education Logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Medill_ExecutiveEducation_Lockup_Color-3.jpg?width=250&height=84&name=Medill_ExecutiveEducation_Lockup_Color-3.jpg "Medill Executive Education Logo")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/?hsLang=en) [![velocity\_logo+text\_4E2A84-bottom-space](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Webpage%20Graphics/velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-1.png?width=86&height=83&name=velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-1.png "velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-bottom-space")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/?hsLang=en) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Speakers](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-speakers) - [Agenda](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-agenda) - [REGISTER](https://cvent.me/9g5k84) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Agenda - [Day 1Thursday, July 16, 2026](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/velocity-2026/agenda#event_agenda_tabs_1) - [Day 2Friday, July 17, 2026](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/velocity-2026/agenda#event_agenda_tabs_2) 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM REGISTRATION OPENS + NETWORKING Join your fellow attendees and principles and leaders from The Athena Project and Northwestern's Medill School of Integrated Marketing Communications & Journalism for light breakfast fare and conversations with old and new friends during our pre-conference networking gathering.  10:30 AM – 11:20 AM PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #1 WRITE TO LAST: INSIDE THE ART & BUSINESS OF GETTING PUBLISHED ![Rishad Tobaccowala (1)](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Rishad%20Tobaccowala%20(1).png) Rishad Tobaccowala Author & Co-Founder The Athena Project For many leaders, writing a book is both a creative ambition and a strategic platform. But moving from idea to published work requires far more than expertise alone. Co-led by Athena Project Co-Founder Rishad Tobaccowala—twice published by HarperCollins—this practical workshop explores the realities of writing, positioning, pitching and publishing a book in today’s market, from shaping a compelling thesis to finding the right publishing path and building an audience that matters. 10:30 AM – 11:20 AM WORKSHOP #2 TAKE THE STAGE: HOW GREAT LEADERS BUILD INFLUENCE THROUGH PUBLIC SPEAKING ![Drew Ianni](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Drew%20Ianni.png) Drew Ianni Co-Founder, The Athena Project Public speaking has become one of the most powerful accelerators of modern industry leadership, reputation and influence. Led by Drew Ianni—producer and programmer of more than 150 executive conferences—this practical workshop explores how leaders get selected for major stages, develop compelling points of view, improve delivery and transform speaking opportunities into long-term industry authority. 10:30 AM – 11:20 AM WORKSHOP #3: TBA 11:20 AM – 11:30 PM BREAK 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM WELCOME TO VELOCITY: DIRECTION MATTERS ![Vijay-Viswanathan](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Vijay-Viswanathan.jpg-1.png) Vijay Viswanathan Dean and Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications Northwestern University ![Rishad Tobaccowala (1)](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Rishad%20Tobaccowala%20(1).png) Rishad Tobaccowala Author & Co-Founder The Athena Project ![Drew Ianni](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Drew%20Ianni.png) Drew Ianni Co-Founder The Athena Project Every era experiences change. But today’s leaders are navigating something different: more platforms, more signals, more consumer touchpoints and faster shifts in behavior than ever before. Velocity is no longer just about moving faster—it’s about maintaining clarity, adaptability and strategic direction amid constant acceleration. Opening the conference, leaders from The Athena Project and Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications explore why modern growth increasingly depends on the ability to interpret change, manage complexity and lead through continuous reinvention. 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM TECTONIC: THE STRUCTURAL SHIFTS RESHAPING MARKETING & BUSINESS GROWTH ![Rishad Tobaccowala (1)](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Rishad%20Tobaccowala%20(1).png) Rishad Tobaccowala Author & Co-Founder The Athena Project Marketing is not experiencing incremental change—it is being reshaped by a series of deeper structural shifts that are altering how brands grow, communicate, compete and create value. Join Rishad Tobaccowala as he  unpacks the five tectonics shifts redefining modern marketing and modern leadership—and why many of yesterday’s assumptions, strategies and operating models are quickly becoming obsolete. 