May 15-16, 2025 – Filoli Mansion & Garden

Check-in – 6:00 – 8:00 PM

CoS SF Connect Mixer

Meet your Chief of Staff peers over coffee, tea, and an amazing buffet style breakfast!

Location:
1242 Market St
‍San Francisco, CA 94102
2nd Floor

Register for the Mixer

Check-in – 8 – 9:30 AM

Networking Breakfast

Meet your Chief of Staff peers over coffee, tea, and an amazing buffet style breakfast!

Opening Keynote – 9:30 – 10 AM

Getting Sh*t Done: From the halls of government to startup leadership

Join Steve Siger, cofounder of CNaught, as he shares powerful lessons about how his experience as a Chief of Staff set him up for success in executive roles that followed

Steven Siger

Cofounder & COO at CNaught Former CoS, US Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy

Morning Workshop – 110:00 – 10:45 AM

Navigating Conflict

Turn conflict into collaboration during this interactive workshop giving you the playbook on managing leadership tension.

Aarti Bhatnagar

Executive Coach at Cadence Operators, fmr CoS at Guild

Break – 10:45 – 11:15 AM

Pods Group Activity

Turn conflict into collaboration during this interactive workshop giving you the playbook on managing leadership tension.

David Nebinski

Community Lead at Chief of Staff Network

Scott Amenta

Founder at Chief of Staff Network & Co-founder / Head of Product at Sylva

Lightning Talk #1 – 11:15 – 11:35 PM

From "Action Item" to "Action": The AI Revolution in Meetings

Ever notice that every meeting just creates more work? 2x founder and Fathom CEO Richard White offers a roadmap of the near future for how AI is automating post-meeting actions. Learn how you can use meetings to speak things into existence, and how tasks will increasingly begin to complete themselves.

Richard White

Founder & CEO at Fathom AI

Lightning Talk #2 – 11:40 – 12:00 PM

Explicit Expectations

Explicit Expectations is a transformative keynote designed to empower leaders to bridge the gap between ambiguity and alignment.

Stephanie Usry

Founder & CEO at Clutch

Networking – 12:05 – 12:30 PM

CoS Peer Matching

Hand-selected small group peer connections. Build relationships with other top Chiefs of Staff, while enjoying some time in the sun in Filoli's beautiful gardens.

Lunch Break – 12:30 – 2:00 PM

Networking Lunch

Network over lunch and engage with fellow Chiefs of Staff in hand-selected roundtables.

Afternoon Workshop – 2:00 – 2:45 PM

Accelerating Successful Business Transformation

4X Chief of Staff and business transformation expert, Arnaud Rager, will lead us through a guided workshop sharing an exclusive framework on navigating organization change.

Arnaud Rager

fmr. VP Transformation at Bio Rad, fmr. Chief of Staff at J&J

Fireside Chat – 2:45 – 3:15 PM

Scaling with Intent – Systems for High-Growth Companies

Join James Raybould and Scott Amenta for a conversation on how AI is reshaping operational excellence. They’ll dive into how the quality curve is shifting, why feedback and human judgment remain critical, and how Chiefs of Staff can build smarter systems that move faster without sacrificing depth.

James Raybould

SVP & GM at Turing

Scott Amenta

Founder at Chief of Staff Network & Co-founder / Head of Product at Sylva

Break – 3:15 – 3:30 PM

Coffee Break

Enjoy a quick coffee break before our last two sessions of the day!

Presentation & Discussion – 3:30 – 4:15 PM

Creating the AI Spark

Brandon Sammut & Karly Gelardi from Zapier share their most important lessons transforming Zapier’s product and team into an AI powerhouse.

Brandon Sammut

Chief People Officer at Zapier

Karly Gelardi

CoS to CPO at Zapier

Tactical Workshop – 4:15 – 5:00 PM

Becoming the Chief of AI

This tactical workshop aims to leave you with a guide to evaluating and rolling out AI solutions and real-life examples of AI-powered workflows you can implement immediately in your day-to-day work.

