Name: Future-Proofing Isn't About Technology. It's About People.
Start: 2026-10-30T11:00:00-0400
End: 2026-10-30T11:45:00-0400

Future-Proofing Isn't About Technology. It's About People.

Friday October 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

West Concourse

Every few months we're told another breakthrough will transform the workplace. New models arrive. We develop new "best practices." Today's "must-have" tool may already have a newer competitor before implementation is complete. So how do we get off the hamster wheel and build organizations with staying power?
The organizations that thrive won't be the ones chasing every new platform. They'll be the ones that understand what makes them uniquely competitive, know what their people do best, and build a workforce capable of adapting to whatever comes next.
Drawing on real-world experience leading AI adoption and workplace transformation initiatives, this session explores why successful technology implementation is fundamentally a people strategy. Instead of focusing on the next tool, we'll explore the questions leaders should be asking:

Why do smart employees resist technology they know is useful?
Why do promising AI initiatives stall?
What actually builds trust during times of change?
How do you prepare your workforce for technology that doesn't exist yet?

Participants will leave with practical strategies and a people-first roadmap for building adaptable organizations through trust, employee engagement, thoughtful governance, and continuous learning. Because future-proofing isn't about keeping up with technology. It's about building organizations that know how to adapt when technology changes.

Speakers

Tia Christopher

Founder, CEO, The Orange Peel Collaborative

Tia Christopher is the Founder and CEO of The Orange Peel Collaborative, a people-centered AI strategy and workplace transformation firm helping organizations adopt emerging technologies with confidence, clarity, and trust. As a U.S. Navy veteran, her career has spanned military service... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
West Concourse

Engage with Big Ideas, Keeping It Human

Pittsburgh TechFest 2026

Tia Christopher

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Pittsburgh TechFest 2026

Tia Christopher

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