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NextWave
CHANGE COLLECTIVE
Arizona's Premier Change Leadership Conference
Human By Design:
Leading Change in the Age of AI
Human By Design: Leading Change in the Age of AI
The future of work is being transformed by technology. But its success will be shaped by people.
Join us for NextWave Change Collective 2027, Arizona's premier change leadership conference, bringing together executives, HR and talent professionals, transformation leaders, and change practitioners to explore what it takes to lead in an era of AI, complexity, and continuous change.
Hosted by ChangeSync, this full-day experience features thought-provoking keynotes, fresh perspectives, practical strategies, and meaningful connections. Discover how to strengthen human leadership, build adaptable organizations, and empower people to thrive through transformation.
Why Join NextWave Change 2027?
Welcome to the NextWave Change Collective
Kate DeGon, President, NextWave Change Collective
At NextWave, we believe change isn’t just something to manage, it’s something to harness. Too often, change feels like disruption. We’re here to make it feel like opportunity.
What makes us different is simple: we’re not just a network, we’re a movement. The Collective brings together leaders, practitioners, and innovators across industries who are committed to driving change that lasts. We share knowledge, test ideas, and build practical solutions for today’s most pressing challenges, together.
Our vision is to create a connected community where change leaders feel supported, energized, and equipped to navigate what’s next. Whether you’re guiding your organization through transformation or seeking inspiration for your own leadership journey, this is your place to learn, grow, and contribute.
The future of work, leadership, and impact is being written now. At NextWave Change Collective, we invite you to not just keep up with change, but to lead it.
We hope to see you there.
What Attendees Receive
Exclusive access to our Slack community for ongoing collaboration and networking.
Coordinated activities to build lasting relationships with peers shaping the future of work.
Practical resources and tools to implement change leadership insights right away.
6 hours of professional development credit toward continuing education or certification.
Who Should Attend?
Whether you guide people, projects, or strategy, this conference is designed for:
Keynote Speakers
In this thought-provoking session, Ryan Gottfredson introduces a research-backed approach to elevating leadership capacity through the shift from 5th Gear to 6th Gear Leadership. Drawing on his work with executive teams, including Experian Health, Ryan will explore how leaders can move beyond reactive, task-focused behaviors toward purpose-driven, enterprise-minded leadership. Participants will discover how shifting their internal operating system can strengthen decision-making, empower teams, and create sustainable value in an increasingly complex world.
Recognize the mindsets and behaviors that limit leadership effectiveness under pressure and uncertainty.
Explore the 5th Gear to 6th Gear Leadership framework to build greater clarity, adaptability, and strategic capacity.
Identify practical shifts from reactive execution to purpose-driven leadership that strengthens trust, empowerment, and organizational performance.
This session will challenge attendees to rethink what it means to lead effectively, moving beyond doing more to developing the mindset and capacity to lead through complexity, pressure, and continuous change.
In this engaging session, Alexandra Heiderscheit combines her expertise in organizational transformation with principles inspired by strength training to introduce the LIFT Framework. Participants will explore how leadership, support, progressive challenge, and recovery work together to strengthen organizational fitness and create environments where adaptability becomes an enduring capability rather than a project-specific response.
Understand organizational fitness and why traditional, project-by-project change management is no longer enough.
Explore the LIFT Framework to strengthen leadership, capacity, adaptability, and resilience.
Identify practical ways to build an organization that can continuously adapt without exhausting its people.
This session will inspire attendees to stop preparing their organizations for just the next change and start building the strength to navigate every change that follows.
In this highly interactive session, Dr. Jimmy Nelson draws on more than 30 years of leadership development and organizational effectiveness experience to explore the four essential elements of human-centered leadership: Clarity, Connection, Confidence, and Commitment. Through practical insights and engaging discussion, attendees will discover how to close the gap between leadership intent and employee experience, turning uncertainty into understanding, trust, and ownership.
Create clarity and connection that help employees understand and engage with change.
Build confidence and commitment by addressing the human concerns behind uncertainty and resistance.
Apply practical leadership strategies to strengthen trust, alignment, and ownership during AI-driven transformation.
This engaging session will help leaders turn technological disruption into an opportunity to strengthen the human connections, confidence, and commitment that make change successful.
In this thought-provoking session, John Greco introduces the concept of Organizational Change Fitness, challenging participants to look beyond individual readiness and examine the systems, structures, and environments that shape behavior. Through a real-world case and a practical fit-for-purpose framework, attendees will explore how to identify and address the organizational barriers that can undermine even the best change efforts.
Distinguish between individual change readiness and organizational fitness for change.
Identify organizational conditions that enable or inhibit the behaviors required for successful transformation.
Apply a practical framework to assess whether their organization is equipped to support the change it expects.