Diane Sadowski-Joseph

Co-Founder and Head of Product at Apply AI

Happy Hour – 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Chief of Staff Mixer

Unwind and connect with fellow Chiefs of Staff over casual conversations, refreshing drinks, and tasty bites. Expand your network in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.

Check-in – 10:00 – 12:00 PM

CoS Connect Coffee Chat

Come connect with other CoS SF Connect attendees for a final post-conference meetup!
‍
Location:
Andytown Coffee Roasters
‍Rooftop, Park Level, 181 Fremont St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USARooftop

Register for the Coffee chat

James Raybould

SVP & GM at Turing

James Raybould is SVP & GM at Turing, leading AI-driven talent solutions. Previously, he spent 12+ years at LinkedIn in senior roles across product, marketing, and business operations, helping scale the company through its hypergrowth phase. A former Bain consultant and HBS graduate, James is known for his strategic frameworks and deep expertise in go-to-market and product strategy.

Karly Gelardi

CoS to CPO at Zapier

Karly Gelardi is a seasoned People Operations leader, currently serving as the Senior Talent Operations Manager at Zapier—a global, fully remote software automation company. With a strong foundation in training and development, talent acquisition, and strategic planning, Karly excels in building high-performing teams and optimizing organizational effectiveness.

Brandon Sammut

Chief People Officer at Zapier

Brandon Sammut is a two-time Chief People Officer, currently leading at Zapier—a software automation platform powered by an 800-member, all-remote team in 40+ countries. Brandon specializes in building high-performing teams and draws from a diverse background in business development, talent acquisition, talent development, education, and venture capital.

Aarti Bhatnagar

Executive Coach at Cadence Operators, fmr CoS at Guild

Aarti Bhatnagar is a seasoned Operating Leader and Certified Professional Coach (CPCC, ACC) with 12+ years of experience in operations, program management, and people leadership. She served as Chief of Staff at Guild Education and Change.org, enabling scalable operations across executive and product teams. Aarti combines her leadership experience with a passion for coaching to empower current and aspiring Operating Leaders to excel in their roles.

Steven Siger

Cofounder & COO at CNaught Former CoS, US Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy

Steve Siger is cofounder and COO of CNaught, which is trusted by buyers like Asana, Tiger Global, and Dimensional Advisors to make it easy to drive real climate impact through their carbon credit portfolios. Steve previously held multiple senior roles at early-stage companies including Uber and Thumbtack, where he served as General Counsel and acting head of finance. Earlier in his career, Steve served in multiple roles in the Obama Administration, including as Chief of Staff and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy and as Counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.

Arnaud Rager

fmr. VP Transformation at Bio Rad, fmr. Chief of Staff at J&J

Arnaud Rager is a strategic leader with over 25 years of experience transforming organizations across the pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical devices industries. Known for his expertise in project management, process excellence, and change management, Arnaud has led impactful initiatives in companies ranging from 300-person startups to global enterprises like Johnson & Johnson. As a four-time Chief of Staff, he advised CEO and C-level executives, and has crafted and executed strategic frameworks, managed complex portfolios, and driven high-impact transformations. Most recently, as Vice President of Business Planning & Transformation at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Arnaud led a team that reshaped key business processes such as Sales and Operations Planning, Procure to Pay, and Order to Cash.

Stephanie Usry

Founder & CEO at Clutch

After a decade of coaching leaders and teams, Stephanie co-founded Clutch Insights to help leaders scale themselves as fast as their companies. A seasoned operator, she’s built and led product, operations, and engineering teams from seed stage to IPO at companies like Jawbone, HotelTonight (Airbnb), and Pure Storage. As the first Radical Candor coach, she helped shape a framework now used by leaders worldwide, deepening her expertise in leadership at scale.

Richard White

Founder & CEO at Fathom AI

Richard White is Founder/CEO of Fathom (YC W21). Fathom was the #1 Highest Satisfaction product of 2024 out of 100K+ products on G2 with over 2,000 reviews and a perfect 5.0 score. It’s also the #1 installed AI notetaker on both the Zoom and HubSpot marketplaces. Prior to Fathom, Richard founded UserVoice, which pioneered the Feedback tabs shown on the side of millions of websites around the world today.

