SHIFT Conference 2026 is in the books, but I’m still carrying the energy, ideas, and sense of possibility that filled the air during our time in Albuquerque last month.

There is something powerful about bringing together people who care deeply about the same big questions, but approach them from different communities, sectors, and lived experiences. What connected us was a shared commitment to creating an economy in which workers, employers, and communities can thrive.

You could feel that commitment throughout the conference.

It was present in the thoughtful questions people asked during sessions. It showed up in honest conversations about what is and isn’t working. It was there in the exchange of ideas between people who had just met, but quickly discovered that they were wrestling with similar challenges in very different places.

You could see it in the willingness of attendees to look beyond the demands of today and consider what it will take to build something better for the future.

Learning From the Shifts Already Underway, Shaping What’s Next

We opened SHIFT with a question: What will it take to shift work forward?

That question felt especially important in a moment when technology, demographic change, public policy, and evolving expectations are transforming work at a rapid pace. These forces can feel enormous, and even overwhelming. But our time together in Albuquerque reminded me that we are not powerless in the face of them.

I was grateful to begin that exploration alongside Raphael Bostic, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Our opening plenary considered how meaningful change takes hold, what it requires to keep moving forward during uncertain times, and where communities may have more influence than they realize.

That conversation set the tone for the days that followed. Across the conference, we saw people challenge assumptions, share practical lessons, and imagine new possibilities for how work can be designed.

What stayed with me most was the sense of agency in the room.

No one person or organization has all the answers. But throughout SHIFT, attendees brought their own pieces of the answer: perspectives from their own region, relationships that opened new possibilities, and questions that pushed all of us to think differently.

For me, that is what makes gathering in person at SHIFT such a unique and valuable experience. Sometimes the next step becomes clearer because of something we hear from a stage. Just as often, it emerges during a conversation in the hallway, over a meal, or with someone whose work initially seemed very different from our own.

Those connections are how the work moves forward. You can revisit the topics and ideas we explored on the SHIFT Conference sessions page.

Gratitude for Everyone Who Made SHIFT Possible

To everyone who joined us in Albuquerque, thank you.

Thank you for making the time to be fully present. Thank you for sharing what you have learned, including the lessons that came from things not going as planned. Thank you for bringing such generosity and curiosity to our time together. Most of all, thank you for the work you do every day.

Our final plenary reminded us that while change may be influenced by national and global forces, change lives locally. It lives in communities and partnerships. It lives in the choices we make, the ideas we test, and the trust we build. And it lives in rooms like the one we shared in Albuquerque.

I am especially grateful to our speakers and session leaders, who helped us examine this moment from many angles while keeping the conversations connected to the decisions and opportunities in front of us.

 I also want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors. Your support reflects a belief in the people doing this work and in the power of connection to move ideas into action. We are deeply grateful for your investment, your partnership, and your commitment to helping us redesign work and expand opportunity.

To the staff, Network Partners, and many people who worked behind the scenes to make SHIFT happen, thank you for the care you brought to every detail. Creating a gathering that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and useful requires an extraordinary amount of work. I am deeply grateful for all that you did.

The Road to SHIFT 2028

In 2028, SHIFT Conference is heading to Pittsburgh — a city shaped by reinvention, with a long history of navigating economic change and helping define what comes next.

But before we meet again, there is work to do. My hope is that the real impact of SHIFT will show up in the months and years ahead.

Perhaps in a conversation continued, a partnership strengthened, a workplace practice reconsidered, or even a redesign of a system that is not producing the outcomes workers need. Two years gives us time to make meaningful progress. When we gather in Pittsburgh, I hope we will bring success stories of what happened after Albuquerque.

Be sure your name is on the list to get all the latest SHIFT Conference updates — 2028 will be here before we know it!