Meet the Team: Louise

Name: Louise Tanner 

Title: Head of Content 

How long you have been at HumanX: May 2024

What’s your background, and what brought you to HumanX? 

I’m a content and event producer with a background in shaping global conferences and media projects. Before joining HumanX, I was a Senior Producer at Web Summit, where I pitched and produced the AI track and built out some of the event’s biggest stages. I worked closely with global leaders across tech and business. Earlier in my career, I was at CNBC, producing both editorial and commercial content and supporting major events like the World Economic Forum.

Given my love for AI and building content that actually resonates, HumanX felt like a natural next step. Now, as Head of Content, I lead our programming strategy and speaker curation across all our flagship events.

What are you most excited about for this year’s HumanX event? 

Our speaker lineup is incredible. It’s wild to think back to when I first started and how much hustle and hard work it took to get people across the line. Fast forward to now, and the caliber of speakers we have is truly next level. What’s most exciting is seeing companies that didn’t even reply in year one now booked to speak this April. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built as a small, fully remote team. It really shows the impact we made in year one. More than just the lineup though, I’m excited about the conversations that will happen in the Moscone, the energy that comes from bringing this global community together, and the chance to help shape where this industry is headed.

What’s one session, speaker, or track you’re personally looking forward to—and why? 

I’m especially excited to hear Dr. Fei-Fei Li speak. She’s someone I’ve wanted to book for years, so having her confirmed for April is a dream come true. Her session will be a standout moment in the agenda and one I know people will be talking about. Dr. Li’s work has shaped how we think about AI from a human-centered perspective. Having her on our stage captures everything HumanX is about: making AI approachable, responsible, and meaningful. Stay tuned for our full agenda launching in February to find out more about what she’ll be discussing!

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about your job?

I think people are often surprised by just how much time, communication, and coordination goes into getting a speaker confirmed and on stage. For example, I first emailed one of our speakers on April 29, 2024, and by the time we officially confirmed them in September, I had sent over 80 follow-up emails, had three 30-minute calls, and had even started texting with the speaker’s team. And that was just to get them confirmed. Months of preparation are now following to get everything right for April.

For another speaker, we’ve had a monthly standing call and email check-ins every two weeks since April. It’s a huge commitment, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It’s not just logistics. It’s emotional too. When a session lands really well, and you know the months of work it took to get it there, it’s honestly a bit magic. I love working closely with speakers and their teams. It really makes the on-stage moments feel meaningful.

What’s a skill or lesson you’ve learned while working at HumanX?

Being part of a small, remote team building something from the ground up has taught me a lot about adaptability and creative problem-solving. I’ve learned how to pivot quickly when things shift and how to keep momentum going even when the path forward isn’t completely clear.

I’ve also developed a deeper appreciation for how much hard work goes into pulling off a major event, especially when it’s being built by such a small but incredibly talented team. Working with Stefan has been amazing. He doesn’t come from an events background, which means he constantly challenges how we approach things and pushes us to think differently. It has opened my eyes to how tech can be used in smarter ways to make everything we do better.

What’s one thing that always makes your day better?

Getting an email from a speaker’s team confirming they’ll speak at HumanX, especially after I’ve been chasing them for months or years. It’s the best feeling and always worth the hustle.

If you could teleport anywhere for lunch, where are you going?

Cape Town, without a doubt. I'd head straight to Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic, unreal views and even better food.