October 27 - October 28, 2025
Digital PM Summit Agenda
Monday, October 27 : Day 1
Jump to: Tuesday, Oct. 28: Day 2
Jump to: Wednesday, Oct. 29: Half-Day Workshop
-
Registration
-
Continental Breakfast
-
Welcome & Opening Remarks
-
The Change Cheat Code: Crack the Code on Project Chaos. Read the full agenda.
-
Mastering Discovery: How to Make It Your Most Valuable Deliverable. Read the full agenda.
-
Soft Skills & Hard Deadlines: Managing Projects with Logic & Heart. Read the full agenda
-
Breakouts
-
Lunch
-
Lighting talks
-
Great Minds Don't Always Think Alike: Strategies for Collaborating with Neurodiverse Teams. Read the full agenda.
-
Strategic Team Management: Maximizing Productivity for Internal Teams & Clients. Read the full agenda.
-
Strategic Team Management: Maximizing Productivity for Internal Teams & Clients. Read the full agenda.
-
How to Speak Fluent Stakeholder: Bridging the Gap Between Business, Creative, and Engineering. Read the full agenda.
-
The Empathic Edge: The New Role of AI in Project Management. Read the full agenda.
-
Closing Remarks
-
Social Event Details to come!
BRETT HARNED : Human-centered project management expert, Our DPM Summit Host + Workshop Facilitator
Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:50–9:00 AM
LIZ LANCE, EdD : Strategist, author, speaker and coach
The Change Cheat Code: Crack the Code on Project Chaos
9:00–9:50 AM
The Change Cheat Code: Crack the Code on Project Chaos
Keynote
Project plan? Nailed it. People? Total wildcard.
Change throws even the best-planned projects off course—not because the tasks are unclear, but because people hit emotional speed bumps. In this fast-paced keynote, Dr. Liz Lance unveils The Change Cheat Code—a four-stage model (Hear, Fear, Near, Cheer) that helps you predict and manage how people actually experience change.
You’ll walk away with practical tools to tackle resistance, keep momentum, and lead your team through the messy middle of change with confidence. Perfect for project pros who are tired of reacting and ready to lead smarter.
PAUL TEVIS : Head of Project Management at The Code Company
10:00–10:50 AM
Mastering Discovery: How to Make It Your Most Valuable Deliverable
Presentation
In this session, we’ll explore why discovery should be the first deliverable in any new client project—and why it’s worth paying for. We’ll break down what a discovery phase entails, the tangible value it provides, and how it sets your project team up for success. Drawing from firsthand case studies, we’ll share how our agency has successfully positioned and sold paid discovery, helping clients see its value and fully buy into the process.
You’ll also learn how to overcome common client objections, clearly communicate the benefits of discovery, and advocate for it within your own agency. Whether you’re a project manager, account lead, or agency owner, this session will give you the tools to make discovery an essential—and billable—part of your process while ensuring clients are invested from day one.
SINOVIA MAYFIELD, PMP, CSPO, CSM : Senior Project Manager at Mighty Citizen
11:00–11:50 AM
Soft Skills & Hard Deadlines: Managing Projects with Logic & Heart
Presentation
Project management is more than just timelines, budgets, and deliverables—it’s about people. While hard deadlines drive projects forward, it’s soft skills that keep teams engaged, stakeholders aligned, and work on track. Successful project managers aren’t just taskmasters; they are strategic communicators, problem-solvers, and relationship builders who can navigate shifting priorities with both logic and heart.
In this session, we’ll explore how empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence play a crucial role in project success. You’ll learn how to blend structured methodologies with human-centered leadership to create an environment where teams can meet deadlines without burning out, pivot effectively without chaos, and collaborate with trust and accountability.
THERESA GUTIERREZ THOMAS, CSM : Project Manager at Four Kitchens
2:30–2:40 PM
Great Minds Don't Always Think Alike: Strategies for Collaborating with Neurodiverse Teams
Lightning Talk
Effective communication is key to successful project management, especially within neurodiverse remote teams. In this lightning talk, we'll explore the unique challenges and offer practical strategies to enhance collaboration and understanding with neurodivergent team members.
