As artificial intelligence automates analytical and routine tasks, human skills such as emotional intelligence, cross-communication, and trust-building are becoming critical for team success. Yet most organizations lack a structured approach to develop these capabilities. The Emotional Skill Gap Summit, a four-day virtual event from September 29 to October 2, 2026, aims to fill that void. Co-hosted by FeelWise, Minds of Light, and Strike Marketing Institute, the summit will run daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time, targeting learning and development professionals, HR leaders, and team managers.
The urgency is backed by data. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, employers expect 39% of core skills to change by 2030, with leadership and social influence rising 22 percentage points in importance since 2023. "Companies have a plan for AI adoption. Few have a plan for the skills AI doesn't replace," said Tina Schweiger, founder of FeelWise. "Those skills can be taught and practiced like any other, and these four days show how."
The summit features over 25 speakers, including Russell Scherwin, leadership professor at the University of Georgia and former CMO of IBM Watson Commerce; Dr. Justin James Kennedy, professor of behavioral neuroscience and TEDx speaker; Stephen Busette of Siemens; Robert Gramillano, executive coach and clinical professor at DePaul University; Dr. Charmain Jackman, CEO of InnoPsych; and Drs. Judith and Bob Wright of LiveWright. Two days will cover emotional regulation, resilience, human-centered leadership, and workplace culture. Minds of Light Day, led by Executive Director Alison Jones, focuses on neurodivergent perspectives and communication between neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues. "Neurodivergent people are a growing part of the workforce, and the unwritten emotional rules of most workplaces were not designed for how they communicate," Jones said. "Many spend energy every day decoding tone, masking, and translating between communication styles, on top of the job itself. Rapid change in how work gets done adds to that load. Emotional skills training has to work for every kind of mind."
Emotionally Intelligent AI Day, on October 2 and sponsored by Grand Strategy Consulting, addresses staying emotionally grounded while working alongside AI tools. Speakers include Zena Collins, a consultant at Grand Strategy Consulting and author of Stop Wasting Time With AI. Registration is $29, deliberately priced so individuals can attend without a budget approval process, and closes September 29. Attendees can add a donation to Minds of Light or bundle registration with the FeelWise emotional intelligence card deck. Recordings of every session are included. To register, visit the-emotional-skill-gap-summit.heysummit.com.
The summit matters because it directly confronts a blind spot in corporate AI strategies: the human skills that technology cannot replicate. While companies invest heavily in AI tools, they often neglect the emotional competencies that enable collaboration, innovation, and resilience. By offering affordable, accessible training, the event empowers organizations to future-proof their workforce. The inclusion of neurodivergent perspectives is particularly significant, as it challenges standard workplace norms and promotes inclusive cultures where all employees can thrive. As AI continues to reshape job roles, summits like this signal a shift toward valuing emotional intelligence as a core professional skill, not a soft add-on. The collaboration among FeelWise, Minds of Light, and Strike Marketing Institute underscores a growing recognition that technical and emotional skills must advance together. For HR and L&D leaders, the event provides actionable frameworks and tools to begin closing the emotional skills gap immediately. In an era of rapid automation, such initiatives may well determine which organizations attract, retain, and develop top talent.
