Running Remote 2026 takes place April 27–29 in Austin, Texas. Hosted by Time Doctor, the conference brings together founders, People Ops leaders, and enterprise workplace strategists designing the next generation of distributed organizations.
Remote work is not retreating. It is maturing.
The first wave proved distributed teams could operate at scale. The second wave is about designing them deliberately. That means rethinking AI integration, performance systems, management structures, and organizational design.
If you are a founder, People Ops leader, HR executive, or enterprise workplace strategist, this year’s Running Remote agenda is built around the real challenges you are navigating right now.
Explore the full schedule here:
https://runningremote.com/schedule
What is Running Remote?
Running Remote is the leading in-person conference for distributed and remote-first companies.
Running Remote is produced by the team behind Time Doctor, a workforce analytics platform helping organizations understand how work happens across remote, hybrid, and in-office teams.
For nine years, it has brought together founders, CEOs, People Ops leaders, and enterprise workplace teams to solve practical challenges in remote and hybrid work.
According to the 2026 event overview, Running Remote gathers 500+ attendees, 50+ speakers, and over 20 hours of structured networking in Austin, TX
It is designed for three primary audiences:
- Founders, CEOs, and COOs scaling remote-first companies
- People Ops and HR leaders designing distributed culture
- Enterprise workplace leaders managing hybrid and global teams
The themes defining remote work in 2026
The 2026 agenda focuses on six core conversations shaping the future of distributed leadership.
These themes align closely with the broader industry shift toward AI adoption, async systems, manager enablement, and strategic flexibility
1. The AI-powered distributed company
Brandon Sammut, Chief People & AI Transformation Officer, Zapier
AI is no longer experimental. It is becoming part of how distributed companies operate.
This keynote explores:
- How to redesign roles in AI-enabled organizations
- What changes in documentation, decision-making, and workflows
- How distributed companies can lead AI transformation
If you are searching for practical frameworks for AI in remote teams, this session addresses implementation, not theory.
2. Humans + machines: Unlocking performance in remote teams
Nadia Vatalidis, Doist
Nick Francis, HelpScout
Moderated by Shelby Wolpa
AI can speed up work. It can also create noise.
How do you measure high performance in fully remote teams in 2026?
This panel examines:
- Where AI increases productivity
- Where automation creates friction
- How remote-first companies prevent burnout
- How performance systems evolve in async cultures
This conversation speaks directly to leaders building high-performance remote teams.
3. Leading an AI-native distributed company
Wade Foster, CEO & Co-founder, Zapier
Interviewed by Andrew Warner
What does AI transformation look like from the founder’s seat?
In this fireside conversation, Wade Foster shares:
- The strategic bets Zapier is making
- How assumptions are tested in real time
- How AI affects team design and leadership decisions
For founders and executives navigating AI-driven change, this is a rare operational lens.
4. Enable to elevate
Dr. Bobbi Wegner, Lecturer in Organizational Psychology, Harvard University
Distributed organizations require stronger manager capability.
This session focuses on:
- Psychological safety in remote settings
- Trust-building in async teams
- Enabling ownership without micromanagement
- Practical tools grounded in organizational psychology
Manager enablement is becoming a defining factor in the second wave of remote work.
5. The second wave of remote work
Nick Francis, Chairman, HelpScout
Remote work is entering a decisive phase.
As return-to-office policies push experienced talent back into the market, companies with mature remote cultures will have an advantage.
This keynote explores:
- Why some remote-friendly companies will fall behind
- What mature distributed cultures do differently
- How to strengthen remote strategy long term
If you are thinking about the future of remote work beyond policy debates, this session sets the context.
6. Building distributed, deliberately
Nawal Fakhaury, Senior Director, Experience & Inclusion, HubSpot
Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at OpenTable
Moderated by: Mikaela Cohen, HR Brew Reporter
Distributed work does not scale by accident.
Leaders from HubSpot, OpenTable, and CXC Global share how they:
- Design distributed organizational structures
- Connect flexibility to measurable business outcomes
- Clarify ownership across global teams
- Align remote strategy with company growth
For enterprise workplace leaders, this session moves flexibility from philosophy to strategy.
7. Who are you really hiring? AI, deepfakes, and trust at scale
Ophir Samson, Founder, CEO & CTO, Ezra
Tiffany Hindman, VP, Global Tech Recruiting, Talent Sourcing & Innovation, ServiceNow
Leaders from Ezra and ServiceNow will consult a deepfake expert on how remote hiring is being redesigned in the age of AI — from automated screening and bots, to identity, trust, and the emerging reality of deepfakes
8. The new middle: Rethinking management in an AI-driven organization
Carmen Amara, Chief People Officer, Yelp
Brandon Sammut, Chief People and AI Transformation Officer, Zapier
Vinicious Coelho, VP of People, Time Doctor
Moderated by: Daniel Huerta, CEO & Co-Host of The Modern People Leader Podcast
As AI flattens structures and automates coordination, what happens to middle management?
Leaders from Yelp, Zapier, and Time Doctor explore:
- How management roles evolve in AI-powered organizations
- What meaningful career growth looks like beyond hierarchy
- How distributed companies redesign leadership paths
This conversation reflects a broader shift in organizational design across remote-first companies.
Beyond the stage: Where the real work happens
The agenda is only part of the experience.
You can book 10-minute one-to-one Office Hours with speakers like Brandon Sammut, Nick Francis, Nadia Vatalidis, and others. Bring your real question. Pressure-test your thinking. Leave with clarity you can act on.
There are also structured networking sessions designed to go deeper than small talk. Curated breakfasts by persona. Walking tours and lake activities in Austin that make connection easier and more natural.
Running Remote has always been about conversations. This year, that intention is even stronger.
Who should attend Running Remote 2026?
Running Remote is ideal for:
- Founders scaling remote-first companies
- CEOs navigating AI transformation
- People Ops and HR leaders redesigning distributed culture
- Enterprise workplace strategists managing hybrid and global teams
RR landing page by persona-2
If you are responsible for performance, culture, organizational design, or remote strategy, this conference is built for you.
Event details
Running Remote 2026
April 27–29, 2026
Austin, Texas
In-person event
Full agenda:
https://runningremote.com/schedule
You can reserve at the current rate and pay the remaining balance on April 1.
The future of remote work is being designed now
Remote work is no longer an experiment. It is an operating model.
The second wave belongs to leaders who redesign deliberately. AI integration, manager capability, distributed structure, and high-performance systems will define the next decade of flexible work.
Running Remote 2026, created by Time Doctor, brings those leaders into the same room to share what is actually working.
If you are shaping distributed teams in 2026, this is the room.