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM CAPABILITY: THE FOUNDATION OF PERFORMANCE & REINVENTION ![Veronika Kryuchkova](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Veronika%20Kryuchkova.jpg) Veronika Kryuchkova Global Head of Capabilities | The Marketing Academy, , Reckitt - - ![Rishad](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Rishad.png) Rishad Tobaccowala Co-Founder, The Athena Project - - As Athena Project Co-Founder Rishad Tobaccowala often reminds us, we are not living through a period of transformation—we are living through a period of continuous reinvention. In that environment, strategy alone is not enough. Competitive advantage increasingly comes down to capability: the collective ability of an organization to adapt, execute, learn, and perform while the rules are being rewritten in real time. In the final analysis, organizations don't rise to the level of their ambitions—they rise to the level of their capabilities. 12:00 PM - 12:40 PM LUNCH 12:40 PM - 1:15 PM OPENING KEYNOTE: RELEVANCE UNDER PRESSURE ![Marcus Collins](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Marcus%20Collins.png) Session Leader: Dr. Marcus Collins Associate Professor Ross School of Business, University of Michigan ![Jon Halvorson](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Jon%20Halvorson.png) Jon Halvorson Chief Marketing & Digital Officer Kenvue Marketing leaders are no longer simply managing brands through disruption—they are leading people, teams and organizations through a period of accelerating uncertainty. As AI reshapes workflows, consumer behavior fragments across expanding platforms and the pace of change continues to intensify, leaders face a more human challenge beneath the technology itself: how do you keep teams resilient, relevant, adaptive and motivated when the rules of the industry are being rewritten in real time? In this candid conversation, Jonathan Halvorson and Marcus Collins explore what modern leadership demands in an era defined by constant reinvention, cultural volatility and organizational anxiety—and why the future may belong to leaders capable of creating clarity, confidence and momentum amid continuous change. 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM LEADERSHIP AND LONGEVITY: A CONVERSATION WITH HELEN LIN & TARA WALPERT LEVY ![Helen Lin](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Helen%20Lin.png) Helen Lin Chief Digital Officer Publicis Groupe ![Tara Walpert Levy-1](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Tara%20Walpert%20Levy-1.png) Tara Walpert Levy VP, Americas, YouTube Few industries have evolved as rapidly—or as relentlessly—as digital media and marketing. Yet through multiple waves of technological, platform and consumer transformation, leaders like Helen Lin and Tara Walpert Levy have not only remained relevant—they’ve helped shape the industry itself. In this candid fireside conversation, two of digital’s most respected pioneers reflect on leadership, reinvention, resilience and staying ahead of constant change. From the early days of digital media to today’s AI-driven era, the discussion will explore what it takes to build an enduring career, lead through disruption and continue evolving as the industry reinvents itself in real time. 1:45-1:50 PM BREAK 1:50 PM - 2:00 PM 10 GOOD MINUTES: WELCOME TO THE ANSWER ECONOMY ![Pete Blackshaw-1](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Pete%20Blackshaw-1.png) Pete Blackshaw Founder & CEO brandrank.ai As AI rewires how consumers seek and receive information, the “Answer Economy” is emerging as the new frontier of growth, brand trust and competitive advantage. brandrank.ai Founder & CEO and former Nestlé Global Chief Digital & Social Media Officer, Pete Blackshaw, will illuminate the strategic implications of this shift and what it means for leadership, growth, and brand relevance - and your personal relevance - moving forward. 2:00 PM - 2:35 PM GOOGLE ZERO & THE FRAGMENTATION OF INTENT ![Pete Blackshaw-1](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Pete%20Blackshaw-1.png) Pete Blackshaw Founder & CEO brandrank.ai ![Doug Chavez-1](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Doug%20Chavez-1.png) Doug Chavez EVP, Global Retail Strategy MarsUnited Commerce, ![1550590168955](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/1550590168955.jpg) Marla Skiko Senior Director, Global Media Ford - - The fragmentation of consumer intent is accelerating, the funnel is collapsing, and the traditional, intent-based search and discovery model is rapidly evolving. Subsequently, the formula for driving qualified consumer engagement and, ultimately, strategic growth is being altered - quickly. What does the rise of the AEO/GEO, agentic commerce, retail media networks, and more mean for your brand and growth as the new rules of engagement and intent capture are rewritten in real time? Join this roundtable of veteran, media innovators as they discuss the future of consumer engagement and integrated marketing communications and how to lead and manage your teams through this dynamic period of disruption and innovation. There may be no more fitting place than Northwestern Medill—the birthplace of IMC—to examine how modern connections planning must evolve in an era of fragmented intent and compressed funnels. What new signals, tools, planning frameworks and measurement models will define the next generation of integrated marketing? 