AI × UX Summit
by StratMinds

Make AI Usable, Useful & Delightful

October 8-9, 2025
Honolulu, Hawaii

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Immerse yourself in a one-of-a-kind experience, where great AI meets amazing UX!

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Why join Swell?

At StratMinds, we stand by the conviction that the winners of the AI race will be determined by great UX.

Swell is a curated gathering of ~100 AI leaders, builders, and investors who believe that how AI is experienced matters as much as what it can do.

It’s an intimate, purpose-driven summit — built for deep conversations, bold ideas, and meaningful connection. Together, we’re shaping a future where AI goes beyond intelligence to become useful, usable, and truly delightful.

Event Location

This year’s summit will take place at La Pietra – Hawai‘i School for Girls, a historic campus nestled at the base of Diamond Head in Honolulu. With open lanais, shaded outdoor spaces, and the warm Hawaiian breeze, La Pietra provides a peaceful and inspiring backdrop for gathering, reflecting, and creating.

This venue reflects our values: rooted in place, open to possibility, and designed for intentional, human-centered exchange.

Join us in Honolulu,
sunny Hawaii

Who is Speaking?

We've brought together a unique group of speakers, including AI builders, UX and product leaders, and forward-thinking investors.

They’ll share real stories, approaches, and lessons from pushing boundaries at the intersection of AI and UX. The lineup is still growing—stay tuned for updates and get ready to be inspired by leading voices shaping the future.

Russ Wilson

Chief Design Officer
@Fidelity / Former Head of UX @Google Cloud

Mike Davidson

CVP, Design & User Research @Microsoft AI

Charles Ferguson

AI Investor, AI Editor, Academy Award-winning Inside Job Director @Project Syndicate

Bernie Su

Three-time Emmy Winning Creator and Storyteller, Director of Whispers
@Pickford AI

Alex Mashrabov

CEO / Co-Founder
@Higgsfield AI

Devin Mancuso

Head of Design & Product
@Character AI

Emily Heyward

Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer
@Red Antler

Richard Jhang

CEO & General Partner
@StratMinds

Savannah Niles

Co-Founder & CEO
@Wide Worlds AI, ex-Design Manager @Meta

Jonathan Arena

Co-Founder
@New Generation, Entrepreneur in Residence @South Park Commons

Kirill Lazarev

Founder & CEO,
@Lazarev.

Anton Borzov

Partner @StratMinds, Founding Ukraine Board Member @Endeavor, Founding Designer @WhatsApp, @Neeva

Tommy Petrov

Co-Founder & CEO
@CopySight Ai; ex-Tech Creative Director @Meta, @Snap

Leimomi Bong

Creative Technologist and Developer @Purple Maiʻa Foundation

Russ Wilson

Chief Design Officer
@Fidelity / Former Head of UX @Google Cloud

Mike Davidson

CVP, Design & User Research @Microsoft AI

Charles Ferguson

AI Investor, AI Editor, Academy Award-winning Inside Job Director @Project Syndicate

Bernie Su

Three-time Emmy Winning Creator and Storyteller, Director of Whispers
@Pickford AI

Alex Mashrabov

CEO / Co-Founder
@Higgsfield AI

Devin Mancuso

Head of Design & Product
@Character AI

Emily Heyward

Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer
@Red Antler

Richard Jhang

CEO & General Partner
@StratMinds

Savannah Niles

Co-Founder & CEO
@Wide Worlds AI, ex-Design Manager @Meta

Jonathan Arena

Co-Founder
@New Generation, Entrepreneur in Residence @South Park Commons

Kirill Lazarev

Founder & CEO,
@Lazarev.