Diane Sadowski-Joseph

Co-Founder and Head of Product at Apply AI

Diane Sadowski is Co-Founder of Apply AI, helping organizations expand their AI capabilities with real-world, behavior-based strategies. Previously, she was employee #8 and Head of Product Development & Delivery at LifeLabs Learning, scaling the company to 200+ employees and a nine-figure exit. Diane has empowered 100,000+ professionals across global markets and brings deep expertise in leadership development, organizational performance, and AI integration.

James Raybould

SVP & GM at Turing

Karly Gelardi

CoS to CPO at Zapier

Brandon Sammut

Chief People Officer at Zapier

Aarti Bhatnagar

Executive Coach at Cadence Operators, fmr CoS at Guild

Steven Siger

Cofounder & COO at CNaught Former CoS, US Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy

Arnaud Rager

fmr. VP Transformation at Bio Rad, fmr.
Chief of Staff at J&J

Stephanie Usry

Founder & CEO at Clutch

James Raybould

Founder & CEO at Fathom AI

Diane Sadowski-Joseph

Co-Founder and Head of Product at Apply AI

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Additional Details

Parking is complimentary
There will be Wifi inside the space
We will be in the meeting room inside the main Visitor Center (signs will be posted by Filoli externally)-
Please let us know if any dietary allergies or ADA needs

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CNaught

Cnaught is a trusted platform helping companies seamlessly achieve their sustainability goals through the purchase of high-quality, verified carbon credits. Built by a team of climate experts and technology leaders,

Cnaught simplifies carbon credit procurement with transparency, trust, and efficiency at its core. Their mission is to accelerate the global transition to net zero by making climate action accessible and impactful for organizations of all sizes.

Visit CNaught

Chief of Staff Connect is proudly presented by the Chief of Staff Network.

Join the authoritative community for accomplished Chiefs of Staff who want to empower their principals and teams through professional development, tactical resources, and access to a trusted peer community.

Join the Community

Praise from Members

Here are a handful of testimonials from our satisfied members.

The Chief of Staff Network has allowed me to build meaningful relationships with industry professionals, as well as learn from other Chiefs of Staff in a safe and productive space.

Conor Sweeney

Chief of Staff, Box

The Chief of Staff Network has been an invaluable resource since the day I started the role. Through monthly sessions discussing CoS related topics, or just having a support group with shared experience, the community has been one of the centerpieces of my tenure as a Chief of Staff.

Leland Chamlin

Chief of Staff, Bowery Farming

The Chief of Staff Network is the preeminent one-stop shop for impactful Chief of Staff resources, relationship building, and knowledge sharing. The talented members of this community provide invaluable job insights to one another, forging career-changing connections for years to come.

Tyler Young

Chief of Staff to the CFO, Braze

The CoS Network brings a group of solution oriented minds together into an environment set up for collaboration and sharing of best practices. The role can be ambiguous and challenging- participating in this community of support means being able to share what you know and accelerate your impact as you lean on others’ learnings. The experience has been an invaluable investment in my career.

Mary Kate Sinha

Chief of Staff at Plastiq

This community has been a wonderful benefit to me personally as I've continued to grow in the role and coached others.

Stephen Olmstead

fmr VP, Chief of Staff at InVision

This group is invaluable for anyone that wants to succeed at a scaling start-up in a Chief of Staff role. No matter what challenge is thrown at you in the role (and you will see it all), someone in the group has been through it and can provide great insight into how they tackled the issue.

Mike Maseda

Chief of Staff at Prompt

I recently joined the Chief of Staff Network and have already made some amazing connections. When you're a chief of staff, you're often the only person in the company with that job title -- the COS Network has people in your shoes, and it's a great place for advice, brainstorming, and community. Highly recommend!

David Burt

Chief Of Staff at Atlantic Media

The Chief of Staff Network has been a blessing as I ventured into a unique position that was new - not only for myself but also for SumUp. Having access to this community makes my life easier as we’re all facing similar challenges and can freely exchange on ideas and solutions.