2:35 PM - 3:10 PM WE LIVE IN DUSTY TIMES: HOW AGENCY LEADERS MANAGE INNOVATION, COMPLEXITY & FEAR ![Shelby Saville](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Shelby%20Saville.png) SHELBY SAVILLE CEO Starcom, US How are CEOs across the marketing services landscape leading during these complex and exciting times? How are they preparing themselves, their multi-generational teams and clients for a future simultaneously defined by extraordinary opportunity and innovation *and* equally concerning disruption and fear?   3:10 PM - 3:30 PM BREAK 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM TBA 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM TBA 5:15PM - 5:45 PM CLOSING KEYNOTE: TBA 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM The Lighthouse @ 303 Rooftop Lounge, 30th Floor, Medill School Downtown DAY 1 CLOSING RECEPTION 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM REGISTRATION OPENS + NETWORKING 8:00 AM – 8:40 AM PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #1: TBA ![Rishad Tobaccowala (1)](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Rishad%20Tobaccowala%20(1).png) Rishad Tobaccowala Author & Co-Founder The Athena Project 8:00 AM - 8:40 AM WORKSHOP #2: TBA 8:00 AM - 8:40 AM WORKSHOP #3: TBA 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM OPENING KEYNOTE: BRAND IS A TEAM SPORT - THE EXPANDING REMIT AND INFLUENCE OF THE MODERN CMO ![Danielle Robinson Bell](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Danielle-Bell.png) Moderator: Danielle Bell Associate Clinical Professor & Academic Director of Medill Executive Education Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University ![Sherina Smith.jpg](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Sherina%20Smith.jpg.png) Sherina Smith Sherina Smith Chief Marketing Officer, American Family Insurance Driving business growth remains the core responsibility of the modern marketing leader—but the levers of growth have become far more interconnected. Today’s CMOs increasingly operate across brand, communications, customer experience, culture and enterprise strategy as organizations look for stronger alignment between what companies say, build and deliver. This conversation explores why modern marketing leadership has become less about managing campaigns and more about creating organizational clarity, alignment and momentum across increasingly complex businesses—and why the ability to connect people, functions and strategy may ultimately become one of the most important drivers of sustainable growth 9:15 AM - 9:55 AM THE NEW POINT-OF-PURCHASE: HOW AGENTIC COMMERCE IS REWIRING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY ![Doug Chavez](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Doug%20Chavez-1.png) Doug Chavez EVP, Global Retail Strategy OneMars United Commerce The consumer journey is being rewritten in real time. As shoppers increasingly rely on AI agents, conversational search and LLM-driven recommendations to discover, evaluate and purchase products, brands face a new challenge: how do you remain visible, relevant and chosen when the customer journey is increasingly intermediated by machines? This session examines the rapidly evolving state of agentic commerce—from changing consumer behaviors and AI-assisted purchasing patterns to the emerging tactics, tools and organizational shifts required to compete in a marketplace where prompts, recommendations and intelligent systems increasingly shape the path to purchase.   