Key topics include:
Identifying Communication Barriers: Discuss common misunderstandings and accessibility challenges that arise in neurodivergent communication and how to recognize them.
Adapting Communication Styles: Learn how to adjust your communication approach to accommodate neurodivergent team members, ensuring clarity and engagement.
Encouraging Open Dialogue: Discover techniques to create an inclusive environment where neurodivergent team members feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their perspectives.
NICK COBB : Director of Project Management at Blend Interactive
2:45–2:55 PM
Strategic Team Management: Maximizing Productivity for Internal Teams & Clients
Lightning Talk
Project success begins with people. This lightning talk explores how project managers can harness their team’s natural strengths—using the Working Genius model—alongside proven internal processes to drive productivity and deliver exceptional client outcomes. Learn how aligning work with individual geniuses reduces friction, boosts accountability, and enhances output. You’ll leave with practical strategies to assign work more intentionally, sustain team morale, and consistently achieve sprint goals—without burning your team out.
LINA CALIN : Senior Project Manager at Parisleaf
3:00–3:10 PM
Strategic Team Management: Maximizing Productivity for Internal Teams & Clients
Lightning Talk
Project success begins with people. This lightning talk explores how project managers can harness their team’s natural strengths—using the Working Genius model—alongside proven internal processes to drive productivity and deliver exceptional client outcomes. Learn how aligning work with individual geniuses reduces friction, boosts accountability, and enhances output. You’ll leave with practical strategies to assign work more intentionally, sustain team morale, and consistently achieve sprint goals—without burning your team out.
ROBYN BIRKEDAL : Senior Producer at BASIC/DEPT®
3:30–4:20 PM
How to Speak Fluent Stakeholder: Bridging the Gap Between Business, Creative, and Engineering
Presentation
Practical strategies for making communication seamless across disciplines
Digital PMs often act as the bridge between teams, but navigating different ways of thinking can be tough. In this session, Robyn Birkedal shares practical tips to make communication clearer and collaboration easier across business, creative, and engineering. You'll leave with strategies to align teams, reduce friction, and keep projects on track.
ALLISON WORNS : Project Management Lead at Seer Interactive
AI is changing how project managers work, but not in the way you might think. Instead of replacing the human side of the job, it’s creating space for more of it. In this session, Allison Worms shares how embracing AI can actually make us more empathetic leaders. She’ll walk through ways to reduce friction and cognitive load, use AI as a true assistant rather than a replacement, and create more breathing room to energize your team without running yourself into the ground. At its core, this talk is about using AI to reclaim your time so you can better support your team and lead with empathy.
4:30–5:20 PM
The Empathic Edge: The New Role of AI in Project Management
Keynote
Summit Member Ticket : $899
Summit Nonmember Ticket : $1,299
Tuesday, October 28 : Day 2
Jump to: Monday, Oct. 27: Day 1
Jump to: Wednesday, Oct. 29: Half-Day Workshop
-
Registration
-
Continental Breakfast
-
Welcome & Opening Remarks
-
Move from Fear to Freedom - A New Approach for Project Leadership. Read the full agenda.
-
Running Your Teams with Modified Agile Methodologies with Waterfall Clients. Read the full agenda.
-
Freelance Project Management: Crafting a Sustainable Career. Read the full agenda.
-
Breakouts
-
Lunch
-
Squad Goals: Building a Leadership Dream Team That Delivers. Read the full agenda.
-
Empowering the Future of Project Management. Read the full agenda.
-
Closing Remarks & Thank You’s
8:50–9:00 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
BRETT HARNED : Human-centered project management expert, Our DPM Summit Host + Workshop Facilitator
MATTHEW FOX : Independent Consultant at Fox Consulting
9:00–9:50 AM
Move from Fear to Freedom - A New Approach for Project Leadership
Keynote
As project leaders, we often carry the weight of the world, or at least our team's deliverables, on our shoulders. But what if leadership didn't have to feel like a burden? What if you could lead from a place of clarity and confidence instead of fear and overwhelm?
In this session, Matthew Fox shares a fresh approach to project leadership rooted in conscious leadership practices. You'll explore the emotional side of management and learn how to lead both yourself and your team with intention.
