The Stages of HumanX 2025

Behind every great show or performance is an excellent backdrop; without it, the scene setting and overall atmosphere would be much more difficult to grasp. Plus, who wants to feel like they’re stuck in another stale board room meeting? For a dynamic event like HumanX to work, we knew our stages would have to play a crucial role in onsite experience. 

Meticulously crafted to energize, inform, and convey the breadth of HumanX’s programming, our stages were split into unique categories in order to best serve as backdrops for the onsite narratives presented by our speakers. For instance, you may have enjoyed hearing about AI’s impact within the music industry on one of our Track Stages, or perhaps you attended one of our multiple pitch competitions on our Showcase Stage. 

Now we are again setting the scene, taking you back to the show floor, and walking you through our incredible HumanX 2025 stages. 

Let’s begin!

How Databricks is keeping data at the center of AI innovation with Arsalan Tavakoli-Shiraji (Databricks), moderated by Alex Heath (The Verge)

Center Stage 

The heart of the entire conference, this stage is where the most prominent voices in AI hosted unmissable sessions with groundbreaking information. From announcements featuring the latest AI-powered technology to strategies that were offered to help drive the landscape forward, Center Stage propelled HumanX from just another conference to an immersive experience. 

Notable sessions included: In Conversation with Former Vice President Kamala Harris (Speaker: Kamala Harris); How AI will transform the human experience (Speakers: Kevil Weil of OpenAI and Jeff Seibert of Digits); and How Meta is leveraging AI to build more for businesses (Speaker: Clara Shih of Meta).

AI’s impact on workflows, code, and collaboration with May Habib (Writer) and Doug Pepper Doug Pepper (ICONIQ Growth)

Track Stages

Spread throughout the HumanX show floor to maximize engagement and offer multi-industry networking and learning opportunities, our Track Stages served as launching pads for today’s biggest breakthroughs in AI. Ranging from healthcare to cybersecurity, these stages were an epicenter for proven approaches, innovative strategies, and candid lessons built on real-world experiences. 

Notable sessions included: How AI will shape the future of productivity and collaboration (Speaker: Rahul Vohra of Superhuman); AI in drug discovery: Pioneering a new era of medicine (Speakers: Alex Zhavoronkov of Insilico Medicine and Mike Nally of Generate Biomedicines); and AI for the public: Innovations shaping a safer, smarter society (Speaker: Blake Resnick of BRINC).

Meet the Drapers Pitch Competition

Showcase Stage 

Last but certainly not least, the Showcase Stage was a gateway to boundless opportunity, offering an in-depth look at the rising stars within the AI realm. The home of our pitch competitions, this stage allowed up-and-coming AI businesses a chance at building renown and obtaining funding. But the Showcase Stage wasn’t just a platform for exhibitions; it was also a nexus of opportunity, allowing attendees to witness the cutting-edge AI products and solutions paving the way for the next breakthrough. 

Notable sessions included: The HumanX/GoogleCloud Startup Pitch Competition, The Feedzai Pitch Competition, and The Meet the Drapers Pitch Competition. 

There are many moving pieces within a successful conference, from programming and backend planning to onsite experience, and we couldn’t be more proud of how our first-year stages turned out. After all, first impressions–whether of the stages or of HumanX itself–are always important.