9:55 AM - 10:25 AM DANCING WITH MACHINES ![Jeff Brecker](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Jeff%20Brecker.jpg) Jeff Brecker Partner, Growth & Innovation Siberia What is the future of creativity? How will we know what is genuine? How will we define authenticity? This session will explore the emerging tension between speed and soul and why the real risk isn’t that AI replaces creativity but that it dilutes it. AI can generate content at scale, but it can’t originate taste, judgment, or instinct so how do we reclaim originality, protect the brand soul, and learn how to work with machines without becoming one?   10:25 AM - 10:40 AM BREAK 10:40 AM - 11:15 AM THE STATE OF INFLUENCE ![Judy Franks](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Judy%20Franks.jpg) MODERATOR: JUDY FRANKS Clinical Professor, Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill School Northwestern University - - ![Sheena Rubin](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Sheena%20Rubin.jpg) SHEENA RUBIN Head of Social & Earned Media The United States Army - - ![1719364592908](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/1719364592908.jpg) REX CURTISS Chief Tractor Officer - - ![Jen Hartmann](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Jen%20Hartmann.jpg) JEN HARTMANN Global Director, Corporate Reputation & Brand Marketing John Deere - - Influencer marketing has become one of the fastest-growing and most influential forces in modern marketing. Yet behind the explosive growth lies a more complicated reality: fragmented measurement, inconsistent attribution, questions around authenticity and increasing pressure to balance short-term performance with long-term brand equity. This session examines the evolving creator ecosystem through a wider strategic lens and will explore where creators are driving real commercial and cultural value, where the current models remain flawed, and how brands may need to rethink influence, partnership and community building in the years ahead. 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM THE TRUST DEFICIT: THE NEW DEMANDS OF COMMUNICATIONS LEADERSHIP ![Bradley Akubuiro](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Bradley%20Akubuiro.png) Bradley Akubuiro Partner & Corporate Communications Lead Bully Pulpit International - - ![robertgibbs](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/robertgibbs.jpg) Robert Gibbs Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery - - In an environment shaped by AI-generated content, fragmented media ecosystems, collapsing attention spans and growing public skepticism, the challenge facing modern communications leaders is no longer simply breaking through the noise—it’s building credibility, trust and institutional confidence in the first place. This conversation explores the rapidly evolving role of communications leadership at the intersection of business, media, politics and culture. From advising CEOs and navigating reputational risk to communicating through uncertainty and misinformation, the discussion examines what leadership, judgment and trust-building look like in an era where every message is instantly amplified, questioned and contested. 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM PROFILES IN COURAGE ![Renetta McCann](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Renetta%20McCann.jpg) RENETTA McCANN Chief Inclusion Experiences Officer - - In an era of cultural flashpoints, political polarization, and AI-driven misinformation, the modern leader must balance conviction with communication. This session explores how executives can uphold values, sustain trust and integrity, and guide their organizations through moments of external pressure—reframing narratives, protecting culture, and doubling down on purpose when the public square turns volatile 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM TBA 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM The Don Schultz Award: Presented To Wendy Clark 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch and Closing Keynote: Wendy Clark ![wendy-clark](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/wendy-clark.png) Wendy Clark President The Consello Group 1:30 PM Closing Remarks ![Vijay-Viswanathan](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Vijay-Viswanathan.jpg-1.png) Vijay Viswanathan Dean and Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications Northwestern University ![Rishad Tobaccowala (1)](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Rishad%20Tobaccowala%20(1).png) Rishad Tobaccowala Co-Founder The Athena Project ![Drew Ianni](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/velocity%202026/Velocity%20Speakers%20Purple%20Background/Drew%20Ianni.png) Drew Ianni Co-Founder The Athena Project 1:40 PM Closing & Post-Conference Networking \* Sessions and speakers are subject to change. ![White Medill Media Summit Logo 300x300](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/White%20Medill%20Media%20Summit%20Logo%20300x300.png?width=150&height=100&name=White%20Medill%20Media%20Summit%20Logo%20300x300.png "White Medill Media Summit Logo 300x300") Home Agenda Speakers   Presented in partnership with [![Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo.png?width=1000&height=187&name=Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo.png "Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo")](https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/)  © 2026 Medill Executive Education