Anton Borzov

Partner @StratMinds, Founding Ukraine Board Member @Endeavor, Founding Designer @WhatsApp, @Neeva

Tommy Petrov

Co-Founder & CEO
@CopySight Ai; ex-Tech Creative Director @Meta, @Snap

Leimomi Bong

Creative Technologist and Developer @Purple Maiʻa Foundation

Jess Holbrook

Head of UX Research
@Microsoft AI; ex-Generative AI @Meta, Responsible AI @Google

Minh Do

Co-Founder & CEO 
@Machine Cinema & Fantastic Day

Frank Yoo

Co-Founder @Big Basin Labs;
ex-Head of Design & Research, Nextdoor, Coinbase, Google Cloud

Summer Kim

Partner @StratMinds, Founding Head of Research @WhatsApp, @Roblox, @Google Comms

Andy Szybalski

Co-Founder & Designer
@Cove; ex-Senior Director of Product Design @Uber, @Google

Jenny Lo

Head of Research @Global AI Platform; ex-Head of Research @Grammarly

Tomasz Kornuta

Sr Manager, Deep Learning Architectures @NVIDIA

Spark Lingonberry

Co-Founder & Chief Woof Officer
@Illusion of Life

Ayça Çakmakli

Head of UX for Economics, Learning and Society-centered AI @Google

Vadim Rogovskiy

Founder & CEO
@EVE, 4X Founder and Investor

Vladimir Karyshev

Chief Partnership officer
@Higgsfield

Savannah Kunovsky

Managing Director
@IDEO

Kevin Wong

VP of Product Design
@Webflow

Jess Holbrook

Head of UX Research
@Microsoft AI; ex-Generative AI @Meta, Responsible AI @Google

Minh Do

Co-Founder & CEO 
@Machine Cinema & Fantastic Day

Frank Yoo

Co-Founder @Big Basin Labs;
ex-Head of Design & Research, Nextdoor, Coinbase, Google Cloud

Summer Kim

Partner @StratMinds, Founding Head of Research @WhatsApp, @Roblox, @Google Comms

Andy Szybalski

Co-Founder & Designer
@Cove; ex-Senior Director of Product Design @Uber, @Google

Jenny Lo

Head of Research @Global AI Platform; ex-Head of Research @Grammarly

Tomasz Kornuta

Sr Manager, Deep Learning Architectures @NVIDIA

Spark Lingonberry

Co-Founder & Chief Woof Officer
@Illusion of Life

Ayça Çakmakli

Head of UX for Economics, Learning and Society-centered AI @Google

Vadim Rogovskiy

Founder & CEO
@EVE, 4X Founder and Investor

Vladimir Karyshev

Chief Partnership officer
@Higgsfield

Savannah Kunovsky

Managing Director
@IDEO

Kevin Wong

VP of Product Design
@Webflow

Who’s part of Swell?

Builders

Builders, founders, and product leaders actively creating new AI products and solutions, with a deep focus on user empathy.

Leaders

UX leaders and experts - designers, researchers, engineers - working on AI projects and shaping exceptional AI experiences.

Investors

Investors and VC firms at the forefront of AI.

Curious about Swell?

Join the Swell community and connect with builders, designers, and investors shaping the future of AI. Say hi → swell.ai@stratminds.vc

Organizers

AI × UX
Summit by
StratMinds

Meet Spark — 
Co-founder and Chief Woof Officer at Illusion of Life

The world’s first Magical Dog to take the stage at a tech conference.

Watch Video

Event agenda

This event is the launching pad for a community committed to using AI advancements for the greater good. Together, we aim to do more, do better, and make a positive difference in our world with the help of AI.

Pre-Summit Day:
October 7 (Tuesday)

Sunset Sailing & Evening Conversations
A gentle start to Swell Summit. Join fellow speakers and VIP ticket holders for a relaxing sail and meaningful introductions as we set the tone for the days ahead. This is an opportunity to connect in a casual setting, meet fellow attendees, and ease into the spirit of Swell.

