HFPA

TEXTalk: Cross Generational Leadership
2026-10-14 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
In an era of constant change, trust between leaders and their teams and customers isn’t just valuable—it’s essential. However, the complexity of a multi-generational workforce can make building and maintaining that trust feel less like a project plan and more like a Rubik’s Cube. It’s worth the work, though: when trust and alignment are strong, organizations see higher engagement, stronger performance, and longer employee and customer tenure. Companies benefit greatly, future proofing retention rates and operating budgets by effectively bringing Millennials and Gen Z-ers into the leadership pipelines as Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers exit to retirement and beyond.
In this highly interactive session, Phil Putnam will guide attendees through how to lead multi-generational teams from collision to chemistry and build the deep trust that enables consistent growth amidst constant change. You’ll gain tactical, actionable strategies for the following:

Retention & engagement – growing Gen Y & Z as Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers move on
Innovation & Communication – effectively selecting and articulating value to your target age groups
Team Satisfaction & Impact – motivating top performers and making them happy in the process

📅 Wednesday, October 14th, 2026 | 1:00pm ET
📍 Virtual | Registration Coming Soon!

About the Host:
Phil Putnam is a top voice in people leadership and human performance. His speaking and writing on employee motivation, cross-generational leadership, and buyer psychology has fueled success for many of the world’s greatest companies including Bloomberg, Slack and Salesforce. Following 20 years as a team member and executive leader within world-class Tech organizations including Apple and Adobe, he now shares his most valuable lessons learned with audiences around the world through his GIVE TO GET LEADERSHIP method and his book, Desire-Based Leadership: A Manager’s Unexpected Key to Driving Top Performance. Originally from Sacramento, CA, he made New York City his home many years ago, where his husband and dog are the center of his life and the keepers of his heart.

Sponsored by

TEXTalk: Autumn/Winter 27/28 Interiors Design & Colour Forecast
2026-12-02 11:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Immediately following HFPA’s Annual Meeting, stay tuned for an exploration of the five key colours set to define the Autumn/Winter seasons of 2027 & 2028, and how they will show up across the interiors space, shaping commercial opportunities and product direction. The session will conclude with live Q&A.
About the Host:

Jody Folino is a senior executive with a background in retail, sales and manufacturing. Jody is highly skilled in developing merchandising, marketing and omni channel business strategies. Jody provides effective results in all aspects of management with impressive communication and leadership skills. Priding herself in solid core values of honesty, integrity and commitment to excellence. Jody Folino is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Blue Ridge Home Fashions.

About the Panelist:

Angela Ringo is WGSN’s Senior Strategist on the Interiors team, where she has spent the past five years shaping insight for the global home and design industries. With over 20 years of experience, she brings deep knowledge and expertise informed by her background in colour, materials, lifestyle and sustainability.

Driven by rigorous research, Angela approaches trend forecasting as an ongoing process of discovery. She identifies meaningful patterns and connections, translating them into insights that inform creative and business decisions. Alongside her analytical work, she is a visual artist, bringing depth to her narratives through a lens that bridges historical and contemporary art.

Angela is an alumna of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.
