Simon Sinek, Creator of “Start With WHY” to Inspire 3,000+ HR Professionals on Building High-Performing Workforces During IAMPHENOM Mainstage Conversation

PHILADELPHIA – January 20, 2026 – Phenom today announced Simon Sinek will be a featured speaker among 100+ other powerhouse presenters throughout IAMPHENOM 2026, the only human resources conference dedicated to AI, automation and experience taking place March 10-12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

Simon is best known for popularizing the concept of WHY through his TED Talk, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his global bestseller Start With WHY. As an unshakeable optimist and trained ethnographer, he has spent years studying the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact, uncovering remarkable patterns about how high-performing teams think, act and communicate and drive company cultures.

His work has inspired millions through his best-selling books, including Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast A Bit of Optimism. Simon is also the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and continues to share inspiration through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press.

Simon’s unconventional views on business and leadership have attracted international attention. He has met with leaders and organizations in nearly every industry, and frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government.

“Our goal for every IAMPHENOM is to educate and inspire HR leaders and practitioners from around the world, and Simon Sinek embodies that purpose,” said Jonathan Dale, VP and GM, Global Marketing at Phenom. “HR professionals are navigating uncharted territory. They’re building workforces in ever-changing markets and mastering AI and automation to solve their most pressing talent challenges. Simon’s philosophy on creating environments where people thrive will equip attendees with a fresh perspective on leading through complexity."

As organizations face uncertainty around advancing their workforces with AI, IAMPHENOM is the leading conference for all professionals to get the answers and strategies they need. Featuring three days of immersive learning and networking, IAMPHENOM brings together 3,000 professionals, from talent acquisition and talent management to HRIT and the C-suite. With over 100 speakers across more than 75 sessions, attendees will gain actionable strategies, celebrate customer successes and impact, and discover proven approaches to accelerate hiring, development and retention with AI and automation.

Conference highlights include:

• Learning applied AI strategies across mainstage and breakout sessions tailored for talent acquisition, talent management, HRIT and executive leaders across industries

• Going deeper into today’s biggest HR topics for all organizations, including agentic AI, GenAI, recruiter efficiency, high-volume hiring, automated onboarding, skills-based strategies, employee development, workforce planning, and HR tech mastery

• Hearing directly from industry peers, leaders and practitioners at companies including Alight Solutions, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, Regions Bank and Truist, who are using AI to hire faster, develop better and retain longer

• Experiencing the latest AI and automation innovations purpose-built for HR during live, interactive demos to bring back to teams

• Gaining clarity, confidence and a practical playbook for thriving with AI now

• Connecting and networking during the Customer Gala Dinner & HR Awards Ceremony, welcome party, Rocky Steps Run, and fun extracurriculars 

• Earning SHRM and HRCI credits and accessing on-demand session recordings after the event

Register before January 31 and save 40% with early bird pricing. Visit iamphenom.com to register and explore the speaker lineup, conference agenda and venue and travel information.

With Phenom, candidates find and choose the right job faster, employees develop their skills and evolve, recruiters become wildly productive, talent marketers engage with extreme efficiency, talent leaders optimize hiring and onboarding processes, managers build stronger-performing teams, HR aligns employee development with company goals, and HRIT easily integrates existing HR tech to create a holistic infrastructure.

About Phenom

Phenom is an applied AI company with the only AI infrastructure built specifically for HR. Powered by Engines that harmonize data, Ontologies that guide every decision, X AI that hyper-personalizes experiences, Agents that work alongside teams, Phenom’s platform uses industry and business context to automate workflows, eliminate busywork, and enhance every experience while remaining compliant. Driven by a purpose to help a billion people find the right work, no other company is as dedicated to helping organizations hire faster, develop better and retain longer.

Phenom has earned accolades including: Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies (6 consecutive years), Deloitte Technology's Fast 500 (5 years), 11 Brandon Hall ‘Excellence in Technology’ awards including Gold for ‘Best Advance in Generative AI for Business Impact,’ Business Intelligence Group’s Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards (3 consecutive years), The Cloud Awards 2025/2024, The A.I. Awards 2024, and a regional Timmy Award for launching and optimizing HelpOneBillion.com (2020).

Headquartered in Greater Philadelphia, Phenom also has offices in India, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.

For more information, please visit www.phenom.com. Connect with Phenom on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.