Emotional Skill Gap Summit: 4-Day Virtual Event for HR Leaders

FeelWise, Minds of Light, and Strike Marketing Institute are joining forces to present the Emotional Skill Gap Summit, a four-day virtual event scheduled for September 29 through October 2, 2026. Running daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time, the summit targets learning and development professionals, HR leaders, and team managers who recognize that as AI assumes analytical and routine tasks, human-centric abilities such as emotional intelligence, cross-communication, and trust-building are becoming indispensable for team success. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, employers expect 39% of core skills to change by 2030, with leadership and social influence rising 22 percentage points since 2023. Despite this, most organizations lack a structured approach to developing these skills. The summit addresses that gap by pairing research-based frameworks with actionable tools attendees can immediately apply with their teams.

Tina Schweiger, founder of FeelWise, emphasizes the urgency: “Companies have a plan for AI adoption. Few have a plan for the skills AI doesn't replace. Those skills can be taught and practiced like any other, and these four days show how.” The event features over 25 speakers, including Russell Scherwin, leadership professor at the University of Georgia and former CMO of IBM Watson Commerce; Dr. Justin James Kennedy, professor of behavioral neuroscience and TEDx speaker; Stephen Busette of Siemens; Robert Gramillano, executive coach and clinical professor at DePaul University; Dr. Charmain Jackman, CEO of InnoPsych; and Drs. Judith and Bob Wright of LiveWright. Two days focus on emotional regulation, resilience, human-centered leadership, and workplace culture. Minds of Light Day, led by Executive Director Alison Jones, highlights neurodivergent perspectives and communication between neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues. Jones notes, “Neurodivergent people are a growing part of the workforce, and the unwritten emotional rules of most workplaces were not designed for how they communicate. Many spend energy every day decoding tone, masking, and translating between communication styles, on top of the job itself. Rapid change in how work gets done adds to that load. Emotional skills training has to work for every kind of mind.” The final day, Emotionally Intelligent AI Day on October 2, sponsored by Grand Strategy Consulting, tackles staying emotionally grounded while working alongside AI tools. Speakers include Zena Collins, consultant at Grand Strategy Consulting, MSCEIT 2 emotional intelligence practitioner, and author of Stop Wasting Time With AI.

Registration is $29, intentionally priced so individuals can attend without a budget approval process, and closes September 29. Attendees can add a donation to Minds of Light or bundle registration with the FeelWise emotional intelligence card deck. All registered attendees receive recordings of every session. For more details and to register, visit the-emotional-skill-gap-summit.heysummit.com.