MELODY MACKEAND, PMP : Founder at Melody MacKeand Consulting
10:00–10:50 AM
Running Your Teams with Modified Agile Methodologies with Waterfall Clients
Presentation
Just because your clients run waterfall doesn’t mean your internal teams have to live in chaos. In this talk, Melody Mackeand shares how to bring focus, flexibility, and a sense of control to your team by applying modified agile methodologies behind the scenes. Learn how to build an internal structure that supports productivity, even when client timelines keep shifting.
You’ll get practical strategies to help your team take ownership of their time and work, stay grounded through changing priorities, and maximize utilization without burnout. Melody also covers how to navigate change management, from securing leadership buy-in to training and motivating your team to embrace new ways of working.
You’ll leave with a clear, actionable approach for applying modified agile methodologies within a waterfall environment.
NATALIE SEMCZUK, PMI-ACP® : Director of Project Management at Pixo
The allure of freelancing in project management is undeniable—flexibility, autonomy, and the chance to choose your projects. But how do you transition smoothly and ensure long-term success? And how do you navigate client relationships, finances, and the uncertainty that comes with working for yourself? This session delves into actionable strategies for building a thriving freelance project management career.
In this session, we’ll break down the transition from full-time employment to freelancing, covering everything from financial preparation and legal considerations to making client connections. Whether you’re considering making the switch or looking to refine your freelance business, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to build a career that’s both profitable and fulfilling.
11:00–11:50 AM
Freelance Project Management: Crafting a Sustainable Career
Presentation
MELANIE CHANDRUANG : Founder and Fractional COO/Consultant at WeConsult
2:30–3:20 PM
Squad Goals: Building a Leadership Dream Team That Delivers
Presentation
Strong teams aren't built on talent alone. They thrive under intentional leadership that brings out the best in every member. In this practical and engaging session, Melanie will explore how to cultivate leadership within your organization, empower future leaders, and create a culture where teams feel ownership and accountability.
As a Digital Project Manager, these strategies are especially critical. From managing cross-functional teams to navigating shifting priorities and tight timelines, you'll learn how to delegate with confidence, build trust across disciplines, and lead your team to consistently deliver high-quality work in dynamic, ever-evolving project environments.
PHILIP ROWE : Senior UX Program Manager at Google
3:30–4:20 PM
Empowering the Future of Project Management
Presentation
In this session, Philip Rowe explores what it means to build the next generation of project management leaders and why now is the perfect time to start.
Investing in Future Project Management Leaders: Philip shares the tangible benefits of investing in project management apprenticeships and what they can bring to your team. He’ll offer practical strategies for developing and empowering apprentices to succeed, along with ways to create a supportive environment for staff entering the tech industry for the first time.
Insights from Industry Leaders: Over the past two years, Philip has spoken with dozens of industry leaders about what it takes to grow great teams. He shares common themes that emerged, including what leaders consistently look for, the myth of linear career progression, why people are drawn to this work, and why they stick with it.
Whether you're already working with early-career talent or considering how to bring fresh energy into your projects, this session will offer inspiration, insights, and ideas you can put into practice.
Wednesday, October 29 : Day 3
Jump to: Monday, Oct. 27 : Day 1
Jump to: Tuesday, Oct. 28 : Day 2
Note: An additional ticket is needed to attend the workshop.
-
Check-in and Continental Breakfast
-
Navigating Change with Confidence: Human-centered Strategies for Digital Project Managers. Read the full agenda.
BRETT HARNED : Human-centered project management expert, Our DPM Summit Host + Workshop Facilitator
Navigating Change with Confidence: Human-centered Strategies for Digital Project Managers
9:00 AM–1:00 PM
As a digital project manager, you’re often stuck in the middle—juggling shifting priorities, managing stakeholder expectations, and keeping teams aligned, all while navigating constant change. It’s exhausting. But what if managing change wasn’t just another burden? What if you had the tools to make change feel easier, not harder?
This 4-hour interactive workshop will help you do more with less by uncovering misalignment in the three core areas that make or break change: communication, collaboration, and culture. When teams struggle with change, it’s rarely the change itself that’s the issue—it’s the friction caused by poor communication, unclear collaboration, and misaligned expectations. We’ll explore simple, practical strategies to identify and address these pain points before they derail your projects.