Go to Day Two

Go to Next Day

Day 1:
October 8 (Wednesday)

7:00 – 9:00 AM
(Optional) Morning Wellness: Start the day with surfing or yoga
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Breakfast & Mini GenJam: Musubis, baked goods, and coffee/tea
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Opening Ceremony: A Hawaiian blessing + words of welcome from StratMinds
9:45 – 12:00 PM
Keynote and Speaker Sessions
9:45 – 10:45 AM
Keynote #1 (45 min) + Q&A (15 min)
10:50 – 11:20 AM
Speaker Session #1 (20 min) + Q&A (10 min)
11:20 – 11:50 AM
Speaker Session #2 (20 min) + Q&A (10 min)
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch: Enjoy a refreshing lunch break outdoors with local flavors under the Diamond Head backdrop
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Panel and Fireside Chat
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Panel Discussion #1
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Fireside Chat #1
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Coffee/tea Break + Surprise Hawaiian Snacks :-)
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Small Group Activities: Discussions inspired by Day 1 insights:
Group A:
Lei Making
Group B:
Sound Bath
Group C:
Kaimana Beach
Group D:
Diamond Head Area Adventure
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Swell Reception @ Ritz-Carlton Waikiki

Go to Day One

Go to Next Day

⁠⁠Day 2:
October 9 (Thursday)

7:00 – 9:00 AM
(Optional) Morning Wellness: Start the day with surfing or yoga
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Breakfast & Mini GenJam: Musubis, baked goods, and coffee/tea
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Final Day Kickoff: Insights from StratMinds and sponsors
9:45 – 12:00 PM
Keynote and Speaker Sessions
9:45 – 10:45 AM
Keynote #2 (45 min) + Q&A (15 min)
10:50 – 11:20 AM
Speaker Session #3 (20 min) + Q&A (10 min)
11:20 – 11:50 AM
Speaker Session #4 (20 min) + Q&A (10 min)
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch: Enjoy a refreshing lunch break outdoors with local flavors under the Diamond Head backdrop
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Panel and Fireside Chat
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Panel Discussion #2
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Fireside Chat #2
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Coffee/tea Break + Surprise Hawaiian Snacks :-)
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Unconference Breakouts + Workshop Options
Small group discussions and sharing time
6:00 – 8:30 PM
Affinity Dinners @ Restaurants Across Honolulu
Unwind and connect over intimate, small-group dinners hosted by fellow attendees at some of Honolulu’s most beloved local restaurants. Each dinner is centered around a unique theme designed to spark lively, thoughtful conversation. A sign-up sheet will be shared in advance to view topics, dinner hosts, and restaurant selections.

Go to Day Two

Go to Next Day

⁠⁠Special Event:
October 10 (Friday)

AI for the Next Generation: A Day for Hawai‘i’s Youth & Educators
This special day is dedicated to Hawai‘i’s students (keiki), teachers, and school communities — those who will grow up with AI as a daily presence in their lives, and who deserve more than just access. They deserve understanding, critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of agency.

Through talks, workshops, and hands-on sessions, we’ll explore questions like:
- How can we think more critically with AI?
- How can AI amplify — not replace — human creativity?
- What does it mean to lead with curiosity in an AI-driven world?
9:00 – 3:00 PM
Program Highlights
Opening talks with local and guest voices
Lightning sessions with select Swell speakers
GenJam Workshop — hands-on play with generative creativity tools
- Open to children & studetns + teachers & parents
- 10-noon GenJam time, and presentation
Roundtable: AI + Education in Hawai‘i — what’s next?
This isn’t about telling the next generation what to do with AI. It’s about making space for them to imagine and shape it for themselves.

Go to Day Three

Go to First Day

Wellness Exploration

Beyond AI and UX insights, attendees will enjoy a well-rounded experience with networking events and interactive unconference sessions that encourage deeper exploration and collaboration.

In Hawaii’s setting, curated wellness activities—surf lessons, sound baths, Lei making, and yoga—will balance the intensity of learning. These mindful practices ensure you leave with both fresh knowledge and a renewed sense of energy.

Meditation.
Sound Bath.
Hiking.
Surfing.
Mindful walking.
Fireworks.

Join Us

We’re welcoming a curated group of AI practitioners who are actively building in the space, to keep the gathering focused and engaging.

UX practitioners

Interested in joining Swell? Please connect with us. We’d love to hear about your work, your goals, and explore ways to collaborate — at this Summit or future Swell events.

Join Swell