Jacques Hoerter

Chief of Staff at SumUp

I came across Chief of Staff Network when considering the CoS role for the first time and found the content about the role was so helpful, I immediately became a member when I officially started the position. The content and connections continued to be invaluable throughout my entire CoS journey, so much so that I was able to work myself out of the job and into a founder role faster than I anticipated. Highly recommend!

Katie Murphy

fmr Chief of Staff at HackerU

More Events

Learn tactics from experts, brainstorm with peers, and grow your network by participating in our upcoming programs.

All Events

May 15

CoS SF Connect Mixer (Thurs May 15)

We are hosting a Mixer on Thursday May 15th for attendees of our Chief of Staff Connect Conference! If you want to attend this event and our conference, you can register here!

May 16

Seattle CoS Meetup (Fri May 16)

Come connect with other CoS in Seattle for an early evening meetup! When: Friday May 16th at 4:00 Special thanks to Casey Smirniotopoulos for organizing this! Have any questions? Please reach out to David at david@chiefofstaff.network WHO THIS EVENT IS FOR Chiefs of Staff and our members. Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here!

May 17

CoS Connect Coffee Meetup (Saturday 5/17)

Come connect with other CoS SF Connect attendees for a final conference meetup! When: Saturday May 17th at 10:00 AM Location: Once you RSVP, you will get the location! If you are not a Connect ticket holder (yet), you can learn more about our May 15 - 16th conference and join us here! Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here!

May 21

CoS Network Info Session and Speed Networking (May 21)

Come learn more about the Chief of Staff Network, our membership, and how we support Chiefs of Staff! When: Wednesday May 21st at Noon EST

May 21

Paris CoS Meetup (May 21)

Come connect with other Paris Chiefs of Staff! When: Wednesday May 21st at 7:15 PM Special thanks to Juliette Quersin for hosting this event! Have any questions? Please reach out to David at david@chiefofstaff.network WHO THIS EVENT IS FOR CoS and our members. Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here

May 21

CoS San Diego Meetup (Wed May 21)

Come connect with other CoS in San Diego! When: Wednesday May 21st at 3:00 Special thanks to Mary Hendra hosting this! Have any questions? Please reach out to David at david@chiefofstaff.network WHO THIS EVENT IS FOR Chiefs of Staff and our members. Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here!

May 27

How To Use Our CoS Leveling Framework (Tues May 27)

The Chief of Staff role is rapidly evolving—but what does growth really look like in this unique position? Join us to discuss of our Chief of Staff Leveling Framework, a first-of-its-kind resource designed to bring structure, clarity, and direction to one of the most ambiguous roles in modern organizations. In this session, we’ll cover: Why a leveling framework matters for Chiefs of Staff and their organizations The core competencies and expectations at each stage of the role How to use the framework for hiring, performance, and career development 🗓️ Date: Tuesday May 27th at Noon EST Whether you’re a current Chief of Staff, hiring for one, or thinking about what comes next in your career, this event will give you a practical roadmap to navigate and define success. Register now and download the framework here! Chief of Staff Network Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here!

May 29

CoS NYC Mixer (Thurs May 29)

Come connect with other CoS in NYC for a special night of connection and learning with 20+ people! When: Thursday May 29th starting at 6:30 Agenda: mingling, speed networking, and a small group discussion Location: Flatiron. When you RSVP, you will get the details! Limited Capacity: we have limited capacity for this event. Please only register for the event, if you know you can be there! Have any questions? Please reach out to David at david@chiefofstaff.network. WHO THIS EVENT IS FOR This event is primarily for in-role Chief of Staff and/or our members. You can learn more about our membership here!

