The Keynote

The Industrial Age asked us to work for machines. The Information Age asked us to think with machines. Now, the Imagination Age asks us to imagine with machines. In a world where AI is increasingly capable, the real advantage isn’t the technology, it’s how we lead alongside it. This keynote inspires and challenges leaders, educators, and students to make a critical shift: moving from using AI as a tool to partnering with it as a trusted teammate.

Through practical examples and human-centered insights, Dr. Sabba Quidwai shows how design thinking fuels the mindset and methods needed to build cultures of innovation rooted in empathy and trust that turn content into connection. She introduces the SPARK framework, a powerful guide for prompting, collaborating, and creating with AI intentionally and ethically.

This isn’t about doing more with machines. It’s about building a future where human creativity, agency, and connection thrive. Now is the moment to lead what comes next.

Dr. Sabba Quidwai is a speaker, author, and advisor who helps visionary leaders design human-centered systems that are technology-driven. As the CEO of Designing Schools and a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, Sabba blends research-backed strategy with real-world application. A former high school educator, and Education Executive at Apple, Sabba has been researching the future of learning and AI since 2014. Her book and documentary Designing Schools explore how design thinking helps people lead through change with confidence and creativity. She believes cultures of innovation begin with cultures of empathy, where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to grow.

Sabba’s signature message? Innovation begins with empathy.