Upcoming Events

As employers face rising costs, increasing complexity, and growing pressure during open enrollment, many are asking the same question: How do we get more value from the benefits we’re already investing in?

Ian Shea, Founder & CEO of I M Human, opens the session by framing why so many benefits strategies fall short. Drawing on multi-employer research, Ian will show how fragmented wellness programs and disconnected vendors often fail to move the needle, and how leading organizations are instead building integrated systems that link culture, leadership behavior, and employee experience to measurable outcomes like engagement, retention, and performance.

The discussion then turns to the people behind the strategy. Drawing on themes from her new book, Benefits Burnout, Jennifer Weinstein will shine a light on the stress, decision fatigue, and constant pressure faced by benefits leaders navigating today’s healthcare landscape.

Together, these perspectives open a practical conversation about simplifying benefits ecosystems, improving employee experience, strengthening accountability, and unlocking greater value from existing health and well-being investments, without simply adding more programs, vendors, or complexity.

Designed for employer benefits leaders, HR decision-makers, brokers, and consultants, this session offers a candid look at the realities of managing benefits today and actionable insights for building a more sustainable approach to workforce health.

Washington’s health care system is under real strain: rising costs, uneven access, and a workforce stretched thin. Incremental fixes haven’t closed the gap, and the old playbook isn’t working fast enough.

This session asks a hard question: what does it take to disrupt a system so resistant to change? We’ll hear from voices outside the traditional health care establishment alongside employers, clinicians, and health plan leaders grappling with the same affordability crisis from the inside. The goal isn’t another alignment conversation — it’s a candid look at where disruption is already working, where the system is still pushing back, and how close we are to a breaking point.