Real expertise. Real people. Real results.
Session Events
ONE BADGE. YOUR CITY. YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Houston | Atlanta | Dallas | DC
Presented by
POWER26 -Homecoming Learning Sessions
Your conference badge gives you full access to every learning session at your selected tour stop in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Houston, or Dallas. Plus, you'll receive access to available virtual replays, allowing you to continue learning from additional sessions and extend your conference experience long after the event.
Learning Tracks:
AI + HR Technology
Explore how artificial intelligence and emerging HR technologies are transforming the employee experience. Learn practical applications, discover innovative tools, and gain strategies you can immediately implement to improve efficiency, decision-making, and business outcomes.
Benefits & Total Rewards
Learn from benefits and compensation leaders as they share strategies for designing competitive total rewards programs, enhancing employee well-being, and aligning benefits with business goals to attract, engage, and retain top talent.
Road to CHRO
Access executive leadership sessions, strategic workshops, keynotes, and peer discussions designed to strengthen your business acumen, executive presence, and readiness for the next stage of your HR leadership journey.
The Career Lab
Elevate your career by working with our coaches on campus to refine your goals, strengthen your personal brand, build new skills, and develop a strategy for long-term career growth and leadership success.
The Business of You
Transform your expertise into new opportunities by learning directly from successful consultants, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who will help you strengthen your brand, expand your influence, and grow beyond your day-to-day role.
Relive the Experience: Highlights from POWER25
The Experience
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Welcome to Campus
Kick off your POWER26 experience with energizing virtual pre-sessions, then join us for the official Kickoff Experience to connect with attendees, speakers, sponsors, and HR leaders. Enjoy great food, cocktails, live entertainment, and meaningful networking before the conference begins.
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Class is in Session
Dive into a full day of high-impact learning across five immersive tracks. Choose your own journey, from executive leadership and career growth to AI, HR technology, and total rewards. Between sessions, explore available interactive labs, connect with fellow attendees, and engage in hands-on experiences designed to bring your learning to life.
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Gather Around the Table
Enjoy a fully catered conference experience with breakfast, lunch, coffee, snacks, and beverages included throughout the day. Whether you're networking over breakfast, grabbing lunch between sessions, or connecting during a refreshment break, every meal is designed to keep you energized while creating opportunities to build meaningful relationships with fellow attendees.
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Curated City Experiences
Every POWER26 tour stop features exclusive experiences that showcase the energy and culture of its host city. Depending on the location, you may have the opportunity to attend VIP dinners, rooftop receptions, game nights, networking socials, and other curated experiences designed to help you build meaningful relationships beyond the conference. Each city offers something unique, giving you even more ways to connect, celebrate, and grow with the Black In HR community.
Speakers and Contributors
The Black In HR
Prathan Powell
President and CEO, The Black In HR
Prathan L. Powell Jr., founder of The Black In HR, is a globally respected HR executive with expertise in talent strategy and Employee Relations. A certified mediator, he has shaped workforce experiences at Google, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Nike, and Instacart, driving equity, growth, and transformational people operations across diverse global industries.
Dr. Arnicia Arrington
SVP, People and Culture, EBONY Media
Arnicia V. Arrington is a transformational executive and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience shaping people strategy and culture across top media and corporate brands. As EVP of People, Operations & Culture at EBONY & JET and CEO of Agency Eleven33, she drives growth, innovation, and leadership development. A former Chief People Officer at WPP and HR leader at REVOLT and BET, she’s passionate about empowering women and underrepresented leaders to lead with impact.
The Black In HR
Ciera Parks
POWER26 Host, The Black In HR
Ciera Parks, CEO of CWC Consulting and Training, is a dynamic HR executive with 15+ years’ experience. Former VP of People & Culture at Vangst and HR Business Partner at Amazon, she’s a keynote speaker and Morgan State University instructor helping professionals own their voice and lead with confidence.
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The Black In HR
Lawrence Henderson
President, NAAAHR Atlanta
Dr. Lawrence Henderson, CEO of BOSS, LLC, is a former U.S. Army Officer turned executive coach with 20+ years’ experience. A Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and PCC-certified, he guides Fortune 500s, federal agencies, and Black In HR leaders in building purpose-driven leadership, emotionally intelligent teams, and lasting cultural transformation.
The Black In HR
Leida Rountree
Certified Financial Planner
Leida Speller, CFP and founder of Radical Reinvention Coaching, blends 30+ years of wealth management with soul-centered coaching to help women align money and purpose. An Advisory Board Member for Black In HR, she empowers clients to build lasting wealth, navigate life transitions, and live with freedom and intention.
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The Black In HR
Simone Merritt
Consultant, Enomis Consulting Group
Simone Merritt, Founder and CEO of Enomis Consulting Group, brings 12+ years in HR, specializing in compliance, talent strategy, and federal contracting. A speaker, author, and youth advocate, she empowers businesses and communities through strategic HR solutions, leadership development, and financial literacy initiatives for emerging entrepreneurs and young leaders.
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Your conference ticket gives you access to all evening events — no extra fees, no FOMO.
Become a POWER26 Sponsor
Partner with Black In HR at POWER26: Homecoming and connect your brand with one of the fastest-growing professional communities in the country. Sponsorship offers high-visibility marketing, direct access to HR leaders and decision-makers, and opportunities for custom activations that elevate your brand. To explore sponsorship packages and partnership options, complete the form and our team will follow up.
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The Venue: Your Homecoming Campus
Experience a modern conference campus designed to inspire learning, innovation, and connection. Each POWER26 Tour venue is centrally located, technology-enabled, and thoughtfully designed with collaborative learning spaces, networking lounges, interactive experiences, and social gathering areas that make it easy to engage with fellow attendees. Whether you're attending a keynote, exploring a learning track, or building new relationships between sessions, every campus is designed to create an immersive conference experience from start to finish.
Join the Tribe
Conference App
Connect and Stay Informed with the Conference App to access everything you need to enhance your event experience—before, during, and after the week.
Inside the app, you'll unlock: private job board, easy event and lunch scheduling, session replays, photo galleries, attendee profiles, direct messaging and a community chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Convince Your Boss Kit
Get the Support You Need to Invest in Your Career
We’ve made it easy to get your employer on board. Our Convince Your Boss Kit includes everything you need to secure funding or reimbursement for your SHRM journey.
Inside the Kit:
✔ Customizable Letter Template
✔ Informational Booklet on SHRM certification benefits
✔ Professional Language & Layout to support your case
ONE BADGE. YOUR CITY. YOUR EXPERIENCE.