This session will challenge attendees to rethink change readiness by asking not only whether people are prepared to change, but whether their organization is designed to help them succeed.
In this interactive session, Kelly Foster draws on 38 years of leadership and organizational transformation experience to explore how leaders can help employees navigate uncertainty and embrace new opportunities. Using her REFLECT → RECOGNIZE → REFRAME → RE-SKILL → REACH framework, participants will apply practical strategies to a real workforce or career challenge and discover how to turn disruption into opportunity.
Recognize transferable strengths and uncover opportunities for personal and professional reinvention.
Apply a practical five-step framework to navigate workforce transitions and evolving skill demands.
Help employees build confidence, develop future-ready capabilities, and see new possibilities for growth.
This interactive session will help leaders move themselves and their teams from uncertainty about what comes next to confidence in what's possible.
In this interactive session, Brad Clark challenges conventional change management thinking and introduces a systems-based approach to transformation in the age of AI. Participants will explore how AI reshapes leadership, trust, decision-making, capabilities, and the relationship between human and machine work. Using Brad's Transformation Design Canvas, attendees will apply these concepts to a real AI transformation challenge and leave with a practical tool for designing more adaptive organizations.
Recognize why traditional change management approaches may fall short in an AI-driven environment.
Explore how organizational systems, leadership, and human behaviors influence sustainable AI transformation.
Apply the Transformation Design Canvas to identify opportunities for building continuous learning and adaptability.
This interactive session will move attendees beyond managing AI adoption to reimagining how organizations can continuously sense, learn, and adapt as technology transforms the way we work.
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Join Dan Tyre, serial entrepreneur, investor, and former HubSpot founding team member, for an energetic and motivating closing keynote. Drawing on 46 years of experience helping scale six startups, including two unicorns, Dan will bring his signature enthusiasm, practical wisdom, and a few dad jokes to inspire attendees to take what they've learned and make it count.
Shift from inspiration to action with the mindset needed to drive meaningful results.
Recognize the importance of attitude, motivation, and personal accountability in creating change.
Leave energized and ready to apply new ideas to their leadership, teams, and organizations.
This high-energy closing keynote will challenge attendees to turn a day of insights into action, leaving inspired, motivated, and ready to make a difference.
Trusted By:
Upcoming Sessions
Agenda
A full day designed to inspire, connect, and equip leaders with the tools and insights needed to navigate change with confidence.
Trusted By:
Ready to Lead the Future of Change?
Perfect Plan for Starters.
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Perfect Plan for Starters.
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Early Bird Pricing Ends December 31, 2026!
Secure your in-person ticket at a discounted rate before regular pricing of $349 takes effect on
January 1.
Join Us Onsite For A Full Day Of Learning, Connection, And Inspiration.
Limited seats > register sooner than later!
Virtual registration will close on April 3rd, 2027.
Join Us Virtually From Anywhere For A Day Of Learning, Connection, And Inspiration.
Unlimited virtual seats!
Trusted By:
Cali Standard, Senior Change Manager, Colorado Springs Utilities
I completed ChangeSync's Masterclass Certification for change management! So many great things to share about my experience with ChangeSync. In 3.5 days, ChangeSync provided me with the skills, practical knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead change initiatives in a meaningful and methodical way. I feel so much more equipped to do my job having been through this program. I can’t recommend ChangeSync enough!
Chris Washington, Sr. Organizational Change Manager, Salt River Project (SRP)
I completed my Masterclass Certification with ChangeSync! The course was insightful and provided me with many useful tools and templates to enhance my change management skills. I look forward to sharing my new knowledge with colleagues at work. The material was easy to understand and an excellent gateway into the world of change management. Well done, ChangeSync!
James Hutchins, Change Management Leader, CNH Industrial
What an amazing experience!
Thank you ChangeSync team and fellow Change Management Practitioners for a great week of learning.
I look forward to putting to practice the new tools in my toolbox.
Peter Spark, Director Project Delivery, Clinical Maestro
One of the many things this course taught me is that change management doesn’t stop once the change happens, it needs to continue on to ensure that the change is embedded into the organization, the culture, the people and their mindset. Being responsible for implementation of a SAAS solution I will use this knowledge to really help me continue engagement and ensure we are able to embed our solution into the customers processes.
Kate Ferraro, Senior Manager Project Delivery, Strategikon
What resonated with me the most about ChangeSync’s training is building a framework for change, asking questions to understand the stakeholders better, and looking at the change from their perspective. We have really needed these skills in order to build up our procedures for tracking, managing, and understanding the impacts of change within our clients. (ChangeSync’s) tools have given us a great head start to begin with the end goal in mind.
Scottsdale Community College
9000 E Chaparral Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85256
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