Jun 4

CoS Fundamentals Course (May - July)

Are you a new Chief of Staff? Or are you looking to learn more about the CoS role? Join us for the Fundamentals Course, a cohort learning program! Format: lessons are emailed every Tuesday and Thursday. There are three live calls as well. Timing: Friday May 23: Registration deadline Wednesday May 28: Kick-off email June 4 at Noon EST: Kick-off call on Zoom June 25 at Noon EST: Mid-course check-in call July 16 at Noon EST: Graduation call on Zoom "I love having conceptual frameworks. Every step along the way of this course, that was provided in some form. This is very helpful to me as I continually conceptualize my Chief of Staff role and convert ideas and frameworks into actions.” – Joy A. Lo, Chief of Staff, HR&A Advisors You can learn more about program here: https://www.chiefofstaff.network/fundamentals-track If you have any questions, reach out to David at david@chiefofstaff.network!

Jun 5

CoS Miami Meetup (Thurs June 5)

Come connect with other CoS in Miami! When: Thursday June 5th at 6:00 Location: Once you RSVP, you will get the location! Note: food and drink is on your own dime, sorry! Special thanks to Raj for hosting this! WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR Chiefs of Staff and /or our members. Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network and our membership here!

The Art of

Human

Alignment

2025

For Insights

Chief of Staff Connect is back and bigger than ever in three global cities – San Francisco, New York, and London.

‍The Art of Human Alignment at Chief of Staff Connect is about mastering the uniquely human skills that drive clarity, cohesion, and execution in complex organizations—strategic thinking, communication, and leadership. As AI reshapes the workplace, Chiefs of Staff must not only integrate new tools but also ensure that teams stay aligned, engaged, and adaptable in the face of rapid change.

Join an exceptional group of senior Chief of Staff leaders shaping the future of organizational success.

COSC San Francisco

MAY 15-17 | SAN FRANCISCO , CA

An immersive experience focused on cutting-edge strategies, operational excellence, and connecting with leaders driving impact in high-growth industries.

VIEW EVENT

COSC NEW YORK

OCTOBER 23-24 | TIMES SQUARE , NY

The flagship 2-day event bringing together top Chiefs of Staff to explore alignment, strategy, and innovation at the heart of the world’s most dynamic city.

VIEW EVENT

COSC Europe

NOVEMBER [TBD] | LONDON, UK

A 1-day gathering of Europe’s leading Chiefs of Staff to share insights, collaborate on challenges, and explore the future of leadership and organizational efficiency.

VIEW EVENT

CoS SF Connect Mixer

Networking Breakfast

Getting Sh*t Done: From the halls of government to startup leadership

Steven Siger

Navigating Conflict

Aarti Bhatnagar

Pods Group Activity

David Nebinski

Scott Amenta

From "Action Item" to "Action": The AI Revolution in Meetings

Richard White

Explicit Expectations

Stephanie Usry

CoS Peer Matching

Networking Lunch

Accelerating Successful Business Transformation

Arnaud Rager

Scaling with Intent – Systems for High-Growth Companies

James Raybould

Scott Amenta

Coffee Break

Creating the AI Spark

Brandon Sammut

Karly Gelardi

Becoming the Chief of AI

Diane Sadowski-Joseph

Chief of Staff Mixer

CoS Connect Coffee Chat

James Raybould

Karly Gelardi

Brandon Sammut

Aarti Bhatnagar

Steven Siger

Arnaud Rager

Stephanie Usry

James Raybould

Diane Sadowski-Joseph

Valentyna Chebanova

Drew Carson

Mei Wu

Brad Kessler

Dionne Lueder

Katherine Gilpin

Ben Whaley

Aarti Bhatnagar

Adelheid Kutscher

Dianne Sadowski-Joseph

Natalie Korenic

Taylor Wang

Anne Marie Otañez

Courtney Flickwir

Michaela Zuckova

Sean Holt

James Raybould

Robin Ponce

Cassie Coke

Shravya Gupta

Lisa Gomez

Trisha Chang

Cristina Petree

Rob Boone

Lauren Robinette

David Nebinski

Naresh Iyer

Abhishek Vora

Erin Howe

Richard White

Shirly Dizikes

Brandon Sammut

Stephania Greco

Julia Forzano

Kishan Patel

Frances Palomar

Aamir Vaid

Melinda Munroe

Moira Saign

Lisa Anne Logan

Additional Details

Gold Tier

SwagUp