UX and product leaders joined us in Seattle on May 13 for an insightful conversation on how UX leaders are navigating our current landscape of complexity, change, and opportunity.
In a candid thought starter, Bill Flora (The New York Times) and Ben Shown (Blink UX) shared how product envisioning at The New York Times helped align teams across News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic: shaping direction, sharpening decision‑making, and turning ideas into products people return to every day.
They were joined by Celeste Bernard, VP of Product Experience at LPL Financial, and Amish Patel, founder of Conduit Venture Labs for a panel discussion grounded in real‑world leadership challenges and emerging signals shaping the future of UX and AI.
Panel topics included:
- Leading teams through change and uncertainty
- UX trends defining the remainder of 2026
- Driving internal AI adoption and workflow transformation
- Designing and researching AI‑powered experiences
Agenda
- 20‑minute thought starter with Bill Flora & Ben Shown
- 45‑minute panel discussion
- Networking happy hour
Panel Speakers
- Celeste Bernard, VP of Product Experience, LPL Financial
- Bill Flora, Product Creative Director, The New York Times
- Amish Patel, Founder, Managing Director, CEO, Conduit Venture Labs
- Ben Shown, Head of Design, Blink UX
- Moderated by: Laura Blanchard, VP of Design, Blink UX
